Troubleshooting, causes and solutions (VW Passat B6)

Possible causes of malfunction	Method of elimination
The clutch pedal does not return to its original position
Air entering the line, low brake fluid level	Top up the brake fluid, bleed the line system
Seizure of pistons in the master or slave cylinders. Leaks in the line, in the master or slave cylinders	Replace the faulty part, bleed the system of lines
It's faulty (if available) return spring	Replace the return spring
Difficulty shifting gearbox elements	Clean and lubricate the bearings, repair the bearing assemblies if necessary
Difficulty in moving elements in the clutch housing	Clean and lubricate the bearings, repair the bearing assemblies if necessary
Misalignment, jamming of the release bearing on the guide sleeve	Replace the guide bushing and release bearing
Pressure plate spring failure	Replace the pressure plate
The effort on the clutch pedal is high
Clutch pedal is hard to move. Before checking, disconnect the master cylinder from the clutch pedal	Clean and lubricate the bearings, repair the bearing assemblies if necessary
Tight movement of the reversing spring support. The reversing spring is faulty	Clean and lubricate the bearings, repair the bearing assemblies if necessary. Replace the reversing spring
The return spring is too strong (if available), non-standard return spring	Identify using the spare parts catalog
Increased clutch release force due to wear of friction linings	Replace the clutch driven disc if the gap between the lining and the rivets is less than 0.1 mm
Difficulty in moving elements in the clutch housing	Clean and lubricate the bearings, replace the bearing bushings if necessary
Misalignment, jamming of the release bearing on the guide sleeve	Replace defective parts
The contact surfaces of the release bearing/clutch release lever have worn out	Replace defective parts
Pressure plate with incorrectly identified springs	Identify using the spare parts catalog
The driven disk moves with difficulty/jams in the splines	Check the hub splines for damage (burrs), replace the driven disk if necessary. Clean the hub splines and the primary shaft from rust and grease residues and apply consistent grease to them. Remove excess grease by moving the driven disk
Only for manual transmission 02K: Clutch rod and release plate are difficult to move (disc spring)	Apply a thin coat of grease to the contact points. Apply a thin coat of grease to the clutch rod
Noise when pressing the clutch pedal
Clutch pedal movement is difficult, support surfaces are broken. The transfer spring support is dry, has a difficult movement. Broken	Clean and lubricate the bearings, repair the bearing assemblies if necessary
Return spring (if available) causes noise	Apply grease to the bearing surfaces
The release bearing is faulty, the release bearing guide is faulty, wear on the contact surfaces	A noisy release bearing should usually be replaced. Replace the guide bushings if damaged
The mating surface is damaged (ends of the petals of the disc spring) pressure plate (bent, broken). The axis of rotation of the release bearing is offset	Replace the pressure plate. Check the release bearing and guide sleeve, replace if necessary. Check the position of the clutch release lever. Check the centering sleeves
The needle bearing in the crankshaft is faulty (if available). Misalignment (displacement) of engine/gearbox axles	Lubricate the end of the pushrod with MoSe based grease Check the centering bushings
The driven disk is installed in the wrong position	Correct the installation position
A non-standard driven clutch disc is installed	Identify using the spare parts catalog
Grinding noise when engaging forward or reverse gear, gear shifting sticks, stalls, is difficult, impossible to shift gear, clutch does not work
Brake fluid level below normal. Air in the system, clutch does not disengage completely	Check the system, add brake fluid, bleed the system
The master or slave cylinders or the line are leaky, the specified components are aging, the line is too elastic	Replace faulty parts, add brake fluid, bleed the system
Pressure plate is uneven due to improper installation, driven plate is warped due to improper handling	Check the parts, replace if necessary, monitor the position of the centering pins. If the grinding noise continues after this, check the splined connection of the driven disk and the primary shaft for freedom of movement, check the needle bearing of the crankshaft, repair the gearbox if necessary
The ends of the disc spring petals are broken or bent (assembly defect, release bearing axis is displaced)	Replace the pressure plate. Check the release bearing, guide bushing, replace if necessary. Check the centering bushings
Only for manual transmission 02K Due to wear the rod has become too short	Replace the rod, check the release bearing, replace if necessary. Lightly lubricate the release bearing rod with grease
Driven disk thickness too large	Identify using the spare parts catalog
The lining is rusted to the flywheel (after a long period of standing, due to high air humidity)	Lightly grind the friction surfaces of the driven disk linings or, if severely corroded, replace the parts
The driven disk moves tightly/jams in the splines. The hub is corroded, damaged during installation. The hub hole is broken on one side	Check the hub splines for damage, replace the driven disk if necessary. Remove rust and grease from the bushing and shaft. Lightly lubricate the shaft with grease. Remove excess grease by moving the driven disk. If the hub bore is broken, check the position of the centering bushings. Check the release bearing, guide sleeve, pressure plate and needle bearing, replace if necessary
The movement of the pressure plate during retraction is insufficient (a non-standard pressure plate is installed)	Identify using the spare parts catalog
The needle bearing in the crankshaft is faulty (if available). The crankshaft "leads" the primary when the clutch is depressed	Replace the needle bearing and lubricate with MoS2 based grease. Check the centering bushings, replace if necessary. Check the input shaft
Increased mutual displacement of the engine block/gearbox (no centering bushings), as a result of which the bearing part of the driven clutch disc is deformed. The needle bearing in the crankshaft is faulty (if available)	Before installing the gearbox, insert the centering bushings. Check the driven disk, pressure plate and needle bearing for damage, replace if necessary
Breaking off or chipping of pads due to increased rotation speed (downshifting at too high a speed). Tearing or chipping of linings due to prolonged slippage when starting off	Replace the slave disk
Shock loads during sudden acceleration and sudden deceleration of engine speed
Insufficient rigidity of the power unit suspension	Identify using the spare parts catalog. Replace if necessary
Uneven engine operation	Check engine adjustment, make adjustments
The needle bearing in the crankshaft is faulty (if available). Misalignment (displacement) of engine and gearbox axles	Replace the needle bearing and lubricate with MoS2 based grease. Check the centering bushings, replace if necessary
The clutch slips, the car has poor traction or no traction
The master or slave cylinder rod does not return to its original position	Replace the master or slave cylinder. Change the brake fluid, bleed the system
A non-standard slave or pressure plate is installed	Identify using the spare parts catalog
Wear or burning of the driven disk, overheating of the pressure plate, risks, distortion of the pressure plate due to incorrect installation, insufficient clamping force of the pressure plate, driving errors, natural wear	Replace the driven disk. Replace the pressure plate
Difficulty shifting gearbox elements. Difficulty moving the pedal on the pedal assembly	Clean and lubricate the bearings, repair if necessary
The driven disk, pressure plate, flywheel are oiled. Seals on the engine or gearbox shafts are damaged. Grease on the working surfaces of the disks due to excessive lubrication of the driven disk hub	Replace the driven disk. Clean the working surfaces, pressure plate and flywheel. Replace the seals on the shafts, remove excess grease from the primary shaft
Only for manual transmission 02K. The sealing ring of the primary shaft rod is leaking. The rod support bushing in the primary shaft has been knocked out	Replace the sealing ring, driven disk. Check and replace the rod support bushing if necessary. Clean the pressure plate, flywheel
The driven disk is installed in the wrong position	Correct the installation position, check the driven disk, replace if necessary
Flywheel thickness too great or increased wear on the mating surfaces of the linings	Identify using spare parts catalog. Check driven disk, pressure plate, replace if necessary
Leakage in the working cylinder with release bearing	Replace the slave cylinder with release bearing
The clutch is jerking, the power unit is vibrating
Air in the system, faulty master and/or slave cylinders	Replace the defective part. Check the brake fluid level, bleed the system, check for leaks
Engine misfires	Check engine adjustment, make adjustments
A non-standard driven clutch disc is installed	Identify using the spare parts catalog
The unit support is not rigid enough or is broken	Identify using the spare parts catalog
The driven disk linings, pressure plate mating surfaces and flywheel are oiled (clutch housing oil leak)	Check and replace seals on gearbox input shaft or crankshaft if necessary. Clean driven plate, pressure plate and flywheel
Misalignment, jamming of the release bearing on the guide sleeve (one-sided pressure on the disc spring of the pressure plate)	Replace the release bearing and guide bushing. Check the drive elements and drive element supports
Possible causes of malfunction	Method of elimination
The contact surface of the pressure plate comes off only on one side due to the release bearing being skewed. Warping of the pressure plate during installation. The contact surface of the pressure plate comes off only on one side	Check the mating surface of the clutch linings on the flywheel, the pressure plate and the disc spring, replace the pressure plate if necessary. Replace the release bearing and guide sleeve
Excessive grease on the input shaft (traces of grease on the driven disk, pressure plate and flywheel)	Clean the pressure plate and flywheel from grease if damaged (traces of crushing, overheating, grooves) replace. Remove grease from the hub and shaft, lightly lubricate the shaft with consistent grease. Remove excess grease by moving the driven disk
The slave cylinder with release bearing is not installed evenly on the clutch housing	Check the threaded connection of the slave cylinder to the clutch housing
Noises at idle
Torsional vibration damper spring failure	Replace the slave disk
The driven disk does not have a damper (knocking noise at idle)	Install the clutch slave disc with damper
Warping or breakage of the pressure plate, imbalance	Replace the pressure plate
Uneven engine operation	Check engine adjustment, adjust if necessary
Increased mutual displacement of the engine block/gearbox (no centering bushings)	Before installing the gearbox, insert the centering bushings
Metal spacer rubs against flywheel	Install the metal spacer on the sealing flange and place it on the centering bushings

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The text has been checked: Orlov Dmitry

Previous articles
Adjusting the gearshift drive
Removal and installation the gear shift drive
Removal and installation control cables — parts and components
Removal and installation a cuff with a switch button and noise insulation
Gear shift drive repair
Checking the clutch drive

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