Ticking noise present only when clutch released?

[no_8wire]

My car has a ticking noise, almost a cross between the sound of something plastic hitting a fan and a 'shick' sound when moving/running.

Increases with RPM, however disappears when clutch is depressed and the engine reved...so makes finding it impossible when in the garage...

Any ideas what it could be? Clutch bearing?

[GDII]

Could you try putting it up on axle stands and running in gear. You would only need to run it in 1st to try and pin point the noise. But running it in higher gears at idle may help too.

What's the car?

[no_8wire]

Toyota vitz rs

[RS13]

So, when you're sitting stationary with the clutch out, does it make the noise then? Does it increase with road speed?

[no_8wire]

It seems to make the noise when stationary, sitting in the car, but you can't really hear it when standing in front of the open engine bay.

Noise increases with rpm/ load rather than speed...

[RS13]

In that case its' probably the clutch thrust bearing, gearbox bearings (input shaft etc) generally have more of a rumble/rattle when they let go. How many km has it done on the current clutch?

[no_8wire]

Yeah thats what I thought... Its done 120km, so suspect it may be on the original clutch

[RS13]

Yeah, in that case I'm certain that the noise will be the bearing. Not a bad effort for a factory clutch, surely it must be getting a bit spongy?

[allencr]

Does the noise disappear or not disappear if the clutch fork is moved????

The clutch release/thrust/throwout bearing would never stop making noise, if it was in fact making noise, when the clutch is not released - pedal on the floor and cannot be the your source.
It will make ZERO sound no matter what its condition if the clutch fork is pushed 1-3mm toward the slave cyl. because it is not spinning when there is no contact with the clutch.
It can make a whirring whining sound or grinding or clicking sound when it's spinning, the pedal lightly pushed, and those sounds may change some as the pedal pressure is increased, but would not disappear only when the clutch is not released/disengaged/pedal on the floor.
Transmission bearing noises disappear when the clutch is disengaged and they stop spinning. There's the usual one, the input shaft bearing, but may be one or more of the others that are also spinning, like the counter/layshaft's, and all the gears except 4th. It could also be the gear's teeth.

[RS13]

How I see it, when you install a new clutch, the pressure plate "fingers" are more or less perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the input shaft. There is a very small clearance as you say, however as a clutch plate friction surface wears, the "fingers" begin to move toward the thrust bearing, closing the clearance until they're constantly touching the bearing surface. As the thrust bearing is now constantly spinning with effectively no thrust load, with worn races/bearings its' going to chatter/rattle.. however when you push the clutch pedal in the force applied to the thrust bearing now loads it up, the chattering stops and the clutch disengages. A good way to diagnose this is to gradually rest your foot on the clutch, the noise should lessen and disappear as the load is taken up. Often a very worn one will squeak/grind when the clutch pedal is pushed as well.

Have a listen to this; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCkk-hgNI2E

Also, I'd doubt that a later-model 1500cc Toyota would have an input shaft bearing/gear failure at 120kms.. although, it is easy to check the condition of the gearbox oil and oil drain magnet as there are likely indications of this. But if it were my car, changing the clutch is the cheapest starting point when it comes to rotational transmission noises, especially if it had done 120kms!

[no_8wire]

Noise disappears with 1-2mm of clutch pedal movement.... Think we have a winner.

Will replace the clutch and bearingand see if that makes a difference.

[RS13]

Sweet as, let us know how you go.