Is200 Clutch Judder... "fixed".

dj0nes · May 9, 2013

Hi Guys,

I really contemplated not posting this at all as it’s hardly
out of a Haynes Manual type fix!

Well bit of background, my Lexus IS200 is on 172k! Runs like
a dream looks fresh as any other car but it suffers from the standard annoying
clutch judder which had also been present in my previous two Lexus’ only this
one was far worse, only happens in first gear and reverse but was very severe
and occurs in about 9 out of 10 times.

The only way to avoid it was to set off like Schumacher and
in stop and start traffic you just look like a tit.

So I am faced with a potential massive repair bill, very
least I’d need a new clutch and from research work on the flywheel.

Now, it was more of a moment of anger than anything logical but from a rolling
start I set the revs to about 4k going up hill and rode the clutch at biting
point at about 20 mph for about 5-6 seconds accompanied by that horrible
burning clutch smell.. This was a month ago and till this day I have not had
one judder since then and it literally feels like a different car to drive.

Now if anyone is suffering with the same symptoms I am not
saying do this as if your clutch is on it’s last legs this may just put the
final nail in it’s coffin, I am simply sharing my story lol so make of it what
you like.

The only explaination I can give it this is it's refaced the clutch? I don't actually know.

ChrisIS200SportTTE · May 9, 2013

Your the second person ive heard say to ride the clutch like that to get rid of the judder!

Mind judders really bad, might have to give it a try later :)

dj0nes · May 10, 2013

Did you manage to give it a go mate? I'd be interested to see if it helped you too.

bandit110 · May 10, 2013

me too........

ChrisIS200SportTTE · May 10, 2013

Well no I didn't have a go but I did reverse park on a steep hill last night (clutch stank afterwards!) and today the judder has gone! So to get rid if the clutch judder on a IS200 just burn the clutch for a bit! Lol...

dj0nes · May 13, 2013

Haha brilliant. I am glad the 'fix' worked for you mate.

bandit110 · May 21, 2013

How is it since matey? still got a smooth pull away or has the judder returned?

kevwatkins · July 14, 2013

I'm interested to see how this has turned out too...

ChrisIS200SportTTE · July 14, 2013

Well I haven't had clutch judder for a while now. I really can't re call the last time it did it. I think it is worse in cold weather tho. I remember it being quite bad during the winter months.

Caspa · July 21, 2013

My original IS had clutch judder but my new 117k one is as smooth as anything, made me realise how bad my first was!

FlintyGP · October 25, 2013

What a BRILLIANT post!

I've suffered a serious judder since buying the car in July. The car is Supercharged and had an uprated Altezza clutch fitted about 10k miles ago.

Nevertheless, my symptoms were the same as described above, and the driving style required - also the same. Perhaps that explains why many IS200's down this way are driven in a certain way...

Interestingly, i had a similar problem with a Honda NSX some years ago. That was a £1,300 repair.

I tried the 'fix'.

Instead of going uphill at 20mph, I simply hit a dual carriageway in 6th, then slipped the clutch for 3-4 seconds.Yes, lots of smell and an almost instant cure for 90% of the judder. Get yourself to 60mph, then clutch down, rev the engine to 5k, then gradually bring the clutch back up to biting point and keep it there for as long as you feel comfortable. I repeated a little later, once the smell dissipated.

Pulling away is better and other gearchanges better too.

THANKYOU to the original poster of this thread! It maybe not a textbook fix (and may wear the clutch a tad!) but a good one nonetheless to cure the annoying judders.

PS before doing this, i did some research and the problem may be contamination (oil) on the clutch plate. How this occurs, i dont know, but the cost of a new Clutch and a new Dual Mass Flywheel is serious dosh - to be avoided if possible.

ChrisIS200SportTTE · October 25, 2013

Sorry to report that my judder is back :(

Only in the mornings it seems for the first couple of miles then it's gone all day.

March 11, 2014

Hello all,

I discovered the same thing! I sit at the lights with handbrake on take clutch to bite point stops the judder or burns of oil contamination. where would the oil or fluid be coming from?

ChrisIS200SportTTE · March 11, 2014

Wow this is an old thread. Just to add, a week or 2 after writing my last post on this thread my clutch went! :(

Bobski · April 6, 2014

What was the cost of a new clutch?

ChrisIS200SportTTE · April 6, 2014

£700 fitted from Lexus

£280 fitted from Mr. Clutch

This 2 quotes I got

Bobski · April 6, 2014

Hmmm......tough choice :)

Although parts quality may be a question to ask.

Cheers for the reply.

July 5, 2014

£700 fitted from Lexus

£280 fitted from Mr. Clutch

This 2 quotes I got

My clutch also went recently :) New clutch stopped all judder.

£125 blueprint off eBay

fitted for £100 and no more squeaky clutch either.

FlintyGP · July 9, 2014

I tried all the tricks in the book to cure my judder. The judder would go away for a while (a day or so) after riding the clutch.

In the end, i bit the bullet and had an Exedy Clutch replacement today at a cost of £285.

Night and day!! The pedal is lighter, easier to use and the judder has gone. I inspected the old clutch plate (an uprated Altezza unit) and it was down to the holes and looking pretty thin. The annoying squeak when depressing the pedal has gone too.

£285 well spent and the garage confirmed that the (expensive) Flywheel is fine.

Good result, well pleased.

August 13, 2014

UPDATE***

I have had new clutch fitted for just over a month now was perfect for a few weeks then judder started to return :(

and along with it the new clutch chirp problem. I also noticed after a spell of rain that the squeak was returned. I am now wondering if a bad slave cylinder could cause clutch judder as it is the slave cylinder not holding the release bearing off pressure plate that causes the chirp.

ColinBarber · August 13, 2014

UPDATE***

I have had new clutch fitted for just over a month now was perfect for a few weeks then judder started to return :(

The flywheel is normally the cause of the judder.

August 13, 2014

UPDATE***I have had new clutch fitted for just over a month now was perfect for a few weeks then judder started to return :(
The flywheel is normally the cause of the judder.

Sorry I should have said flywheel was checked during clutch change and was deemed in good condition.

Also it's quite temperamental! Squeaking comes and goes as does the judder. I'm thinking it could be moisture or heat affecting the piston/ram on the slave cylinder as it is exposed beneath the car. There is a Toyota/Lexus service bulletin for the is300 clutch fork spring modification according to American forums.

ColinBarber · August 13, 2014

there have been many discussions on these forums over the years regarding IS200 judder. Whilst it seems to be a trait of the car people have had clutches and flywheels replaced under warranty which has fixed the issue. Seems to be more related to the DMF rather than the clutch.

I'm not sure you can easily inspect the flywheel to determine if it is causing the judder or not. Given that your clutch has been replaced that really only leave the flywheel as the cause.

sorry, just noticed you have a newer IS200 which probably has a standard flywheel rather than a dual-mass one. If it isn't physically damaged then it isn't likely to be the cause of the judder.

Max_HR · August 14, 2014

Hey, are you sure that a newer IS200 has a standard flywheel rather than a dual-mass one? Can you please confirm that?

ColinBarber · August 14, 2014

there have been members here who have stated their IS200 didn't have a DMF and I certainly know the early models did.

If I look on Toyodiy.com it lists there different flywheels, the two early ones 1999 to 07/2002 are roughly the same price, the latest one (08/2002 onwards) is around £300 cheaper so I'm assuming that is the standard one.