Here are 6 Signs of a Bad Flywheel and Their Replacement Cost.

Flywheels may seem like they are a basic part of your car but have many uses, especially for modern models.

If you suspect that your vehicle’s flywheel is wearing out, you need to replace it as soon as possible before the problem worsens and starts to affect other components in your vehicle.

But what is a flywheel, and how do you know when it’s wearing out? We’ll break it all down below. Let’s begin with the signs to look for.

Bad noises when the flywheel is idle are most obvious signs. Transmission problems can cause vibrations and gear slippage. There may be other issues with shifting.

While there are not all of the possible signs, it’s the most common ones. Below is a list that explains the symptoms most commonly associated with a damaged flywheel.

Bad symptoms of a flywheel

1. Poor Noises in an idle environment

You will hear the transmission making a lot when your engine idles if you have a double-mass flywheel. You can identify this as loud bangs.

It only happens if your car has a double-mass flywheel.

2. Clutch Chatter - Vibrations

There are many reasons why clutch chatter could occur, such as worn clutch discs or pressure plates.

A warped flywheel is another possibility. While it’s not the most common cause, it’s definitely something you need to look into.

3. Gear slippage

Wearing or deteriorating the surface on which your clutch is mounted can cause gear slippage. Gear slippage happens when you shift to a higher gear and the engine RPMs increase, but the wheels’ speed stays the same.

The longer you let the problem go on, the more likely it is that you’ll need to replace both the flywheel and the clutch!

4. Starts that are inconsistent

Teeth are found all around the flywheel. These teeth make up the starting ring, and it’s what your starter connects to turn over the engine. Over time these teeth can break, and when the starter tries to engage with these broken teeth, you’ll hear a grinding noise.

If your teeth are the issue, you can try to fix it again. With broken teeth, it’s an intermittent problem that will worsen the longer it takes you to repair it. If you don't address it quickly, your teeth will become more damaged.

5. Burning Smell

While the most common cause of a burning clutch is improper use, if you’re doing everything right then, it’s a sign of a deeper mechanical problem. A burning clutch is a sign that you need to change your drive style, or have the flywheel replaced.

6. Probleme with shifting gears

While it’s unlikely that a broken flywheel would be the cause, it’s not impossible either. If you’re having trouble shifting gears, it means your flywheel is extremely warped, and you’ve probably had some problems you’ve been ignoring for a while.

Furthermore, it’s doubtful that your only problem will be the flywheel if you’re struggling to shift gears. You might also need a new transmission if the problem persists.

Flywheel Function

This is the flywheel. There are four major functions Your vehicle. The following four functions can be found on your vehicle:

• To keep the engine moving, it provides rotational inertia
• The crankshaft is balanced by it
• This helps to start the engine
• This connects the transfer power of the engine to the transmission, along with the clutch.

Flywheels are designed to maintain engine motion, even when the engine is stopped accelerating. It’s why the flywheel has to be significantly heavier than a flex plate. An automatic engine does have a torque converter but a manual engine doesn't. This function is served by the flywheel.

It acts as a counterweight for the crankshaft. This counterweight is built right into the flywheel, which is why it’s so crucial that you get a vehicle-specific flywheel for your vehicle.

With the teeth around its starter ring, the flywheel starts the engine. This is how the starter grabs the teeth, and causes the flywheel spinning to turn the engine. This allows the engine to begin.

Finally, the flywheel transfers engine power to the transmission. When you depress the clutch, what you’re actually doing is disconnecting the flywheel from the transmission. Everything reassembles to provide power when you release the clutch.

Flywheel locations

Your vehicle’s flywheel is always located towards the engine’s rear, directly between your engine and transmission. The housing completely encases the flywheel, so you won’t see the whole thing unless you remove the engine’s transmission.

You can view the flywheel via an access port, or you can remove the starter. But to fully remove the flywheel and replace it, you’ll need to disconnect the transmission to get access fully.

Repair of a Flywheel

According to the model of your car and whether you need the clutch replaced at the same moment, the average cost for replacing the flywheel will be between $500 and $2500. You can expect $200-$1000 in parts, $400-$1500 in labor.

Two main considerations should be considered when getting an estimate for replacing a flywheel: parts and labor. Flywheels typically cost between $2,000 and $3,000. 60 to 1 000 depending on what you drive, and if you’re getting an OEM replacement part, it might cost even more!

Then you must factor in labor costs. It takes approximately eight hours to replace flywheels so expect additional labor costs of $400-$1500.

If you are able to replace the flywheel yourself on smaller vehicles, it will cost less than $100, and just below $1,000 for larger cars.

Just keep in mind that replacing your vehicle’s flywheel isn’t the most straightforward job out there. Not only is it a technically complicated task, but you’ll need access to a wide variety of tools, including a transmission jack, to get the job done.

While you can save a ton of money by doing it yourself, it’s not worth the frustration and potential damages if you don’t know what you’re doing.