Softened Clutch Paddle Options

[tomazws]

So, after an hour drive on the freeway today (normal 75~), the clutch paddle became soft (like no resistance when stepping on it).. when the paddle is depressed, the clutch separates with the fly wheel with no problem and i was able to put gear in neutral coming to a light.

When the light turns green, paddle down (again feeling no resistance from the paddle), gear to first, clutch paddle slowly up gas paddle slowly down, clunk clunk clunk... something up front choking, chattering, feeling like the clutch just smacked into the fly wheel or something (the same feeling when u just let go of the clutch completely), immediately I stomped on the clutch to prevent a stall... and shift back to neutral.

Thing's back to normal again during the next cold start.


What's happening? I read somewhere online mentioned soft clutch paddle related to brake fluid leak??!!?!? How's that even related?


Please help!

[808celica]

haha same problem.....new clutch still soft pedal still trying to find anything

[Blurr05]

Check the reservoir tank under the hood to see if you are running low.
You may need to bleed your clutch hydraulic system, which could be due to a leak. Both Clutch fluid and brake fluid are dot 3 hence why people say “brake fluid leak” since it's interchangeable.

[tomazws]

Check the reservoir tank under the hood to see if you are running low.
You may need to bleed your clutch hydraulic system, which could be due to a leak. Both Clutch fluid and brake fluid are dot 3 hence why people say “brake fluid leak” since it's interchangeable.

So the brake and the clutch uses the same tank of fluid? Or they use separate set of the same fluid?

[GriffGirl]

Check the reservoir tank under the hood to see if you are running low.
You may need to bleed your clutch hydraulic system, which could be due to a leak. Both Clutch fluid and brake fluid are dot 3 hence why people say “brake fluid leak” since it's interchangeable.

So the brake and the clutch uses the same tank of fluid? Or they use separate set of the same fluid?

They use the same fluid but are not on the same system. The clutch master cylinder is located directly on the firewall, kind of behind your brake master cylinder. It's smaller and narrower, more cylindrical shaped. It's actually EXACTLY on the other side of where your clutch pedal is (it's not as low on the firewall as you'd think though - it's about halfway down, very easy to locate and reach).

If your pedal is soft it is most definitely related to the hydraulic system. It is more likely that your slave cylinder has gone out. The slave cylinder is located directly on the transmission. It's on the top, and faces your radiator.

808 - you probably need to bleed your clutch. There's a bleed screw on the slave cylinder to do this - you'll need an 8mm line wrench and a friend to help; if you try to do it yourself you could suck air into the system, which would supremely SUCK.

Oh hell, give me a few minutes and I'll go out and take pictures.

[GriffGirl]

Here's the clutch master cylinder, circled. The Xed out one is your brake master cylinder:





and here's the slave cylinder:


This post has been edited by GriffGirl: Nov 24, 2008 - 3:11 PM

[tomazws]

The cylinder level's ok... so most likely it's something else....

[richee3]

I've got the same problem. It's only at certain times though, nothing in particular seems to bring it on. It lasted for a few hours once, then another time it lasted two weeks. I thought it was the clutch slipping so I was literally getting online to buy a new one when I was going home one day and it started working fine again. Hasn't done it since then. My fluid levels are alright, that was the first thing I checked. The pedal just gets soft, and in first gear when I take off it feels like it's slipping and I have to rev it up quite a bit more. But after that, it's fine.

Note: My car also makes a weird rattling noise at 2,000 rpm and 2,000 rpm ONLY. No matter what speed or gear, 2,000 rpm it's rattling. That started the first time my clutch did this, and hasn't stopped since then. I made one of my friends (a very good mechanic) drive the car, and he said it feels almost like the clutch is broken. He described it as it feels like it's missing a chunk somewhere, and that would account for the sound. But wouldn't it be rattling all the time if there were chunks floating around in there?

I obviously have no idea how a clutch works, so don't laugh too much at my description lol. I'm just trying to figure out what the ratting noise is and why the clutch gets soft like that.

I gave a better description here ---> http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showto...=rattling+noise

This post has been edited by richee3: Dec 1, 2008 - 10:52 PM

[6GenCelicaST]

I think I know what your talking about. When my exhaust fell apart (long story won't gt into it here) It broke right after the manifold. So whenever I would drive on the highway my clutch would go to the floor and not change rpm at all.

I've fixed my exhaust and this hasn't happened since. I never actually figured out what caused it but I had an idea it had to do with the extra exhaust heat hitting the block and tranny. It must have done something with the fluid to lower the viscosity.

[RickJamesBish]

*pedal