Clutch pedal on floor
 

Hi guys I have read many posts on here about the clutch pedal being on the floor and how to fix several different problems which I think I could manage to on my own but what am I getting confused about is what exactly my fault is and what the exact fix I need to do is,

A bit of background the car it is a 2004 ZT-T 2.0 diesel I brought it a couple of months ago it has had a new clutch 2 years (14000 ish) miles ago and the previous owner said he had replaced the master cylinder himself not that long before I brought it? The cylinder is a plastic one not an upgraded ally one or anything and the pipes don't look as if they have been replaced but can't be 100 sure on that,

The issue I have had is driving home from work I was waiting at a junction to pull off with clutch in and the car in first gear when it jumped forward on its own and I noticed the clutch pedal stayed down on its own, (after sitting there reading some posts on this forum) I managed to hook the pedal back up pump it a couple of times then I managed to get it home although the clutch and gear changes felt like NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-, there didn't seem to be a biting point and the gear changes were crunchy,

I have the car home now wondering where I start to look first and what fix I need to do, can anyone help please as I can do all the work I just don't know what it is I need to do

Thank you all

Check the master cylinder for signs of any fluid leak around the body, the plastic items are fine, I wouldn’t recommend an aluminium one as these have some issues.

The pipe work will be fine, everyone just swaps the master cylinder by removing the roll pin and menacing the pipe work in situ.

The chances are you will have a failed slave cylinder, if you have access to a usb camera, have a look inside the bell housing for traces of fluid, if you need to change it, luk or Borg and beck are the best options.


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If you cant find a leak around the master I would before getting under the car to check for dripping from the slave, remove the master cylinder cap. Remove the rubber underneath and see how much fluid is in the master.
If none then check for the dripping as trikey said. If 1/2 to 2/3 full (sorry not sure how much fluid it holds with the rubber removed) A seal may have failed inside the master allowing fluid to pass back behind the seal and stay in the master.
This can be "proved" if you split the hydraulic pipe mid way along in the engine bay and then push the clutch pedal down, if it goes solid and then slowly sinks to the floor I'd say master has failed. I had a new one fail about 10 to 11 months after fitting.

good luck.

If you are going to attempt to change a slave, get a Haynes manual to help guide you, good luck

macafee2

Just a quick update I can't seem to find any leaks at all but when I checked how much fluid was in the top of the matter cylinder there wasn't hardly any so I topped it up and when I went to bleed it the first two times nothing but air came from the bleed nipple,

I've bleed the system now and topped up with fluid so I will keep an eye on it for the rest of the week, the clutch pedal itself feels a bit firmer and the gear changes are nowhere near as rough but the biting point still seems very vacant

That's encouraging but make sure you don't fill more than half way up the master as it will rise and fall, but may fall on your carpet.

If it feels quite vacant, there's probably still air in the system - usually takes a good few top ups and bleeds to get it all out. :D

If the Master Cylinder is the culprit, we have the original AP item here:
https://www.dmgrs.co.uk/products/gen...5480-stc000110

VACANT in my dictionary means EMPTY.

If it was empty the clutch would not work.

The biting point .----Do you mean HIGH or LOW ??

Air from the bleed nipple means there was air in the slave cylinder.

The only way air could get in the slave cylinder is if all the fluid had escaped from it.---:eek:---or if some air had got drawn in past a worn seal.

You will find fluid on the tray under the engine or dripping out onto the floor. Try and look on the top of the tray with a torch and place a sheet of clean paper under the car to make it easier to see if you have a leak.

Sorry vacant as in at no point in me raising the clutch does it feel like it's going to bite then when the pedal is almost all the way out the car just jerks forward the pulls off, and as of driving it home last night the clutch starts to slip when it's about 2000rpm and I put my foot down the car is going into the garage tomorrow as I have done all i can do at home

Right so the garage had the car and told me the car needs a new clutch and flywheel as it started slipping when he test drove it, I said to go ahead with it so in all he changed the clutch, DMF, slave cylinder, master cylinder and new oil, but since picking the car up I have noticed that it is really hard to get into first and second gear when the car is cold,

It didn't have this exact issue before, until the clutch pedal hit the floor the gear changes were fine and after all gears and pulling off were crunching,

What could this mean I'm thinking it may mean new box but I can't understand why it didn't have these issues before the clutch pedal?

Sounds like something the garage has done to me, the only way you can kill a gearbox is by crashing the gears for many many miles following a clutch failure.

Changing everything you have, I would expect a perfectly light pedal.