Clutch (maybe) issues

[HarryM1BYT]

I have noticed the clutch pedal needs to be pressed down quite a long way to change, and the pedal is comparatively heavy - the car is new to me. I'm wondering about the possible implications of this?

I have not noticed any slippage in drive at all. Are these clutches heavy to operate?

It doesn't feel like it - the pressure starts as soon as you put your foot on the pedal at the top of the stroke, but I'm wandering if it might simply need bleeding?

Any tips on topping up the reservoir, which I understand is in a rather awkward place?

Would my guess that the bleed nipple is on top of the gearbox (CDTi) and enters via a grommet on top, along with the pipe from the master cylinder?

[Thomas]

Try bleeding first , take off the lowering steering wheel couling and the reservoir is in the top left its a pig to get too but gets easier with practice ! and if you have a small syringe top it fully up and use that to top up the reservoir as its a lot easier ! then blled and see how you go, some pople swear by bleeding them but in my experience if you need to bleed you may have a weep at the slave cylinder.

[Paulontour]

Harry,
I wouldnt worry too much my clutch is like yours, has been since I bought the car. Done 60000 miles since I bought the car and its always been the same. No clutch judder, no clutch slip just a no problem clutch thats a bit heavy. It is also the original on 150000 miles now.
Paul

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by Paulontour

Harry,
I wouldnt worry too much my clutch is like yours, has been since I bought the car. Done 60000 miles since I bought the car and its always been the same. No clutch judder, no clutch slip just a no problem clutch thats a bit heavy. It is also the original on 150000 miles now.
Paul

Thanks Paul, that gives me some reassurance.

I went ahead and bled it any way - here's what I did..

I bled no more than a few drops of fluid out and the peddle hit the floor and wouldn't come back without help and no more fluid being pumped out - so basically dry and glad I checked it.

The master cylinder could not be in a more awkward to get at place. You need to remove the lower trim panel over the pedals and the upper one which surrounds the lighting switch. The lid was very tight and the only way I could budge it was by using a long flat bladed large bladed screwdriver, pushing on the moulded nibs of the lid. Inside the lid is an air bladder, to prevent air mixing with the fluid - similar idea to motorcycle master cylinders.

To actually top it up I used a meter length of narrow clear plastic pipe with a 6 inch length of wire pushed in one one end and the barrel of a syringe fitted on the other to act as a funnel. I was then able to bend the pipe plus wire, to form a U shape, to hook itself onto the cylinder rather than keep falling off. Lots of newspaper under the pedals and refill until the cylinder over flowed. Bled it again, topped it up, bled it some more, topped it up again - then finally refitted the top plus bladder.

Clutch action is a little bit better, but not much. It starts to byte a little below halfway up. Right, onto the next problem