Why clutch pedal stays down

A slipping clutch will also smell like burning clutch , which is unmistakable. When a clutch starts to wear out, usually it is because the friction material starts be used up. As it becomes thinner, the pressure plate has less material to grab onto and so the slipping starts.

When the clutch is engaged pedal out , no slippage should be occurring, so no wear is occurring. Swapping out a clutch is daunting but far from impossible. It shouldn't be -- replacing a whole clutch assembly is something the skilled DIYer can do in a home garage or, as YouTube mechanic ChrisFix shows, a driveway.

Growling, chirping or squealing noises coming from the clutch likely indicate mechanical damage. Broken pressure plate springs, worn release bearings or physical damage to the clutch disc can all result in clutch noise.

Any noise coming from a clutch should be considered serious and given immediate inspection. Sudden clutch failure can also be caused by problems with the pressure plates that squash the friction plate onto the flywheel.

If the springs behind these plates fail , you might feel the clutch pedal go very heavy and then you'll lose drive. To summarize: In the perfect situation, your clutch replacement could take from 4 to 8 hours to complete. Though since most vehicles in need of clutch replacement are not in perfect shape, it can often take between 5 and 10 hours to complete the project, adding more time for less experience on the mechanics part. The materials that comprise a clutch disc are, shall we say, fragrant when they heat up.

To remove the air from your clutch system you need to push or pull the air down through the fluid line to the bleeder valve on the slave cylinder. To keep things clean you should attach a tube to the nipple on the bleeder valve. If you use a clear tube it can be easy to see when all the air has exited the system. If the pedal won't lift from the floor at all when you remove your foot, the master cylinder is the more likely culprit, and you should pull over as soon as it is safe to do so.

Driving a car without a functioning clutch is dangerous. Then after a few more minutes it seemed fine. So I went for a drive and for the first 30 or so miles it was fine.

This was a mixture of slow town driving and higher speed. It was only when I got near home that it happened about 3 times again. Each time though, one pump of the pedal was enough to make it right again. For the last mile or so I didn't notice any problems.

My plan at the moment is to take it out as often as possible over the next few days but wondered if anyone on here could offer any opinions please? I've done a search on the internet but I'm a complete nobhead when it comes to car mechanics so nothing I've read actually means anything to me. IronGiant Moderator. Possibly a small split in a hose. I'd hope the seals and hoses would be OK in a 6 year old car though.

Have you checked the level of fluid in the reservoir? If you can spot a leak anywhere along the path from the clutch fluid reservoir to the gearbox that the slave cylinder is bolted to then you have found the issue. Not the trickiest job in the world but I'd imagine you'd want to get a garage to do it.

I know I would, my days of crawling around under cars are done for. Last edited: Aug 30, I'm not exactly sure where the reservoir is, will need to check. Does it share the same fluid as the brake system I wonder? I can't find any images of a separate clutch fluid reservoir for a Leon so it's possible. But if so it should be compartmentalised so that if one system fails the other can still function.

So although there may be a single cap you should be able to distinguish one or more compartments. And the clutch master cylinder should be distinct from the brakes one. Aerojon Active Member. Sometimes when I press the clutch in, the pedal stays downs. I have to put my foot under the pedal and make it come back up.

Interestingly enough, the clutch does disengage when I take my foot off the pedal so I can continue driving. If I press on the pedal while it is stuck in the down position, the clutch engages and I can shift. Makes shifting quite fast! However, I do not like this "feature" at all. Any ideas on how I can fix it? Razorback's Garage Porsche S2. Check your brake fluid, you will probably find it low. You have air in the hydraulic clutch lines because either the clutch master cylinder or the slave cylinder are leaking.

It's usually best to replace them at the same time but if you want to figure out which one is leaking then look in your floorboard for a liquid yes, when it leaks it puts brake fluid right on your carpet! If there is a small puddle on the pavement, it's the slave leaking. Like I said though Replace the cylinders and bleed the clutch hydraulic system Good Luck. Tom, Thanks for the tip. I'll check it out in the morning. Panzer's Garage Porsche S 16v 2. Yep - leaking fluid on the pedals indicates a failing master cylinder.

Leaking fluid under the car indicates a failing slave. Check this first. If both check out I had a bad slave cylinder last summer and it stuck intermittently just like yours afterwards. Bled it again and the problem went away. Well there are no leaks and the fluid is in the normal range so it appears the system needs to be bled as Panzer indicates.

Thanks for the insight. I just did this project last week. My slave was bad. It was dripping down the outside of the starter.

Please be very careful with removal of the steel line. Not available in the US. It has to come from Germany. These are easy to get. Bleeding of the system is a little tricky. Good Luck! If you need a line, send me a PM and we'll find you one here in the us at a recycler.

That's not a part you should have to buy new. The hose part should be new, but not a steel line. Thanks for the replies. I looked up my records and I have had the slave replaced like 10 years ago but not the master. So even without leaks, it is not holding pressure. Anyone have step by step instructions for changing out the master, slave, and bleeding the clutch?

Can a non-seasoned mechanic like me do it? Lowering the vehicle after performing the diagnosis Step 1: Collect all tools and your creeper and place them out of the way. Step 3: Remove the jack stands and keep them far away from the vehicle. Step 5: Remove the wheel chocks from the rear wheels and put the aside.

Part 2 of 4: Diagnosing a clutch pedal for a failed slave cylinder Preparing the vehicle to check the clutch pedal on the floor for failed slave cylinder Materials Needed Creeper Flashlight Jack Jack stands Safety glasses Wheel chocks Step 1: Park your vehicle on a flat, hard surface. Part 3 of 4: Diagnosing a clutch pedal on the floor for a failed clutch master cylinder Preparing the vehicle to check the clutch pedal for a failed clutch master cylinder Materials Needed Flashlight Safety glasses Wheel chocks Step 1: Park your vehicle on a flat, hard surface.

Checking the condition of the clutch pedal engagement Step 1: Put on your safety glasses and grab your flashlight Open the hood to the engine compartment and locate the clutch master cylinder. Cleaning up after performing the diagnosis Step 1: Collect all tools and place them out of the way. Ownership diagnostics clutches. View More. Thank You Thanks for subscribing. Check your in-box to get started. Sign Up More Info. We notice you're using an ad blocker.

Please consider allowing Autoblog. Allow Us! Here's how to disable adblocking on our site. Click on the icon for your Adblocker in your browser. A drop down menu will appear. Select the option to run ads for autoblog.

The exact text will differ depending on the actual application you have running. Refresh the Autoblog page you were viewing. Hey again! You still haven't turned off your adblocker or allowed our site. It only takes a few seconds. You must be logged in to perform that action.