Strange clutch action
04-23-2003, 05:59 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 262
Strange clutch action
Today my clutch acted strangely. When I drove home from work, the clutch felt heavier than normal, and it engages near the top of the pedal travel. Then I hit a traffic jam. While in the traffic jam, the clutch all of a sudden becomes considerably softer, softer than normal. It also start to bite toward the bottom of the pedal travel, and there's some free play at the top of the travel. The clucth still works perfectly, though. I did not experience any difficulty getting into gear or anything. It's just the feel that changes. It's like two different car altogether! When I got home, I checked the clutch reservoir, and it's full.
Now, a few days ago, my clutch did become stiffer than usual all of a sudden too, and when I checked the clutch reservoir, it's just above minimum. So I went to an auto parts store and buy a bottle of DOT 3 brake fluid, and fill them up to max line. When I checked the reservoir today, it looks like the fluid did not mix. The old fluid is much darker and stays near the min line, while the new fluid is much clearer and sits on top of the old fluid to the max line. It's like oil and water. Looking from the outside of the reservoir, it looks like the reservoir were filled only to the min line, the clear new fluid from the min line to the max line is so much clearer than the old fluid, it's not easily visible!
What the heck is going on here? Should I worry?
Now, a few days ago, my clutch did become stiffer than usual all of a sudden too, and when I checked the clutch reservoir, it's just above minimum. So I went to an auto parts store and buy a bottle of DOT 3 brake fluid, and fill them up to max line. When I checked the reservoir today, it looks like the fluid did not mix. The old fluid is much darker and stays near the min line, while the new fluid is much clearer and sits on top of the old fluid to the max line. It's like oil and water. Looking from the outside of the reservoir, it looks like the reservoir were filled only to the min line, the clear new fluid from the min line to the max line is so much clearer than the old fluid, it's not easily visible!
What the heck is going on here? Should I worry?
04-23-2003, 06:51 PM
#2
Re: Strange clutch action
Originally posted by Agamemnon
Today my clutch acted strangely. When I drove home from work, the clutch felt heavier than normal, and it engages near the top of the pedal travel. Then I hit a traffic jam. While in the traffic jam, the clutch all of a sudden becomes considerably softer, softer than normal. It also start to bite toward the bottom of the pedal travel, and there's some free play at the top of the travel. The clucth still works perfectly, though. I did not experience any difficulty getting into gear or anything. It's just the feel that changes. It's like two different car altogether! When I got home, I checked the clutch reservoir, and it's full.
Now, a few days ago, my clutch did become stiffer than usual all of a sudden too, and when I checked the clutch reservoir, it's just above minimum. So I went to an auto parts store and buy a bottle of DOT 3 brake fluid, and fill them up to max line. When I checked the reservoir today, it looks like the fluid did not mix. The old fluid is much darker and stays near the min line, while the new fluid is much clearer and sits on top of the old fluid to the max line. It's like oil and water. Looking from the outside of the reservoir, it looks like the reservoir were filled only to the min line, the clear new fluid from the min line to the max line is so much clearer than the old fluid, it's not easily visible!
What the heck is going on here? Should I worry?
Today my clutch acted strangely. When I drove home from work, the clutch felt heavier than normal, and it engages near the top of the pedal travel. Then I hit a traffic jam. While in the traffic jam, the clutch all of a sudden becomes considerably softer, softer than normal. It also start to bite toward the bottom of the pedal travel, and there's some free play at the top of the travel. The clucth still works perfectly, though. I did not experience any difficulty getting into gear or anything. It's just the feel that changes. It's like two different car altogether! When I got home, I checked the clutch reservoir, and it's full.
Now, a few days ago, my clutch did become stiffer than usual all of a sudden too, and when I checked the clutch reservoir, it's just above minimum. So I went to an auto parts store and buy a bottle of DOT 3 brake fluid, and fill them up to max line. When I checked the reservoir today, it looks like the fluid did not mix. The old fluid is much darker and stays near the min line, while the new fluid is much clearer and sits on top of the old fluid to the max line. It's like oil and water. Looking from the outside of the reservoir, it looks like the reservoir were filled only to the min line, the clear new fluid from the min line to the max line is so much clearer than the old fluid, it's not easily visible!
What the heck is going on here? Should I worry?
04-24-2003, 02:52 PM
#3
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 262
Thanks!
Well, today the clutch was back to normal again. I think it happened either when the car was driven for a long time, or maybe because I had used the clutch often in that traffic jam.
Is this a critical, urgent problem, or can I left it at that for the time being, as I have no money to spend on the car right now? It's not going to fail suddenly and leave me stranded, is it?
Well, today the clutch was back to normal again. I think it happened either when the car was driven for a long time, or maybe because I had used the clutch often in that traffic jam.
Is this a critical, urgent problem, or can I left it at that for the time being, as I have no money to spend on the car right now? It's not going to fail suddenly and leave me stranded, is it?
04-24-2003, 05:42 PM
#4
At one point a while ago, I had a problem with my clutch where it would randomly act up and would stay on the floor, engaged, after pressing it down there. I had to pull it up with my foot. This happened two or three times fairly scattered from each other in occurance. I have not had any more problems with it at all!
My advice is to let it go and see if it gets worse. If so, then address the issue as soon as you can get money together. That's where I am now: I need a tranny rebuild, but I don't have the money, so I gotta ride it out easy until I can afford it.
Good luck!!
My advice is to let it go and see if it gets worse. If so, then address the issue as soon as you can get money together. That's where I am now: I need a tranny rebuild, but I don't have the money, so I gotta ride it out easy until I can afford it.
Good luck!!
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