aceptedeclectic

97 SE

Ok so for the past couple weeks my clutch has been a little weird and the shifter won't go into gears smoothly but it wasn't that bad so I ignored it figuring if there is a problem I probably can't afford to fix it anyway right now.

But I was driving back from Sacramento in this heat wave we are having and I have to deal with a lot of stop and go so a lot of shifting. Then when I get off the highway I get to a stop light and after chilling in neutral for a bit go to throw it into first. When I press on the clutch it feels like its hella loose and not even connecting to anything till its already 2/3 of the way depressed. And when I let it off it doesn't come all the way back up. I try putting it into gear and it won't go into 1-3. I turn off the car and then turn it back on and nothing has changed. So I try pushing the shifter into first with more force and it goes in put not easily at all. I manage to get it into 2nd and then 4th but it wouldn't go into 5th and I never tried 3rd. So now I'm cruisin along wondering what the hell is going on with my car. Since the clutch doesn't come all the way out I reach my foot under the clutch pedal and pull it up and it makes a plastic clunking sound which I think was just my clutch pedal popping back up into its normal position which it did but maybe it could be important. Now the clutch is fine and I can get into gear perfectly smoothly like it hasn't been in weeks.

Does anyone know what is going on? I went to try to check the tranny fluid but I couldn't find where you check it and I don't have a operations manual for my car. Keep in mind I know very little about cars except a brief overview of how they work.

aceptedeclectic

anyone know?

macallik

iTrader: (6)

Did you check your clutch fluid?
With your car off can you go through all the gears?
If your peddle is soft maybe it is the slave cylinder.
If it can't go through the gears with the car off you probably need a new clutch.

aceptedeclectic

OK so first off I need to ask if clutch fluid and tranny fluid are the same thing. And yes I know. . . . Either way no I havn't but I would appreciate a description of where it/they are located os I can make sure everything is as it should be cause I don't have a operations manual and don't know how to figure out where it would be located otherwise since there is nothing under the hood that I can find realting to clutch or tranny fluid.

It goes through all the gears fine when the car is off.

And after I reached under the clutch with my foot and pulled the pedal back up the clutch was no longer soft. It now feels just like it used to.

aceptedeclectic

Some one at least tell me how to check the clutch/tranny fluid.

macallik

iTrader: (6)

Open your hood, look on the firewall on the right (drivers side) you should see a fluid reservoir, that is the clutch fluid.

Your tranny fluid is on the bottom of the tranny.

daveyg68

iTrader: (3)

Let me add to his description of where the fluid reservoir is. It's on the drivers side against the fire wall. There are two. One is the brake reservoir fluid. It's the larger of the two. The clutch reservoir is the smaller one. Just make sure the fluid is up between the low and high mark. You can use a decent brake fluid to do this. Even though the fluid controls the clutch, they use brake fluid to do this.

As far as the problem, if your clutch fluid became low, air could have gotten in the line and caused the softness that you were experiencing. (possibly a slave cylinder leak) If the fluid level looks fine and it happens again, you may have a bad Clutch master cylinder (the part that the reservoir connects to), or a bad slave cylinder (the part that moves the arm at the transmission). If your fluid is low, check your slave cylinder and make sure it's not leaking. That's a tell tale sign. good luck.

dave

aceptedeclectic

Thanks man.

aceptedeclectic

Clutch fluid is at max line. I was speaking to someone who knows about cars fairly well and they said that on really hot days like the one when this incident occured air bubbles can form in the clutch fluid cause a problem similar to mine.

Minimalmaxima

So I get up Sunday morning and I can feel like 3 inches of play in the clutch before it feels like it's pulling and I'm like what the heck? I'm wearing my dress shoes that I don't wear a lot and I'm thinking maybe that's what's making the clutch feel funny. So I take the shoes off, as I've done before when I'm wearing those, and drive. The clutch still feels loose. Even with my hand, it's loose. So I get home that evening and get up this morning to go to work and I have to push it even further down before I feel it. So I check the clutch fluid and it's bone dry! Where the heck did it go? Are these things prone to leaking? After taking a superficial (and time limited) look, I see no leaks. I'm going to look hard later. I'm gonna fill it back up and see what happens, but I'd appreciate your input. Guesses, suspicions, flames, whatever.

Minimalmaxima

Okay the number of times this thread has been viewed has increased, so are people looking and not saying anything? If so, I hope it's because you don't know what to say and not because you don't wanna help me out!

4thgenx42

Hey i had the same problem. But i managed to make it home by shutting of the engine and putting it into 1st gear and then turning the car on and driving it home w/o pressing the clutch. When I got home i found out that the Clutch Fluid Reservoir had no fluid in it what so ever. So i filled it back up and bled the system. I bled it like 4 or 5 times to make sure all of the bubbles were out of the system.

The following week I replaced my Slave Cylinder Hose. It was fairly cheap. Also to answer your question Tranny fluid and Clutch fluid are totally different. You can use brake fluid to put in your clutch reservoir. PM me if you have anymore questions...

MDeezy

iTrader: (27)

When Checking the slave resevoir, Pull off the top cap and inspect the fluid, it can appear to be full with the car on, but be much lower than expected.

aceptedeclectic - it sounds like you could either have a leak somewhere, tranny fluid low, or other clutch related problem.

Check to see the amount of fluid in the resevoir, take off the cap and look, if its full then you may not have a leak. Inspect lines around just incase and see if there are any wet spots. I've driven my 5 speed on many hot days and havent had the problem you had getting into gear, what happened to you isnt normal. You could try adjusting the grab point to see if that helps getting into gear. These are some of the easier methods before taking the tranny apart starts to get suggested.

Thats odd for it to be completely dry with no leaks, it must have went somewhere, refill and bleed and keep a close eye, check it daily to see if fluid is decreasing. There would have to be a leak somewhere for all the fluid to leave out.

i30ds

iTrader: (8)

You have a leak somewhere... You are going to have to look harder. That poping sensation where you have to bring the pedal back up with your foot and the looseness is due to low or no fluid in the system. You must refill it first and then having a friend pump the pedal check for leaks. Check the slave, the lower rubber lines, all 3 connections at the 3 way juction box, and the master. Once the leak(s) is/are discovered, you must either tigten it down or replace the part(s). After that the entire system must be bled for air.

To be perfectly honest, you dont seem too mechanically inclined... Maybe you should just take in to the shop and tell them you have a leak in your clutch system.

Minimalmaxima

Talking to me? Mechanically inclined? I don't even own a decent set of tools. I have to say that's partly because I used my dad's all the time before I finally moved out six months ago, but I think the apartment complex I'm at now actually prohibits fixing your car here. You know the end result: dead cars on blocks all over the place. I've changed oil. I replaced my alternator twice before I found out about the recall. Nothing major though. But I'm taking it to a Nissan/Infiniti tech. A guy I know with an I30 gave me his name. I'll come back with details of what he does/says.

i30ds

iTrader: (8)

Good... Keep us informed.

Maximus_95

iTrader: (8)

Here's the deal. Check your clutch reservoir. If its empty, that's the problem, now if it has fluid in it, that means its your slave. Good luck. i had mine replaced and it costed me $100 dollars.

Minimalmaxima

Okay I really really wanna believe this, but I still have the question lingering--Where did the fluid go? Does the level fall as the clutch is worn? I guess that doesn't matter a whole lot cause I checked it a few weeks ago and it was up. But get this: I get in the car this evening after I get home from work and I press the clutch and it pops back into place. It still seems that if I could see the clutch it would not start come off the flywheel until I get the pedal four inches down. But when I got in it Monday morning (and Monday evening and Tuesday), I could press the pedal to the metal and I could not get the car in gear. What really sucks is that the guy who I'm hoping will become my personal mechanic wasn't able to get to me. I drive the car to his place and he's not even there. Not answering phone either. Maybe I should rethink? Nah. How much would Nissan charge me for clutch install, new belt, oil change, new rear pads, and possibly new front pads and rotors? All that would be a nice down payment on a G35 sedan. I'll wait on this guy.

i30ds

iTrader: (8)

??? Doesnt sound like this ''personal mechanic" is very professional. Or is he just a friend who knows stuff about cars??

Nissan would charge you at least $2000 for all of that. Why do you want a new clutch?? Your problem is fluid related. You have a leak in the system and it is running bone dry. Nothing is going to work if there is no fluid. Getting a new clutch would solve nothing.

Minimalmaxima

Haha. Yeah it seems I will have to hunt him down. He's a Nissan tech. And Nissan works him like a slave, so it's hard to catch up with him. And other people I know with Nissans/Infinitis use him too, hence his scant availability.

So you are convinced that if the fluid level was down like almost all the way that there is a leak? I just checked it like a second ago (saturday morning) and it is down a little from where I filled it. I put it past the max line about even with the bottom of the lid and now it's just above the max line. Maybe air has escaped to the surface since I didn't try to bleed? I'm gonna keep checking it. At least I know what to do to keep it running until I the mechanic gets to me. DOT 3 in the cupholder, baby.

On why I was thinking I might need a clutch: The tension on the clutch is very high. I mean it's way stiffer than when I first got it 4+ years ago. A nissan dealership service guy told me a couple of years ago it was the pressure plate. I was guessing it or some other portion of the clutch assembly finally clunked out last Sunday when I could press the clutch to the floor and not be able to shift. I'm thinking I've got a few dozen thousand more miles now!

Vaudeville Villain

Woke up this morning with this problem. Made me 35 mins late to work, and now I have to tinker in 90* heat.



Thanks to those who have responded with info. My questions have been answered.

i30ds

iTrader: (8)

Hmm... First, I would do a full bleeding of the system. Then, if that does not solve the problem and the fluid level stays constant (which it sounds like it already is), I would look at replacing the clutch (disk, pressure plate, and release bearing)... How many miles does it have on it??

Minimalmaxima

Okay just to update my situation, the clutch line is needing to be replaced. Clutch slips sometimes when I try to pull of quickly. I just try to make sure to get the engine speed up before I pull up off the pedal and I'm cool most of the time. Dude riding with me yesterday could tell it was slipping when I backed out of his driveway and put it in first, you know, w/o touching the break, and it hesitated a hair before pulling on off. But I will live with that rather than replacing it at this time when my guy tells me that my fuel filter and knock sensor need to be replaced. That in addition to the $809 quote I got from Nissan for four new rotors and four sets of pads clutch fluid line and labor for all of that. Needless to say, I said thanks but no thanks.

YoKramer

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like its possibly a Throw out bearing getting stuck on the input shaft. This is definatly a problem that you want to take to a shop!

Maximus_95

iTrader: (8)

if your clutch gets stuck to the floor and does not want to pop back up on its own, and you have enough clutch fluid in your reservoir and your shifter doesn't want to get into gear? i am 99% sure that it is your slave.
There's is nothing wrong with your clutch, its the slave cylinder. replace it and you will be ok.
Do not take it to the dealer, they will rob you and will cost you an arm and a leg. Good luck.

alpicone

It is either the SC or the MC. They are both very cheap and very easy to replace. Check the SC first. It is easy to tell if the SC is leaking. If you dont see it on the outside pull up the rubber boot and see if there is fluid under there. If not then it is prob the MC.

My car had the same symptoms and it was the MC.

Minimalmaxima

Well I got that line replaced and the guy and another guy bled the heck out of the system and the car is back like it was when I started posting in this thread. I.E., I don't get any force on the pedal till I'm almost all the way to the floor. Last time, I filled up the fluid and after three days, it was back to normal. (I was trying it every day up until then.) But I had to keep refilling it. now that the line is replaced, I don't know how this will affect things. I don't even know why it started acting right again after I refilled it and waited three days the first time. We'll see.

PTownMax

iTrader: (5)

have same problem car will not go into gear, pedal is mushy, i can put it in gear off, crank it up and it tries to go in gear w/out any gas, checked fluid it showed none added a little brake fluid and it topped off, still won't go into gear

i30ds

iTrader: (8)

Its gotta be the slave then... I would not rule out the master either.

Minimalmaxima

Tech says slave and master were cool. But I have a question about what happened with I first had trouble. Refresher: Noticed marked difference in tension on pedal on Sunday July 31. Monday, Aug 1st. Extreme difficulty getting in gear. Turn around a few blocks away from apt and come back and park it. Fluid level is...well I can't see it in the reservoir. I fill it. Monday evening, clutch goes to floor with no tension. Can't shift into any gear. I try to get it in gear every day until Thursday, when, voila, it works! I notice that the level fell after 5 days ago about a centimeter. So I refill it. Keep doing this. Nissan tech says fluid line is leaking. Tells me to fix this and get four sets of pads and four rotors and install would be $809. I say buh-bye. I get the line placed like a week later (thursday, two days ago) and the tech bleeds the line to death and I can barely get it into gear again. Another tech says the pressure plate is the culprit. I'd buy that guess, except it was working fine before. I defy anyone to explain this to me.

i30ds

iTrader: (8)

Really doubt that it is the pressure plate. It gotta be some thing with the hydralic system. Think about it... if that is not working properly, you wont be able to get the car in gear. You know the thing was leaking and so you had the line replaced, but the system should have been bled to death... that probably just blew out master cylinder.

Minimalmaxima

Well I told you to stay tuned. I have been driving around today and it just got better and better. And the fluid level has not fallen. The clutch is still not where it was before this whole fiasco began, but I think it will get there. I don't even want an explanation for real. As long as it works I will not question it.