My problem is that when I depress the clutch, it will stick to the floor. I'll pull it back up and pump it a few times to get it to work. As I drive, it gets worse and worse until I pump it a few more times, while driving or at a light. More recently, I tried to start it and the car will start, but I can't take it out of reverse. I turned the car off and took it out of gear and started it again. I got it to run, but pumping the clutch won't do anything. My fluid is full and I don't see any leaks on the ground or underneath the clutch pedal. Does anyone have any ideas as to what's wrong? My first guess would be either the master or slave cylinder has a leak. Can anyone help?

 

2000 maxima se

135xxx miles

 

bleed the clutch

 

Winner!

If the problem comes back after that you might want to consider a stainless steel clutch line

 

So I'm having trouble searching for a how-to bleed the clutch. I searched google, but I couldn't find any articles contributed to Maximas. If someone else can use search, can you please send me a link to how-to bleed the clutch? Preferably with pictures. Thanks in advance.

 

you are going to need some 1/4" tubing a clear jar, some dot3 or dot4 brake fluid and preferably a friend to help. (although you can do it alone)

You are going to want to attach the 1/4'' tubing to the bleeder screw on the slave cylinder which is on the front side of the transmission. (you need to take the snorkel part of the intake off to get to it from above)

Put the end of the tubing into the clear jar and out some brake fluid in the jar so the end of the tube is submerged.

Now use an open ended wrench to open the bleeder screw i think it is an 8mm or 10mm (about 1 full turn should be enough, you just want the fluid to be able to flow out of it)

make sure your tube is still submerged since the twisting probably moved the line.

now what you want to do is start pumping the pedal until there are no longer air bubbles coming from the tube in the jar. While doing this you want to keep adding fluid to the clutch reservoir and at least keeping it above the minimum level otherwise you will be introducing more air into the line.

once there are no longer bubbles tighten the bleeder screw back down and you should be good to go.

 

Thank you Feldman.

 

I am having some trouble still. How long is it supposed to take to bleed the clutch? What am I supposed to be looking for? I have tried bleeding it a few times and each time I see bubbles in the clear bottle. I don't know what else I should be looking for, for example, if the tube should be filling up with fluid? Any help is greatly appreciated. Also, I don't know if this is related, but prior to this happening, at idle and at low RPMs, I would hear a rattling noise, but I never thought twice about it.

 

You bleed it until there's no longer air in the system. May take only a pump or two of the pedal, or you may spend an hour and still have air in the system.

Are you bleeding both the upper and the lower bleeders? The stock clutch line is a PITA to bleed, so much unnecessary line involved.

You want to look for bubbles in the clear tubing attached to the bleeder screw, keep going until there are no more bubbled there.

 

Is the tube supposed to be filling up with fluid? I've been trying twice for about twenty minutes each time, but all I have seen is fluid about a centimeter away from the bleeder and just what's in the bottle. I have been bleeding from the slave bleeder only so far. Should I be interchanging them, or should I bleed from the master once there is no air left from the slave?

 

Bleed the slave cylinder first. Get rid of all the air bubbles then work on the top bleeder right at the strut tower. Pump the clutch a few times then turn the bleeder screw. At 135,*** miles is the the clutch the original? Could the clutch be worn? Just looking at the obvious. When I purchased my car at 131K I had my clutch replaced. The clutch was worn to the rivet. Flywheel was ok. When I picked it up from the transmission shop the pedal stayed on the floor. I had to pump it a few times to get it into gear. Yes the bottle will fill with fluid. Make sure the master cylinder is topped off. I still had the soft pedal. Months later I replaced the slave cylinder and hoses. That did the trick.