So last night my brother was driving the maxima around and this morning we find out the clutch doesn't work. The pedal was just stuck to the ground when you depress it. We checked the clutch fluid resevoir and see theres nothing in there so we put more fluid in and bled the clutch. The clutch works now, but it feels like theres play at the top before the clutch is fully released. I believe we bled the clutch pretty good... no air was coming out only clean fluid. We bled it from the top bleeder valve near the drive-side suspension. Is there another location to bleed the clutch? Is there anything else I should check that might be wrong with the clutch?

We also checked the radiator fluid and saw that was completely empty as well... has this happened to anyone before? (Both the clutch and radiator fluid leaking out somehow?) Last night it was raining pretty hard... i'm not sure if that has anything to do with it. Do shops do pressure tests on radiators to see if they're leaking? I'm not sure if I need to replace the radiator or not. (I have 150k miles currently)

The car has been really reliable up till now. The only major problem I've ever had was replacing the alternator. The engine and transmission still seems to be running smooth as ever. Hope I can resolve these issues.

 

when was the last time you checked them then?

keep an eye on them.

 

You've got a clutch fluid leak somewhere......it can only leak from either the master cylinder (check above the clutch pedal at the piston rod dust seal) or the pressure fluid line (the flex hose leaking is fairly common) or the slave. It shouldn't be hard to find. Top up the cooling system and start looking and "sniffing" for coolant leaks. The rad is only one possible source of a coolant leak. You can pressure test the system and that will tell you if the system is leaking but it won't necessarily tell you where the leak is, particularly with a slow leak. Unless something rattled around the engine compartment and did physical damage, these to issues are not related.

 

Sounds like you need to check your fluid levels more often...

I agree, sounds like you could have a leak in the hydraulic clutch system.

 

Is the OEM radiator suppose to be a little wobbly? I was looking at the radiator the other day and I can wiggle it back and forth.

 

I had this happen to me right after i got my maxima. The slave cylinder piston for some reason got a little bit crooked when it was extended all the way out of the cylinder and would not come back in so my pedal was stuck on the floor and i had to replace it.

Something you might want to check out. Otherwise i agree with the rest of these guys, there is a leak (probably in the rubber flex section by the slave cylinder)

 

i actually read what you wrote the second time around... haha

probably not the slave cylinder, but the other bleed valve is down on the slave so you can check it and the flex section while you are at it

 

yes it wobbles a little thats normal,look under your car in the morning before you drive it and see if any small puddles are under it,might help finding your leak if you have one

 

I had the same problem one morning with my clutch. I also knew it was time for my clutch to be replaced (major slipage) so this had me quite concerned as it was okay the night before. Popped the hood, added fluid to the master, bled the slave, felt okay. Worked fine and held fluid for the next week and I was unable to see/find an obvious leak. Decided to take care of the clutch problem right away so I didn't have reliability issues. Bought a clutch, slave & braided hose and replaced them all ($200 parts, 18 beer project with friend in garage). Mine was all original with 145k so it seemed fair to me. Turned out to be the line from the slave to the master. At the very least replace that and the slave, their cheap and easy. Bleed the top and bottom.

Your radiator was probably just low because you don't check it enough. I doubt they are related. I'm sure it was just you looking at all of your fluids once you noticed one was low. Let that be a lesson to ya. And yes, it's supposed to move...look at the rubber thingys that attach it to the car.

Good luck!

 

there is a second bleeder valve on the slave cylinder itself, you have to bleed from there

 

is the "flex section" the rubber tube that is coming out of the slave cylinder? I refilled the reservoir and monitored the fluid level and noticed it was leaking a little every week. The only spot where it looks like it may be leaking from is the rubber tube. Do I need to replace the entire slave cylinder or just that tube? Also, where can I purchase it? dealership?

Thanks!