So this morning I go to start my car and the clutch pedal is all the way in already. So I tried starting it while it was in gear, with my foot on the clutch pedal. The clutch did not engage and the car jumped forward (almost had to change the boxers). After pumping it a few times with my hand it got its normal spring back, and started to work normally. Assuming the clutch is hydrolic could this mean a small leak somewhere causing it to loose pressure until I pumped it again? I'm really quite basic when it comes to clutches so help on this will be greatly appreciated

 

Definitely sounds like a leak. Should we assume you checked the level of the MC? If it is a small leak, you can probably get away with topping off the reservoir and pumping the pedal back and forth a few dozen times until it has tension again. Then do it a few more times for good measure. Take a look at the hydraulic system for wet areas. MC to SC is a relatively short distance to inspect. Take your time and it will probably be obvious what you need to replace.

 

Ok thanks will do as soon as I get home from work. I didn't have time to check anything this morn as it already made me late. I hope it is just a line

 

more than likely a line...i hope its not completely empty, because you're going to have a hard time driving it like that...it can be done, as i had to..but..its not the easiest

 

2 minutes to pop the hood and top off the reservoir level>2 hours for a towtruck

I'm just sayin....

 

if he just so happens to have brake fluid w/ him to fill the CMC reservoir(sp?)...

 

It happened to me a couple of weeks ago. The clutch fluid was on the low level mark. I filled it up with DOT 4 brake fluid and the pedal feels normal now. I checked the entire line from the master cylinder to the slave cylinder and didn’t find any leaks. I’m suspecting a bad slave cylinder so I picked one up at advance auto parts for $35. If it happens again, I’ll replace it.

 

I would highly recommend that you return that master cylinder to advance auto. I went through 4 of those while trying to troubleshoot my clutch problem. I finally bit the bullet and went with a Nissan OEM unit and haven't had a problem since.

 

You mean slave cylinder right?

 

My bad.. I was reading slave, but thinking master. Lol disregard my post, I actually have the advance auto slave cylinder on mine.

By the way, you can have someone pump the clutch while you watch the slave and check for leaks coming from it.

 

^^ The clutch fluid level has been the same since I topped it up a couple of weeks ago, so if there is a leak, it must be a very small one and I don't think I'll see it if someone pumps the clutch while I inspect it. The entire system looks dry, no leaks anywhere.

It could be the gasket inside the slave cylinder that has a leak maybe? But if it was the case, I wouldn't have been able to drive it for two weeks.

 

How does the clutch bleeder valve come into play here, if at all?

 

DO. NOT. TOUCH!

Unless you're having trouble after bleeding the slave like a madman for hours... After 4+ Nissan clutch bleeding jobs, I've never had to use it, even after installing new OEM lines.

If you're SURE you do not have a leak, then it's time to replace/rebuild your Slave and Master cylinder. If you're lazy+cheap like me, you will just get a rebuild kit from advance auto (the one I went to had to order it), and just rebuild your slave.

In my case what was happening after I replaced the lines, I had the same issue about a month afterwards, the lines were bled but I could not get pressure in the pedal, so I searched around (*hint-hint*) and found that my cylinders could have gone bad, well not the entire unit, just the rubber ring around the piston likes to go bad (it's been 12 years, give it a brake lol).

 

:metalmax:

 

This is one of the few instances in which I can honestly say, I really don't know. I've never bothered to figure that out. Ive always bleed straight from the slave cylinder.

 

Like many things, it could be there primarily to support an efficiency consideration as the car rolls down the assembly line.

 

Nissan has been doing it for years, since Z31s

 

Ok I will an inspection as soon as I get back to our shop, before I drive it home. Please be gentle on me, as I said my knowledge of hydraulic clutches is very weak. Can anyone point me in the right direction of identifying the master and slave, and possibly "for dummies" breakdown of how the system works? Again thanks for your help brothers

 

http://aackshunsgarage.blogspot.com/...utch-line.html

Some pics there...