5ktq: Pulsating Clutch Failed, then SOLVED

[Steve Jensen]

I had the clutch in my 5ktq sedan replaced back in May, got it back from the
shop and the clutch pedal was pulsating on downshift/decelleration.  Took it
back to the shop (not my normal one), they resurfaced the rotors and said
it's fixed.  It wasn't.  Got fed up with them and kept driving the TQW till
I had time to diagnose it.

I put the car back on the road in August and the pulsating clutch was still
there.  Decided to keep driving it till it failed, and fail it did.
Creeping in Atlanta rush hour traffic, the clutch goes _bam_ and the pedal
went to the floor.  Engine was still running but no clutch, so limped it to
the next exit and parked it.  Wife came to pick me up, mumbling something
about 'reliability' and 'getting something newer' and 'Honda' all in the
same sentence.  I felt sick.

After the sun came up, I shanghai fellow Audifan Bill Magliocco to see if
anything obvious was wrong.  Pop the hood, pedal still on floor, Bill lifts
the pedal and pushes down, and a stream of fluid comes arcing out of the
hose to the slave cylinder!

The shop had routed the hose directly on top of the inner CV joint when they
re-installed the tranny, and two weeks of rubbing on the spinning CV joint
(which apparently was causing the pulsating feeling) had finally caused the
hose to fail.

Shop agrees that yes it's their fault, pays for the repair and the tow job
to the shop (but yes I did pay for the hose since I wasn't sure he could get
one).  Clutch feels _great_ now, no pulsating at all, and I am a happy guy.

And thanks again to Bill M. for taxi services and moral support.

-Steve Jensen
87 5kcstq
87 5kcstqw