Clutch pedal problem [was Audi 5000 problem]

[Ben Swann]

Likely air has gotten into the clutch master, perhaps your brake fluid reservior got low and some air got pulled in.  Maybe it is going bad.  Check the level and line going to the master which is not under pressure, but comes out of the reservior to feed the master rather high on this car, and so is prone to sucking in air when the reservior gets low..

You'll need to bleed it - this can be done by getting in the car under dash and loosening the fitting goint to the slave and expelling fluid and air when the pedal is depressed.  Tighten fitting, pull up the pedal and repaeat until pedal is hard.  If this doesn't work, then the master  may be shot and need to be replaced.  Keep the reservior on the full side when doing this, or you just suck air right back in whild bleeding.

Sometimes this symptom occurs due to the slave the slave and you'll have to bleed from there.  I have sometimes had to even reverse bleed, borcing fluid backwards through the slave fitting - creativity required and I know I and others posted on this sometime back.  When the air is in the master, usually it can be done from inside the car using old rags to catch the mess.  

Replacement of the slave is somewhat of a major ordeal and usually my excuse to pull the engine, replace clutch, etc. and do upgrades - it can be done in situ, however, and IME the enabling tool is an air chisel with the correct punch fitting.  It requires someone who has great dexterity and is perhaps double or triple jointed and rather lanky.  Master is not too difficult to replace.

The fact that you had these replaced recently makes me more certain that you just have some stray air in the system - it doesn't take much, and the way the spring is designed to return the pedal, actually sucks the pedal in when there is just the slightest amount of air.  You may also have a line or fitting that started leaking or failed.  BTDT2manyX.

Ben


[Date: Wed, 9 Mar 2005 22:29:02 -0600 (CST)
From: tombin at idle.curiosity.org
Subject: Audi 5000 problem
To: quattro at audifans.com
Message-ID:
<Pine.LNX.4.44.0503092225400.32143-100000 at idle.curiosity.org>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

This evening (after driving my car around all day with no problems), I get 
into the car after work to drive home.  I get about 100 feet from work to 
the first stop light and the clutch sinks to the floor.  Now, I just had 
the master and slave clutch cyl. replaced last summer.  So, I figured 
maybe it was due to the tempature (about 19 degrees outside) but to no 
avail the pedal did not return.  Is there anything else that can cause 
this?  What kind of money am I looking at for a repair?  Any answers are 
appreciated!]