RE: Leaky slave cylinder, anything else worth fixing?

["Buchholz, Steven" <Steven.Buchholz@kla-tencor.com>]

... if you are not seeing a fluid leak from the bellhousing I can't
understand how a faulty slave cylinder could generate the symptoms you
describe.  If the clutch does not return fully it means that fluid has gone
somewhere.  IME on several Audis, assuming that you don't have a problem
with fluid loss, a problem as you describe is caused by fluid leaking around
the seal around the piston inside the master cylinder.  I have only replaced
one slave cylinder on an Audi, and it was because there was a quite obvious
DOT-4 leak from the bellhousing (and I had the tranny off for a clutch R&R).


I don't know how much the M/C is for your car, but I can tell you that for
the 5k I recently did Audi asked over $200 for the part, but I found I could
get it from The Parts Connection for a bit over $50.  With the possible
exception of a difficult to access head on a socket cap screw (the biggest
problem IME on 5k M/C jobs) a clutch M/C and bleeding job can very easily be
DIY'ed.  As was the case on the 5k I did recently the replacement resolved
the clutch pedal failing to return problem.  There is another possible
mechanism and that is the spring on the pedal assembly that works to return
the clutch has broken.  I've heard of this happening, but never experienced
it myself.  

I have also found that rebuild kits are availabe for the 5k clutch M/C ... I
got one to rebuild the unit I swapped out for less than $20.  

HTH!
Steve Buchholz
San Jose, CA (USA)

> -----Original Message-----
> 
> On the way to the shop yesterday, the clutch pedal would not 
> come back up 
> every time (a friendly tug from underneath with my foot would pull it 
> out.)  The shop says its a leaking slave cylinder ($296 parts/labor & 
> flush.)  Is there anything else worth fixing or replacing