Clutch Stuck to the Floor Edition 345

[Magnetic]

My car just did the clutch to the floor 3 weeks ago. It did it twice in one week and hasnt done it since that 1st week. Sucks because I have a 600 mile drive to California this weekend and glad it's mostly highway miles minus 1 stop there and back for gas. Will keep you guys update when it finally goes to $hit. Hoping I can make it back with no issue...

 

[Zormecteon]

Cars don't fix themselves... It's the clutch slave. .. It's gonna happen again.

 

[Cdnmr2v6]

To make it last a little longer you can try bleeding it again. When it's leaking that means air is getting in there.

 

[M-Sport fan]

My car just did the clutch to the floor 3 weeks ago. It did it twice in one week and hasnt done it since that 1st week. Sucks because I have a 600 mile drive to California this weekend and glad it's mostly highway miles minus 1 stop there and back for gas. Will keep you guys update when it finally goes to $hit. Hoping I can make it back with no issue...

Mine ONLY does this in the summer heat and/or during extended stop and go 'parking lot' like traffic.
NO leaks, spraying of brake fluid or brake fluid smell at all.

That's what makes me think it is the 40K mile, 6.5 year old factory fluid (hopefully) causing this condition in my clutch system, and that a full flush with new quality fluid will help.

 

[esp_martin]

Mine ONLY does this in the summer heat and/or during extended stop and go 'parking lot' like traffic.
NO leaks, spraying of brake fluid or brake fluid smell at all.

That's what makes me think it is the 40K mile, 6.5 year old factory fluid (hopefully) causing this condition in my clutch system, and that a full flush with new quality fluid will help.

I ended up not taking it to a dealership and didn't touch it. Once the average temps dropped below 85ish degrees, the stuck clutch problem went away. Have not had the issue since. I will be doing a full flush too with quality DOT brake fluid in the spring and see if the problem comes back in July/August.

 

[scooter123]

When the seals fail on the slave cylinder it creates so much drag that the cylinder won't move even with the full weight of the pressure plate springs trying to force it to return. I was informed of this by the Tech at my dealer, he tried to get the slave piston to move by hand and didn't have the hand strength to move it at all. I can also state that after having mine replaced under warranty the pedal pressure was noticeably lighter that it was before the slave cylinder started sticking. So if we were to fabricates some type of force measuring instrument we could probably test the pedal pressure on a weekly basis and know if the slave cylinder is starting to fail.

Personally I've started doing something I loathe doing to try and preserve the slave cylinder, that is putting the car in neutral when stopped at a light and releasing the clutch. It means that I will have a delay if I need to dodge a rear end collision but I drive in so much traffic that being first at a light is rather rare.

PS; I've been tinkering with hotted up cars since the late 60's. Performance parts are designed for one purpose and one purpose only, that is to exceed the performance of OEM parts for a short period of time. Which means that a performance will launch harder and won't slip under much higher power levels but it won't last nearly as long as the OEM part. If you want to race your car, get performance parts. However if you want to drive your car as a daily driver, the do NOT use performance parts unless you have the funds to replace those parts every racing season or even every half season. This is especially true for brake pads. Because racing pads are designed to function best when they are really HOT. As a result the stopping power on the "street" is pretty miserable, they will either lack in braking power when cold or can be quite grabby.

 

[esp_martin]

When the seals fail on the slave cylinder it creates so much drag that the cylinder won't move even with the full weight of the pressure plate springs trying to force it to return. I was informed of this by the Tech at my dealer, he tried to get the slave piston to move by hand and didn't have the hand strength to move it at all. I can also state that after having mine replaced under warranty the pedal pressure was noticeably lighter that it was before the slave cylinder started sticking. So if we were to fabricates some type of force measuring instrument we could probably test the pedal pressure on a weekly basis and know if the slave cylinder is starting to fail.

Personally I've started doing something I loathe doing to try and preserve the slave cylinder, that is putting the car in neutral when stopped at a light and releasing the clutch. It means that I will have a delay if I need to dodge a rear end collision but I drive in so much traffic that being first at a light is rather rare.

PS; I've been tinkering with hotted up cars since the late 60's. Performance parts are designed for one purpose and one purpose only, that is to exceed the performance of OEM parts for a short period of time. Which means that a performance will launch harder and won't slip under much higher power levels but it won't last nearly as long as the OEM part. If you want to race your car, get performance parts. However if you want to drive your car as a daily driver, the do NOT use performance parts unless you have the funds to replace those parts every racing season or even every half season. This is especially true for brake pads. Because racing pads are designed to function best when they are really HOT. As a result the stopping power on the "street" is pretty miserable, they will either lack in braking power when cold or can be quite grabby.

I understand the reasons but I never agreed with keeping the clutch engaged and the transmission in gear while at a stoplight. With an automatic transmission, 100% never put it in neutral at a stoplight. But with a manual, the odds of the foot slipping off the clutch and causing an accident because the transmission's in gear are way higher than being able to avoid an accident because of the split second a driver saves. Granted, I'm not really saying it's *safer* to release the clutch. I just do it because I hate riding the clutch when I'm stopped and I don't think it's any *less* safe.

 

[Magnetic]

I just checked the fluid reservoir on the drivers side (power steering?) but not sure what it's for. I only can find the coolant reservoir, the engine oil cap and the driver side one. It's super low and oil is almost non-existent. Can someone tell me where the remaining oil reservoirs are and is any oils are shared?

 

[M-Sport fan]

I understand the reasons but I never agreed with keeping the clutch engaged and the transmission in gear while at a stoplight. With an automatic transmission, 100% never put it in neutral at a stoplight. But with a manual, the odds of the foot slipping off the clutch and causing an accident because the transmission's in gear are way higher than being able to avoid an accident because of the split second a driver saves. Granted, I'm not really saying it's *safer* to release the clutch. I just do it because I hate riding the clutch when I'm stopped and I don't think it's any *less* safe.

I try to do this as well, and the only time I do not is when I have all of these psychotically impatient local slushbox drivers riding my bumper, and I am the first car at a stop/yield sign, and have to jump into the main road (206) traffic at the smallest gap to keep them from hitting me.

It's funny how they cannot stay on my bumper around ANY turn at all, even in their 'sport' SUVs.

 

[Ford ST]

I just checked the fluid reservoir on the drivers side (power steering?) but not sure what it's for. I only can find the coolant reservoir, the engine oil cap and the driver side one. It's super low and oil is almost non-existent. Can someone tell me where the remaining oil reservoirs are and is any oils are shared?

Brake fluid.

 

[M-Sport fan]

I just checked the fluid reservoir on the drivers side (power steering?) but not sure what it's for. I only can find the coolant reservoir, the engine oil cap and the driver side one. It's super low and oil is almost non-existent. Can someone tell me where the remaining oil reservoirs are and is any oils are shared?

We have ELECTRICALLY actuated power steering in these cars, with no external fluid reservoir at all.

The shared brake, and clutch system brake fluid reservoir is on the driver's side, up in the corner almost at the cowl, most likely what you thought was for power steering.

 

[rallytaff]

Whenever I'm stopped at a light, I engage neutral and apply the hand brake. I have never worn out a clutch by riding it or staying in gear when I'm stopped.

 

[SteveS]

Whenever I'm stopped at a light, I engage neutral and apply the hand brake. I have never worn out a clutch by riding it or staying in gear when I'm stopped.

I guess it depends on the town you live in. Here, there's usually not enough time to do all that at a traffic light. I seldom sit at a light longer than 10-15 seconds, and sometimes 30 seconds. Even then, the traffic line is often moving every few seconds because of people turning right on red.

 

[rallytaff]

Here in LA, lights often take over 3-5 mins to change, sometimes even longer.

 

[Magnetic]

We have ELECTRICALLY actuated power steering in these cars, with no external fluid reservoir at all.

The shared brake, and clutch system brake fluid reservoir is on the driver's side, up in the corner almost at the cowl, most likely what you thought was for power steering.

Ok thanks and yes that's the one. Going to top it off after work. Since it's low and I got the clutch pedal issue I'm thinking it might be related to a bad seal like others have said. Wasn't planning to do an LSD until the summer but might have to do it soon if this thing goes south...

 

[Ford ST]

Ok thanks and yes that's the one. Going to top it off after work. Since it's low and I got the clutch pedal issue I'm thinking it might be related to a bad seal like others have said. Wasn't planning to do an LSD until the summer but might have to do it soon if this thing goes south...

As your brake pads wear the caliper piston has to push itself out to compensate for that space this drops the fluid level. There is max line on the reservoir when the pads are new is should be at the max line. If you follow the tube down you will see the master cylinder. It has a min line on it. Your brake fluid is probably dirty. Should be changed every few years.

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[TyphoonFiST]

Ok thanks and yes that's the one. Going to top it off after work. Since it's low and I got the clutch pedal issue I'm thinking it might be related to a bad seal like others have said. Wasn't planning to do an LSD until the summer but might have to do it soon if this thing goes south...

Check the clutch pedal itself. the Clutch master is located on the pedal itself. look for wetness*

 

[Intuit]

Reminder: Manual specifies Low Viscosity fluid.
https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/...0724b/pentosin-dot-4-brake-fluid/pnt0/1224116?
May or may not make a difference, but when there are problems with clutch seals and ABS pumps failing, I'd rather stick with what the factory recommends, just to be 100% sure.



I replaced a worn/noisy rack & pinion on a previous vehicle and logically used power steering fluid. When a seal blew not long after replacement, I then happened to notice that I should've been using transmission fluid. (NOTE: Not meant to imply that thicker DOT 4 fluids are causing premature clutch seal failures.)

 

[TyphoonFiST]

Apparently ATE 706202 / Type 200 is compatible with all*
Straight from ATE*

https://www.ate-na.com/products/brake-fluids/

ATE TYP 200 Brake Fluid exceeds all DOT 4 standards and is designed to excel under the extreme demands of race cars and high-performance driving. The high wet and dry boiling points make this fluid an excellent choice for street driven vehicles as well. ATE TYP 200 is compatible with all DOT 3, DOT 4, and DOT 5.1 brake fluids. The formula offers a minimal drop in boiling point due to outstanding water binding properties resulting in a long-lasting fluid that can provide optimal performance for up to three years under normal highway driving conditions.


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[Magnetic]

As your brake pads wear the caliper piston has to push itself out to compensate for that space this drops the fluid level. There is max line on the reservoir when the pads are new is should be at the max line. If you follow the tube down you will see the master cylinder. It has a min line on it. Your brake fluid is probably dirty. Should be changed every few years.

Sent from my SM-A526U using Tapatalk

This makes sense because I recently upgraded to a BBK last year that has much larger pistons and the brakes are about 50% worn. That must be where the fluid has gone. We changed the fluid to whatever EBC sent with the kit. I'll check to see if it's dirty anyway though. I just dont know what color it was originally to know how much it changed.