Clutch - Bite point getting lower, improves with heat - fluid loss?

[Mewcenary]

Hi,

I posted before about my clutch, but now it has got worse so I'm pretty sure it is not just my imagination now.

Over the last week or so, the bite point for the clutch has moved closer to the floor, with the clutch no longer springing back up to the rest point. It will come up slowly, then perhaps "sproing!" at the end.

As the car warms up, the situation improves, but there is still an element of free play.

What is likely to be the problem here? My guess is fluid loss (with resulting air in the system which expands with heat) but this does not seem to be trivial to check.....

 

[stevie16v]

Id try bleeding it, Aint done a leon but im sure its a hydraulic clutch, find the bleed nipple, use a one mad kit and make sure the fluid is topped up to the brim at all times. If the fluid is over 2 years old i always change it aswell, shouldnt make too much of a difference as theres no heat to burn the fluid at the clutch but def affects the brakes

 

[stewbie55]

Same happened to me, sounds like its a leaky slave cylinder. If so it's a gearbox off job and possibly worth having a new clutch at the same time due to labour costs

 

[Muttley]

The fluid level is trivially easy to check, the single hydraulic fluid reservoir feeds both brake and clutch systems. My first bet would be fluid loss too, the clutch seems to feel it first, fortunately.

Check the level and top it up if it's low. Keep an eye on it - you may have a leak. If it keeps dropping you need to find out where it's leaking from.

 

[Mewcenary]

Okay... brake hydraulic level is at Max. So no fluid leak.

So what's wrong with it???

It is worse now. Starting to have to grind the gears first thing, but once it has warmed up, it is not too bad. Only a couple of days though before it just won't be possible to change gear.

 

[Mewcenary]

I guess this:

Occasionally air will enter the system during the clutch pedal up stroke with no loss of fluid. This can occur when there is a slight negative pressure within the system, and a worn piston seal allows air around it. If you bleed air from a system and the air returns within a week or two, suspect air leaking into the system.

 

[Smart22186]

my bite point is getting lower and lower as well.. it seemed very "clunky" at traffic lights today when i was tyring to get it into gear? is this the gear box or the clutch? the clutch ain't popping back as quick as it used to so I'm guessing that's the fluid in the clutch .. which I'm guessing is the same as the fluid in the breaking system (correct me if I'm wrong) to check the break fluid = same as check clutch fluid.. now what about the clunky gearbox.. used to be a very smooth action now it seems like i need to bang it into gears.? how do i resolve that problem?

 

[angelday]

my bite point is getting lower and lower as well.. it seemed very "clunky" at traffic lights today when i was tyring to get it into gear? is this the gear box or the clutch? the clutch ain't popping back as quick as it used to so I'm guessing that's the fluid in the clutch .. which I'm guessing is the same as the fluid in the breaking system (correct me if I'm wrong) to check the break fluid = same as check clutch fluid.. now what about the clunky gearbox.. used to be a very smooth action now it seems like i need to bang it into gears.? how do i resolve that problem?

I am afraid of having the same problem too. Suddenly my clutch bite point get lower with a big free play of the pedal. When i start the car it is worse, but if it gets warm up, the bite point is quite ok. Brake fluid level is OK, no leaking at all. Guys, have you sort your problems already???

 

[Mewcenary]

I am afraid of having the same problem too. Suddenly my clutch bite point get lower with a big free play of the pedal. When i start the car it is worse, but if it gets warm up, the bite point is quite ok. Brake fluid level is OK, no leaking at all. Guys, have you sort your problems already???

New clutch fixed it for me. The bite point got lower and lower over time, getting slightly better with the car warming up. Eventually it was getting almost impossible to change gear.

 

[angelday]

New clutch fixed it for me. The bite point got lower and lower over time, getting slightly better with the car warming up. Eventually it was getting almost impossible to change gear.

So it was not the problem of the master or slave cylinder???

 

[Mewcenary]

So it was not the problem of the master or slave cylinder???

iirc, the slave cylinder was replaced first and the system reprimed. This 'fixed' it for about a month only before the problem was back (Dodgy seal, I imagine). Once the primary was replaced, the problem never came back.

I may have primary and secondary the wrong way round there.

 

[angelday]

So it was not the problem of the master or slave cylinder???

Changed the master cylinder today and the problem has been solved.