Clutch problems...

heggie

Hi,

For the last 2 or 3 days I noticed 1st & 2nd gear have been stiffer and harder to slip into but would get easier as the drive went on, and now today, when I started up my car, 1st gear wouldn't engage and the clutch pedal had little resistance. I left the engine running for a minute or two, and then it worked ok.

I'm not confident driving the car with the clutch like this, is anyone able to offer any advice, is it a serious problem?

Thanks.

Avns1s

Check Hydraulic Fluid as a first step.

If it's been allowed to go low, the clutch might need bleeding.

heggie

thanks for the advice, I'll look into that.

Darragh29

heggie wrote: »

Hi,

For the last 2 or 3 days I noticed 1st & 2nd gear have been stiffer and harder to slip into but would get easier as the drive went on, and now today, when I started up my car, 1st gear wouldn't engage and the clutch pedal had little resistance. I left the engine running for a minute or two, and then it worked ok.

I'm not confident driving the car with the clutch like this, is anyone able to offer any advice, is it a serious problem?

Thanks.

What make/model/year/fuel type?

heggie

honda integra(1.6) 95 petrol

Darragh29

When the engine is not running, is gear selection a problem???

It sounds to me like your clutch disc is not disengaging when you press the clutch pedal, this is usually caused by one of two defects...

(1) Clutch pressure plate/cover assembly not lifting to the height required to clear the clutch disc. This can also be caused by clutch release bearing wear.

(2) A problem with the clutch hydraulic system, possibly a leaking clutch slave cylinder.

(3) This problem can also be caused by worn or stiff gear linkages.

Get a mechanic to have a look at it and see if the clutch fluid reservoir is missing clutch fluid. If it is, this usually indicates a leak in the clutch slave cylinder, which can be easily checked.

If you do not have a leak, try lubricating the linkages with some WD40 and checking them for play/wear.

If you don't find a problem with the above, the problem most likely is your clutch is gone, probably costing in th eregion of 500 quid to have that resolved in your case. This is most likely the problem to be honest, or else a hydraulic leak as you have mentioned that the pedal is not as stiff as usual. This soft pedal indicates a problem with a leak at the clutch hydraulic slave cylinder...

What causes a slave cylinder to leak is often a clutch pressure plate getting stiffer as the linings on the disc wear. Don't be surprised if you find a leak in the cylinder, have that replaced and your clutch itself imminently starts acting up.

heggie

thanks for the advice!