Emergency! Clutch pedal stuck to floor

Flaccus · 16-09-2011 9:41am #1

I have a 07 Octavia vRs (which I was changing in a couple of months) which up until May was doing light mileage (mostly city driving). Was serviced at 32000 miles end March. Now has 460000 on it as commuting 750 miles a week to and from work (mostly main road/motorway driving). So service is long due.

This morning the clutch pedal is sticking to the floor. I can get it back up by pulling it with hand, but it sticks back down straight away when I touch it. There is no longer any spring motion. Could this be something called a Master Cylinder that's gone ? I am trying to get an independent mechanic to look at it today. Is it possible this can be fixed in driveway at home I wonder. Otherwise I will have to get nearest Skoda dealer to tow it, who is miles away.

A bit of an emergency as need car to get to work.

thanks

davidd24 · 16-09-2011 9:43am

Its your Clutch Slave cylinder is busted mate.

Neilw · 16-09-2011 9:43am

460,000 miles on it, clutch could be gone....lasted well though

Big Nasty · 16-09-2011 9:44am

I can't believe that this would happen in an Octavia. :eek:

davidd24 · 16-09-2011 9:44am

It can be done in your driveway also...

Flaccus · 16-09-2011 9:47am

Ta. Hopefully is an easy fix. If its the clutch cylinder is this something easily fixed by an independent with a generic part or could he source the skoda part. Or does it even matter. Have only dealt with main dealers till now and this is my 1st issue.

I meant 46000 miles. I put 10000 miles up in last 4 months!!

mike65 · 16-09-2011 9:56am

Its a job an indy can do.

Part price http://www.irishautoparts.ie/Hydraulics/Clutch-Hydraulics/Parts.aspx?SubGroup=HY%7eHydraulics%7eCLUH-HY%7eClutch+Hydraulics (check your engine code)

It happened to me once I knew it was going so I tied a length of wire around the clutch pedal and had in under my thigh so when it happened at a roundabout quick pull would see me all right.

Flaccus · 16-09-2011 10:06am

Thanks mate

elaverty · 16-09-2011 10:13am

Flaccus wrote: »

Thanks mate

While doing my driveing test....

Flaccus · 16-09-2011 10:17am

My engine code is BWA. Can't find it anywhere on irishautoparts.

mike65 · 16-09-2011 10:20am

Give them a call but call SKODA first you might discover your local dealer is not actually any more expensive.

Wisesmurf · 16-09-2011 10:39am

Might not be of any help but certain Golfs, Seats and Audi's of that vintage are known for a problem where a plastic clip or weak weld breaks stopping compression on the the master cylinder dropping the clutch to the floor. Have a quick look in the footwell and see if anything looks wrong at the back of the pedal. More info here and here

Flaccus · 16-09-2011 11:06am

Thanks. Will check it out.

Can't even see where the clutch fluid goes in the engine compartment. Wonder does it use same reservoir as brake fluid.

msg11 · 16-09-2011 11:11am

Flaccus wrote: »

Thanks. Will check it out.

Can't even see where the clutch fluid goes in the engine compartment. Wonder does it use same reservoir as brake fluid.

Wouldn't think so, for the simple reason. If it was the case then your break pedal would be going to the floor too. There's usually a separate smaller tank beside the break tank

Flaccus · 16-09-2011 11:14am

Checked on briskoda. Apparently the brake and clutch share the same reservoir and fluid according to this post.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/183265-clutch-failure/

Must check for leaks now. Mechanic coming at 1pm.

Flaccus · 16-09-2011 11:23am

Just checked. No leaks.

Noticed something weird. Whether pedal is down all the way or not (I can pull it up physically with hand), the gears change smoothly. Noticed nothing strange with the clutch pedal including behind it.

As a bonus, my leftheadlight bulb is just after dying too.

Flaccus · 16-09-2011 11:25am

mike65 wrote: »

Give them a call but call SKODA first you might discover your local dealer is not actually any more expensive.

Local dealer is quoting 96 plus vat for master head clutch cylinder which they think is the problem, and 2 hours plus labour. Minimum charge 300 euro. I know a mechanic who is coming at 1pm and will try to diagnose the problem. He did an engine rebuild for Dad not so long ago and was very reasonable.

mike65 · 16-09-2011 12:32pm

I would only ever suggest the part not the labour from a main dealer

bryaner · 16-09-2011 12:39pm

Flaccus wrote: »

Local dealer is quoting 96 plus vat for master head clutch cylinder which they think is the problem, and 2 hours plus labour. Minimum charge 300 euro. I know a mechanic who is coming at 1pm and will try to diagnose the problem. He did an engine rebuild for Dad not so long ago and was very reasonable.

Around €100 per hour labour:eek::eek:, were they in a coma the last couple of years, in the words of Packie Bonner thats uncredible..

TankGuy · 16-09-2011 12:56pm

My G/F was qouted €96.50 per hour for labour from a mazda garage to replace a part. And they said it would eat into the second hour which she would have to pay in full for. Got the part in a brokers and her bro replaced it in less than an hour and he`d never done it before. Rip off in a dealership garage.

cjt156 · 16-09-2011 1:06pm

msg11 wrote: »

Wouldn't think so, for the simple reason. If it was the case then your break pedal would be going to the floor too. There's usually a separate smaller tank beside the break tank

Not so. One reservoir, two systems incorporating check valves to keep them independent. Quite common.

Flaccus · 16-09-2011 3:25pm

Well mechanic arrived and noticed brake fluid low and then noticed front brake pads nearly worn, and rear ones almost gone entirely. This could have caused alot of stress on the clutch cylinders. Anyway, he bleeded the brakes as best he could, and topped up the brake fluid. Clutch is a little more responsive but still sticks now and again so he said to leave it a few hours as there might still be air trapped. No dampness on slave cylinder but he needs to put it up on a height to get at master cylinder which if leaking will need replacement. Needs new brakepads and service too obviously. Will have to use bus next week

It's interesting that the main dealer back the end of March, didn't spot any brake pad wear or tell me, and they defintely didn't change the brake fluid which is supposed to be done every 2 years on my car. It's 6 months after. For that matter I'm not even sure if they checked it. Obviously something I should have been doing, as I normally check my oil once a week. Blasted engine consumes about 0.5litre every 2000 miles.

Incidentally, is it safe to use 5W40 full synth on vRS TFSI engine. I've used it instead of 5W30 which doesnt seem to last as long but I heard somewhere that turbos need much thinner oil.

barura · 16-09-2011 3:27pm

That sucks. Pretty heavy on breakpads I take it from it being FWD?

still though, hope it ain't too expensive.

Henry Ford III · 16-09-2011 4:26pm

barura wrote: »

....Pretty heavy on breakpads I take it from it being FWD?...

It'd be the same regardless of fwd or any other drive wouldn't it? The front brakes do most of the work.

barura · 16-09-2011 4:29pm

Henry Ford III wrote: »

It'd be the same regardless of fwd or any other drive wouldn't it? The front brakes do most of the work.

I figure because of the more powerful VRs version of the octavia, braking while in gear, the engine would work against the pads harder.

Flaccus · 16-09-2011 4:47pm

Weirdly it's the rears that have nothing left, and the fronts have 1000 miles on them roughly, which I put up in about 10 days. It's all getting sorted next week.

My last 02 vRS had hardly any brakepads left after almost 5 years also. I just think the garage didn't inform me about the brake wear back in March when it was serviced, and I never checked. Plus I can be heavy on the brakes at times. Still made it through the NCT though.

Oneplus · 15-01-2022 4:43pm

Hi have similar issue with my 2012 VW CC. Clutch pedal sticking to the floor have to reach down to pull it up. Small bit of fluid on undertray/ splash gaurd. Fluid in reservoir is not low.

What was the diagnosis?

Flaccus · 26-01-2022 10:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118480115#Comment_118480115

Zombie thread but I will answer the question. In the end mechanic replaced the master slave cylinder but the fix didn't last. I had to get a new clutch entirely and the dual master flywheel replaced. Cost over a grand. Until I had the cash to do that, the temporary work around was when the clutch pedal sticks, take a big cow syringe and rubber tubing, fill it with dot3 fluid and inject it via the master cylinder port. This pushes all the air out and returns compression to the clutch pedal. Had to do it every couple days for a few weeks.

A few years later, my brother in law bought the car from me and the clutch had to be replaced again at 80,000 miles. Have not touched a car with a clutch since.

Emergency! Clutch pedal stuck to floor

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