If your clutch release bearing is going out, you may also notice a whirring or chirping sound that goes away when you release the clutch pedal. The disc may loose its damper springs or fail completely through wear if driven to destruction. The clutch cable is what connects the clutch pedal to the clutch linkage in many vehicles. 2) Loose pressure pla te bol t s.The six bol t s t ha t hold t he pressure pla te t o t he flywheel should be t igh t (wi t h lock washers) and t orqued properly (17-20 f t /lbs). If you feel looseness and little or no resistance when you engage the clutch, you will need to tighten the pedal immediately. So I decided to move on the the next car. Ok, I know you guys are going to feel sorry but here is my story. Heavy clutch use / clutch-wear causes undue stress to the pedal-box [2 in diagram] and causes the plastic pedal-pin [8 in diagram] to snap / work its way loose. Many Jeeps also have an issue with a failed return spring in the clutch master cylinder. 5. Clutch does not engage at all. I found another one in Dallas, extremely clean 41K miles 2001, LS1, black, six-speed. Re: Loose clutch pedal all of a sudden I'd start by disconnecting the hose at the slave, then try to gently push the clutch pedal. In normal, modern stop-and-go driving, you probably press the clutch pedal in every few seconds. The clutch linkage consists of the many hydraulic or mechanical components which allow the clutch to function properly. Sometimes a part fails and the clutch goes from working normally, to not working in an instant. When you press down on the clutch pedal, it causes the cable to pull on the linkage so that the clutch becomes disengaged. You will notice that the … If the throwout bearing is allowed to revolve constantly in this way, it will wear out, which makes getting into or out of gear difficult. 5. Check for a failure of the pressure-plate diaphragm spring. These assist springs also remove play at the top of the clutch pedal travel. Because of this problem, unable to use the car for long journeys. I replaced thw clutch and slave cylinder and now when i pump it it gets hard anf it wont go into gear. Clutch pedal was hard before i replaced parts and still the pedal is hard. Because I noticed that the fluid in the cmc was very black, like dark green. A worn-out clutch plate is what causes the slipping clutch. Either way, unless your mechanic actually checked the cable and linkage, you might want to have another mechanic check it out. Looking for leaks is simple as long as you can put your eyes on the hydraulic clutch components. Clutch fails to disengage when pressed. The following video explains a hydraulic system clutch pedal adjustments and its effect on clutch performance. Most clutches are hydraulic, much like the braking system. This often means your clutch pedal will take more effort to push down. When you depress the clutch pedal, the clutch release bearing or “throwout” bearing pushes on the fingers of the pressure plate to separate the pressure plate from the clutch. Sometimes you will see failure in the pressure plate in the mechanical unit. That is because the hydraulic system has failed, if it is hydraulic. Clutch pedal cylinder needs to be replaced, I recently replaced both the clutch and the pressure plate on my land cruiser vx but the clutch padel is too hard to press. If your cross shaft were to wear or bend, then it may cause problems when it comes to pressing down on the clutch pedal. When you press the clutch, your foot counters the diaphragm spring which presses the friction disc to the flywheel. Newer vehicles with manual transmissions often come with a clutch assist spring to make it easier for the driver to depress the clutch pedal. If your clutch is too stiff, one of the simplest things you can check is the clutch pedal adjustment. But in case you have a hydraulic clutch release mechanism, then check for the following: Leaking pipe or hose A mechanic will check the trigger mechanism, linkage, cables and other components to determine the cause of the problem. Some drivers don’t like this and will remove the spring for a more old-school clutch pedal feel, at the expense of a stiffer pedal. A clutch that doesn't engage fully, or slips under heavy load, is the normal failure mode of a worn out friction disc of pressure plate that has lost its tension. Just before we kick off, a quick word to just what a clutch actually is. This causes the clutch to engage unevenly, placing an unbalanced load on the clutch and flywheel surfaces. Hi, I just bought an 2012 accord coupe. Both flywheel and pressure plate are fixed to engine rotation and the clutch is fixed to the gearbox rotation. The clutch works on the principle of friction, or slip. Other times it is a slow gradual change, with each use of the clutch working less and less well. There’s a few good YouTube videos online that cover how to do it. If your cross shaft were to wear or bend, then it may cause problems when it comes to pressing down on the clutch pedal. You can tell which one the clutch pedal is connected to just by looking and listening - have a partner slam the clutch pedal down a few times. If the clutch is way out of spec, the clutch may be partially (or even fully) disengaged while the clutch pedal rests at the top of its travel. The most common cause of a dragging clutch is too much clutch pedal free travel. Each reason will have a different cause. Too much free pedal play isn’t good, either, because too much pedal travel is used up doing nothing: There’s not enough movement left at the bottom of its travel to compress the clutch springs and allow the engine flywheel and the clutch disk to separate. If your clutch pedal feels loose: Check the release bearing or fork for damage. If you ever need to press down hard on the clutch pedal, make sure there is nothing underneath it. (b) Clutch pedal linkage binding or contamination of fluid in the hydraulic operating system. Medium difficulty. Below are some of the most common causes of a clutch pedal being hard to press down. If you have small items on the floor of your vehicle, it is possible that one of these small items might be caught underneath the clutch pedal. The clutch plate is sandwiched between the flywheel and pressure plate. Once the clutch is disengaged, you can shift the gears of the transmission safely. REMEDY: Tigh ten t o spec. Tighten the locknut. If you look in the engine bay, there will most likely be two hydraulic units - one for the brakes, and one for the clutch. Clutch cable is loose or broken. Clutch slipping simply means when your clutch is engaging and disengaging and no power is delivered to the wheels and as a result, the car will not move forward. If these vacuum lines were to leak, it would lead to a much firmer clutch pedal feel. Clutch Pedal Falls to Floor - No More! It uses dual clutch transmission fluid and the only fluids I’ve found so far that meet Ford’s specs are Motorcraft DCTF and Motul DCTF. If the spring pressure is not great enough, or the clearance between all the parts is too great, there won't be enough friction to transmit the power from the motor to the transmission. Make sure the clutch has been bled and the clutch pedal is properly adjusted. Archive View Return to standard view. Since you have the high performance version of a normal Focus, you likely have a stronger clutch plate to handle the extra horsepower. Hi I have just purchased a 2017 ford focus st3 when I drive I find the clutch a bit harder than normal to operate. Free Pedal Play. Hi, After i drive my Hyundai i20 for one hour, all of a sudden clutch starts becoming stiff and eventually, it will become so stiff that i cannot change the gear at all. Open the clutch fluid resivoior then have a freind pump the clutch pedal and put new fluid in accordingly. A bad throwout bearing can be a major headache in stop and go traffic, making horrible noises every time the clutch pedal is depressed. Should I have this checked out by the local ford dealer. I'll be picking it up next week and I've been given a standard Grande Punto Abarth, which I have to say is a fantastic car! Tighten the locknut. Even a replacement clutch shouldn't make a noise. This creates the necessary force to disengage the clutch on demand. The sudden onset of a slipping clutch usually indicates that an oil leak, or something else has contaminated the friction surfaces. Put on a headband flashlight and turn it on. There are several different ways that the clutch on a manual transmission equipped car can go wrong, but it is a simple mechanical system, or hydraulic/mechanical, and not hard to understand. If no leak, I’d guess the throwout bearing. 2. If you’re looking at a used vehicle with a heavy clutch, this may be one thing to ask the owner about before you decide to purchase the vehicle. But if the clutch cable is stretched too much or broken, then you will have to press down harder on the clutch pedal to disengage the clutch. Is there fluid leaking underneath? Browse Recommended Tools & Supplies For This Build. Any advice? Once you understand what the parts are, and how they interact, finding and fixing the problem should be easy. It happened twice then I had to use the accelerator to give it some power. What Causes Clutch pedal to stay down? The clutch pedal sticking, vibrating or appearing to feel spongey or loose. At the moment it's still stock and I'm just a little over 90K on the car. Clutch Failure Symptom 5: Clutch Pedal Feels Loose or Spongey. You could damage the clutch, the clutch fork, or the transmission. If your clutch pedal feels all loose-and-goosey, its freeplay is probably out of adjustment. Otherwise, it could damage the pedal or prevent you from disengaging the clutch. My Mazda BT 50 ..4WD from 2011 the clutch pedal has always been relatively hard to push down ( I didn’t realise as had old Landriver Defender prior). This pedal free-play ensures that when you release the pedal, the clutch disk is fully engaged. It’s normally caused by a leak of the clutch fluid which makes it difficult for it to maintain contact and effectively disengage the clutch. Into troubleshooting, verify that your clutch pedal feel inability to engage unevenly, placing an unbalanced on! Can check is the clutch pivot ball were to leak, or something else has contaminated the friction.. Changed the master cylinder n't make a noise left of the pressure-plate spring! 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