jdmstyleg

well heres the story
car ran out of clutch fluid
put new fluid
and the pedal stays sunken

drained all the fluid
and poured fresh fluid and still wont pump

please helpppppppp

Former User

What year? You either need to bleed the system or the master or slave cylinder is bad.

Nbboy7

iTrader: (5)

bleed the clutch

worlds-slowest-EG

Bleed It!



Step 1 Raise and support the front of the vehicle with jack stands. Check the clutch reservoir and make sure it is full of fluid. Loosen the bleeder screw on the slave cylinder and let it gravity-bleed to start with. When it has a steady drip, close the bleeder screw.

Step 2 Push the clutch in and out several times and feel the pressure. If the clutch feels good start the car and see if it will go into gear. If it does, it is finished. If it does not go into gear, then a helper is needed to push the clutch.

Step 3 Fill the clutch reservoir as needed and loosen the bleeder screw once more. Have the helper push the clutch down one time to the floor and do not let it up until he is told to do so. Once he says the clutch is to the floor, close the bleeder screw. Have the helper pump the pedal five or six times and leave it all the way up.

Step 4 Repeat Step 3. If the pedal is left up with the bleeder open, it will suck in air and complicate things. Do this several times, checking the fluid level in between until the clutch goes properly into gear and all the air is exhausted.

Former User

The master cylinder reservoir was empty, so the fluid must have leaked out somewhere. The OP must first search for the source of the leak and fix it before bleeding the system. If there is a leak on the firewall or cabin side of the master cylinder or from the slave cylinder, then those items must be replaced.

gen_x_dad

Ron makes a good point. The pedal piston under the dash is a common area of leaks as well as at the slave cylinder.

If you cannot find a leak anywhere in the system, then bleeding is your next step. On an otherwise leak-free system, this is a common problem which most people mistake for a malfunctioning clutch component, and is also the easiest and cheapest step to eliminate in your troubleshooting.

While world's slowest is on the right track as far as bleeding, the method we use at the dealership is different in some ways. Bleeding a clutch is normally done in the same fashion as brakes if you do it manually with someone helping you. Have your friend operate the clutch pedal by hand (it will not spring back to the return position on it's own when the system is void of fluid) and do the following:

1. Fill the reservoir and ensure it remains above halfway throught the bleed procedure or you will be bleeding all over again.
2. With the bleeder screw closed, have your assistant pump the pedal several time to suck fluid into the lines. You may drain the reservoir a great deal at this step so once again ensure it remains topped up after this step.
3. Tell your friend to pull the pedal up and keep it pulled up while ensuring the bleeder screw is fully closed
4. Next, have him/her push the pedal down while you simultaneously open the bleeder screw. Instruct them to keep it pressed down until you say to pull it back up.
5. Close the bleeder screw and have him/her pull the pedal back up
6. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you get a steady stream of fluid with no bubbles coming from the bleeder screw when he/she pushes the pedal down

This is the same process we use at the dealership on any cars which need the system bled or have the clutch master cylinder or slave cylinder replaced. You do not need to put the vehicle on stands to do this, it can be done in your driveway or wherever, so long as you have something to catch the fluid. I like to use a length of clear tubing on the bleeder screw to direct the expelled fluid into a catch pan. This keeps it from spraying onto your radiator and the splash guards under your bumper and/or engine. Any that does get on your car, simply flush thoroughly with water.

worlds-slowest-EG

would have been more informative but i'm a little lazy right now (i didn't even read my post)

Yay for cut and paste!

gen_x_dad

No worries man

jdmstyleg

thanks alot guys
will be trying this again right now

jdmstyleg

tried it
still cant get the clutch to pump

gen_x_dad

It does take a while to bleed all the air out. I know a tech in the shop worked one for a quite a bit before he got a pedal to come up.

Assuming you've checked for leaks and found none and bled the system properly, you should have a good pedal after bleeding. If not, your clutch master cylinder could be bypassing itself internally.

chapagetti

hey idk if this thread helped the OP, but it sure helped me out! lmao thanks fellaz!