In DESPERATE need of help! Clutch problems!

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ICEE

Member
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03 Protege5 / 90 Miata
OK, so this morning i took the car out to get breakfast and i noticed the car felt a little weird during taking off and shifting. the clutch engage/disengage points seemed off. before long, i pushed the clutch in and it went all the way to the floor and stayed there. At the point i knew for sure something was wrong. i can tell the clutch isn't fully disengaged when i push it because while the clutch is all the way to the floor, if i am in gear, the car still nudges forward and wants to die if Im not moving enough (obviously not safe) . I've done a little research and i found the i should look at the master and slave cylinders before assuming something is wrong with the clutch (which was my initial thought).

Is there anything else i should be looking at? Are there any particular brands or site i should look at for the parts? I plan on doing this myself really soon considering i have two jobs and i need my car. i really don't have the cash to pay someone else anyway so if there are any tips anyone could give, or things i should look out for or do, i would greatly appreciate it!

thanks in advance for all the help!
 
Is the pedal staying on the floor? I had that happen to me in my Accord a few years back. Turned out my clutch cable had snapped. If it is your master or slave though, rock auto is probably the best place to look for cheaper replacements. You can also cross reference the parts you find on there with Amazon for cheaper shipping if you have prime. Good luck!
 
Check your brake master cylinder, thats where the clutch pulls fluid from. Is there any resistance to pushing the clutch in? I'm almost wondering if you have a tiny leak somewhere and the fluid finally got low enough to cause the clutch not to disengage. But that would be my first place to start, then go from there
 
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Taco Cat: they clutch stays on the floor sometimes but it also come back up sometimes. but something is definitely wrong because of how the engagement points feel.

00protegees: yea there is but not as much as before. and would i be able to see this leak on the floor? because i checked and i couldnt find anything under the car
 
Is there fluid in the master cylinder? Try bleeding the slave cylinder, crack the bleeder open, put a hose on the bleeder and stick the other end into a half full bottle of brake fluid. Pump the clutch a few times. Close the bleeder. See if you get any pressure.

I am by no means a master mechanic. But make sure the reservoir is full and try bleeding the clutch. I think it's a good place to start. Does the pedal feel rough? Like there is something mechanical keeping the pedal from returning? Or is it just soft and spongey, like there is no pressure to push it back?
 
It's either your master or slave cylinder, or the line.

Slave cylinders tend to leak externally into the dust boot. You'll be able to tell. Master cylinders can leak internally, you won't lose any fluid or have a visible leak, but it still won't hold pressure.

The clutch shares fluid with the brake master. Check the level and look over the clutch cylinders for leaks.

If the cylinders are old, they are inexpensive and not difficult to change, so I would recommend replacing them both.
 
i really appreciate the tip! im going to try bleeding the system tomorrow after work. if that doesn't work ill replace both parts once i get my hands on them. and to answer your question 00protegees, honestly it feels more rough than spongy
 
ok so i tried bleeding the system and all seemed well at first. the fluid was coming out no problem and it got o the point where the fluid was actually clean. i gave the clutch a try and it still had a very low engagement point so i continued to bleed. then the slave completely lost pressure whether it is closed or open and no fluid is coming out anymore when i try to bleed it. i looked at the master and it doesn't seem like its pulling the fluid like it was before. i did this for about an hour and the level remained the same in the master. i did notice the top of the master's cap is cracked and old though. could this be an issue?
 
From your description it sounds like the master is the culprit. But, again, if the slave is just as old, replace it too. It's very cheap, and you'll be bleeding it anyway.

Brake fluid is hygroscopic and will absorb moisture from the air. Because of this you want the cap to seal. Replace it.
 
I would replace both. It's always best to do both at the same time. The slave is super easy to replace, and the master just requires some tricky maneuvering to fit it back, but shouldn't be too difficult. I checked Rock Auto and I think either the Centric or the AMS slaves would be good. I tried finding some reviews for them, but couldn't find any. I've always used Exedy in the past for my Honda's. As for the master cylinder's, like I said I've used Exedy so I think they might work well for the P5, but I'm also intrigued by the Aimco one. Looks to have an upgraded hose which could be nice, but I'm not sure how accurate the pictures are. Whatever you decide on, just try to find some reviews maybe. Good luck with everything!
 
Thanks for all the advice. i tried building mu own pressure bleeder but the brake fluid kept coming out of from under the master's cap. honestly at this point im gong to just replace both like you guys recommend. Ill let you guys know how everything went once i get the parts in and replaced. Thanks again!

I also wanted to ask, When i replace the master, ill have to bleed the breaks also right? cause they all are connected to the same master and when i replace it air might get in. am i right on that?
 
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ok so i went to the junk yard to see if i could pull a master and slave cylnder and, long story short, i talked to a transmission guy and he said that those aren't parts you want to pull out of a junk yard because the inner pistons go bad from sitting there so long. so i went to Bennet auto, which he recommended, and bought a brand new master and slave. got home that night and put it all in after 2 hours of working in the dark with just a 15w lamp i took off of my desk. Everything seems to be fine now and I'm super happy i got my car back! i still want to flush the system just to make sure its 100% cause i didn't have time to do that but the car drive fine now. I just want to say thanks to everyone that helped out with advice cause i needed it so.....Thanks! now, on to the next task.. the wheel bearings. not sure i can bare that noise anymore >.<
 
MrGiggles said:
They don't just swallow air, if it's got air in the system, there was a failure or problem of some sort.
Click to expand...

I'm assuming this is in reference to my suggestion to try bleeding? I wasnt suggesting bleeding the clutch as a "fix", rather as a diagnostic tool. Its quick, free, and it helped show it wasn't pushing any fluid.

The guy was very right about buying used MC and slave cylinders, glad you went ahead and bought new ones!

Changing wheel bearings sucks (ok not terrible but annoying). Sure makes me appreciate the extra cost to just slap on a whole new hub assembly on my other vehicles.
 
00protegees said:
... Changing wheel bearings sucks (ok not terrible but annoying). Sure makes me appreciate the extra cost to just slap on a whole new hub assembly on my other vehicles.
Click to expand...

Replacing your front wheel bearings can be a HUGE PITA...

Read the related threads before you open up that can of worms...

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123830659-Bearing-Replacement-With-Video
 
Not terrible if you have a press, and a set of 3/4" drive sockets. Of course not many people have either of those laying around, but they can both be bought from Harbor Freight for around 200 bucks.

I like hub bearings, but sometimes they seize and can be a pain in the ass too.
 
To ICEE what brand was the master/slave and the cost if you don't mind sharing? I think I might have an issue with the master and exploring rebuild if I can get parts, or aftermarket.
Thanks!
 
MrGiggles said:
Not terrible if you have a press, ...
Click to expand...

One guy almost exploded a twelve to press...
(he said it went off like gunshot... scared the hell out of him... cool I guess is you like excitement...)

Some mechanics just cut the CV shaft and take the whole knuckle to the machine shop. They include the price of a new CV shaft in their quote... They don't want to deal with as seized axle...
 
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