lewisjd95

300 miles ago I had my clutch replaced.

Today while driving in traffic I heard a noise from the car and from then on, my clutch pedal felt soft.

There is no resistance at all until I have pressed the pedal about half way to the floor.

The clutch engages fine in all gears, but what has actually happened that's made my pedal lose it's resistance?
Will this cause bigger problems in the near future? And if so, what do I need to get repaired?

Thanks in advance!

lewisjd95

Makes sense considering my 8 is at 61000 miles...

How much am I looking at for a repair then?

Anybody recommend a particular place to buy the pedal from?

Thanks again

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

If you are within 8yrs of the car's first purchase, then go get a free one from a dealer, it's got an extended warranty due to the problems.

Otherwise buy a new one from Mazmart, a superior welded one from BHR, or have yours re-welded.

lewisjd95

Its a 2004 model so I won't be covered by the 8year/100k warranty, sadly.

Before I go about spending money... does it definitely sound like the clutch pedal has broken? Is there any possibility that the problem is some other aspect of the clutch?

I apologise for my ignorance; you guys always seem to know exactly what the problem is so I'd just like to make sure you are all completely certain before I spend money.

Also, if I don't repair this any time soon (due to not having a lot of money too spend on car repairs at the moment) will any other problems occur from this pedal problem? Or will I simply have to just deal with the soft pedal?


Sorry for the massive post

I appreciate all of the help, thanks!

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Yes, it sounds like it's broken, but it's easy to check. Open the driver's door, sit on the ground next to the driver's seat and lean forward. Move the clutch pedal by hand and look at the motion of everything look for broken welds, twisting, etc... Even if we are certain, it's a good practice to test anyway, just to make sure that we aren't misdiagnosing based on a misunderstanding somewhere.

You definitely don't want to drive if it's busted. Get it fixed first.

lewisjd95

Just went out and did as you said. I've attached some photos of the clutch pedal without it being depressed (it was nearly impossible to take the photos while depressing the clutch)

I'll have another look tomorrow when its light outside, its pretty dark out right now

Can you see any problems in the 3 photos I've taken? Sorry for the poor quality - I was in total darkness even with the interior lights being on, and had to completely guess and aim my camera until the flash came on when taking the photos.

Thanks again man

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, the pictures don't show anything useful. It's the motion of the mechanism and base plate that is important.

The pedal should move in and out smoothly, without any dramatic pressure changes, without being able to flex to the left or right more than a few millimeters, and the motion up and down should remain entirely within 1 plane of motion, it shouldn't twist or rotate or move sideways on it's way down.

lewisjd95

Okay I'll sit in the car tomorrow and see if the movement of the pedal is as you describe (using my foot, not my hand)

Is it normal for there to be little to no resistance until the pedal is about half way depressed?

My clutch pedal comes back up fine when I remove my foot from it; it just feels very soft when I depress it fully.

I just hope this isn't going to cost me too much in repairs

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

I recommend using your hand, because you can look up and see what the base is doing at the same time, and your hand will be able to detect twisting and deflection far better than your foot.

No, it should be a slowly increasing ramp of force from about 1/2 an inch from fully up to just before the floor, where it will get a bit easier right off the floor. I think this thread is evidence that you know what it should feel like, and you are feeling something wrong