clutch problems

my 1st suspect would be the seals in the actuator (slave cylinder)

i believe this is inside the bellhousing on this model

A power bleeder would be ideal , if fluid is ejected from some point it would show under pressure ,

If not available find a way to pressurize the master cylinder,be careful not to allow it to squirt back in your face and keep it under 10 lbs .

I agree your seals may be worn and need replacing and are sucking air but you may have a loose or damaged line .

thank you for your answers they are helpful really thanks, i think i found out the problem though, i need to hold the clutch lighty with my foot so it doesn't get let go all the way is this a bad thing to keep on driving on wed i will fix it

i was just wondering if i can just ajust the clutch peddel itself or should i replace the master as well, what would you do.

once again you have helped a great deal thankyou

thank you for your answers they are helpful really thanks, i think i found out the problem though, i need to hold the clutch lighty with my foot so it doesn't get let go all the way is this a bad thing to keep on driving on wed i will fix it

i was just wondering if i can just ajust the clutch peddel itself or should i replace the master as well, what would you do.

once again you have helped a great deal thankyou

thank you for your answers they are helpful really thanks, i think i found out the problem though, i need to hold the clutch lighty with my foot so it doesn't get let go all the way is this a bad thing to keep on driving on wed i will fix it

i was just wondering if i can just ajust the clutch peddel itself or should i replace the master as well, what would you do.

once again you have helped a great deal thankyou

I'm not familiar with this car but had a similar problem on a truck. Turns out it was never bled right do to the fact that the master cylinder was mounted to the firewall at an angle, trapping the air. We jacked up the back till it was tilted forward slightly then bled it. WARNING ... we had to raise it quite a bit not a good idea without the resources of an automotive shop. Also some systems have to be pressure bled. Special tools required.

Then just replace the master cylinder, the slave cylinder, and the line that runs between them and be done with it.

If the clutch works OK after bleeding and then deteriorates, the clutch 'master cylinder' is defective, allowing air to leak in when you release the clutch pedal. When you let off the pedal, the force on the push rod goes away. The slave cylinder is forced in by the clutch pressure-plate lever and an internal spring then pushes the master cylinder seal spool back to the 'released' position. This last action generates a slight vacuum, and will pull air in if the seals are worn.

There is also supposed to be a spring on the bell housing pulling the clutch release lever off the throwout bearing, also pushing the slave cylinder all the way in. If this pull back spring is weak/missing, that will also encourage air to suck into the slave cylinder when the master cylinder return spring does its thing.

thank you for your answers they are helpful really thanks, i think i found out the problem though, i need to hold the clutch lighty with my foot so it doesn't get let go all the way is this a bad thing to keep on driving on wed i will fix it

i was just wondering if i can just ajust the clutch peddel itself or should i replace the master as well, what would you do.

once again you have helped a great deal thankyou

I do NOT know the car, but I would look for leaks around the master cylinder, the slave cylinder, and the hydraulic lines coupling the two. If air is getting in, hydraulic (brake) fluid is getting out somewhere. Find the leak.

Another thought I had was that some (GM) clutches are not adjustable. You may be due for a new one. I am thinking that the slave cylinder piston might be going beyond it's normal travel thus leaking fluid and letting in air... This is also augmented by "not pushing the pedal to the floor" fixing the problem. Look for fluid in the bottom of the bell housing. At 11 years, there is a dang good chance that the clutch is shot.

I am not a professional mechanic. I am only one with 40+ years servicing my own vehicles... and the above is ideas only.

Good luck

Bill

It sounds like several problems, new seals would fix one of them. Do this first and then see if the problem is fixed. Replace all seals in both master & slave unit.

If the problem still happens, check that the travel of the pedal is correct, not too little or too much, it could be that the release of the pedal (upwards direction) is not quite enough....there should be just enough movement to allow fresh fluid into the system, but no more....or less.

Slave cylinders generally leak fluid to the outside world, a previous post indicated that this is likely to be a faulty master cylinder seal. Get a seal kit or a service-exchange master cylinder, then bleed the system through so the filthy old moisture-saturated stuff is gone.

i just replaced the master cylinder which coasts $200 and thought that the seals leading from the reservoir to the slave would have been to old, and when i got the car back it felt bad right away, and i was right that same problem was still there.

i don't really know what to do i think that i will change the car is it worth just waiting, and fixing the slave or just getting another car, keep in mind i don't have that much money.

last question for anyone, is it bad to ride the clutch just a little so the pressure stays in the hydraulic clutch or should i just have the car sit till i can fix it.

thanks for your help i appreaciate your answers.

Riding the clutch is generally bad as it could cause clutch slipping and an early termination of the clutch.

I sadly assumed that you wanted to do the work yourself as it is one of the easiest and cheapest jobs that a beginner can do on a car.....but I did say replace all seals in both master & slave.....if one set is bad, the other is just 5 minutes away from going bad. Parts are often only a few bucks. Cylinders must be inspected for damage or rust and also cleaned with fresh brake fluid (inside!)

I wonder if your mechanic has a clue what he is doing? How can he give you the car back with the problem unfixed? In Germany he would be out of a job double quick time....

You didn't say when the air sucking (sound) occurs: during clutch or de-clutch? But the fact that you can't find it strongly suggests the out-of-sight slave cylinder--sounds there can be conducted (through the housing and floor pan, and the shifter) but not the visible part. Furthermore, since the clutch circuit should be self-air-purging, with air rising, the only force which could cause sucking in of air would be that of the clutch or slave cylinder return spring...from which air enters the line and then rises towards the fluid reservoir. Have you monitored the fluid reservoir?

yes i have and there is nothing wrong with it i have no fluid leak the weird thing is that when i let go of the clutch when i am driving i bleed the clutch and there is air in a hydraulic system but when i hold the clutch just alittle not so i am riding the clutch but just so i don't let go all the way of the peddle there is no problem, tell me do you know how much of this problem could be caused by the neutrel safty switch if it will not disengage from 1st to 2nd might i need to replace the safety switch, please reply, sorry for the long time i was just testing the car.