[s-cars] Clutch pedal won't come back out

[Tom Green]

Good advice here, Tim.

You certainly want to check the brake fluid level since you don't
want to be without clutch and brakes.  If it is a leak, master leaking
on your foot or carpet or slave running down transmission side, but
not too bad, minimize clutch use and nurse it home.  You should get
a brake light before you run out of fluid.  Many just fail internally so
you lose no fluid.  If there is a helpful brake shop on the road, a low
pressure bleed (10 psi) to flush may help if you can't manage otherwise,
but I wouldn't expect much, and would only consider it as a last resort
to get home.

The replacements are available as aftermarket parts of good quality
at a fraction of dealer cost.  It is a DIY job of some difficulty and  
a job
you want to do at home, so nurse it home if at all possible.

This is a one time job for both car and driver, so most of the  
replacements
are first time jobs.  You should find lots of helpful hints in the  
audifans
knowledge base and email archives.  A thorough job would be to replace
both and then pressure bleed the system.  Flush the brakes while you are
doing it.  The slave cylinder may look impossible, but it is the  
easiest of the
two.  The master link is attached to the clutch pedal and the line  
goes through
the firewall, so you can sort of imagine your position during this work.

Tom

-----Original message-----
> Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2007 08:31:04 -0400
> From: David Kase <davekase at pdqlocks.com>
> Subject: Re: [s-cars] Clutch pedal won't come back out
> To: tr0910 <tr0910 at gmail.com>
> Cc: s-car-list List <s-car-list at audifans.com>
> Message-ID: <4683AA08.2000107 at pdqlocks.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> Yep, sounds like master or slave cylinder.  I believe the slave is the
> more common failure.
>
> Not dealer only but you may need to find an import auto parts dealer,
> not just a discount chain.
>
> Make sure there is fluid in there.  You may be able to get a couple
> "clutches" out of it if you fill it up.
>
> 600 miles?  If its highway, I would try to fill the reservoir, pump  
> the
> clutch and get it going in 5th.  Then just drive accordingly.  Fix it
> home tomorrow.
>
> I personally have no idea how hard it is to get to the slave  
> cylinder on
> the Ur but I bet its a bitch in a parking lot.
>
> Wait for some more Ur specific advise from the list.
>
> Dave Kase
>
>
>
> tr0910 wrote:
>
>> It started to behave like a mechanical linkage problem but once I
>> looked at it, master or slave cylinder seems likely.  Reverse gear is
>> the worst.  Since you rarely let the clutch completely out, it fails
>> every time.  Shifting other gears may work.
>>
>> Are master / slave cylinder a dealer only part?
>>
>> How big a job is the replacement as a do it yourself project?
>>
>> Tim (600 mi from home and hoping to be home tonight)
>>
>> (thank goodness for cell phones with list access)
>>
>> On 6/27/07, tr0910 <tr0910 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Clutch has started misbehaving.  Push the clutch into the floor,  
>>> and it
>>> stays there.  Won't come back out.  Finally figured out if your  
>>> pull it back
>>> out with your toe, that it heals itself.
>>>
>>> Is this a known issue?
>>>
>>> Tim
>>> 93 S4 170K (clutch replaced at 90K)
>