Clutch sticks after coming off the motorway.

[Yomamaisasnowblower]

Looking for some advice please. Ford S Max, 2008 2.0tdci 170k. Odd issue with the clutch, ok around town but do a long journey, and the clutch will stick to the floor when trying to change down coming off the slip road. Can hook it up with my right foot again and then it is possible to operate but feels a bit spongy/creaky till you turn the car off and give it 10 minutes.

Anyone have an idea? Guessing it might be the master cylinder but confused as to why it only occurs after a longish drive. Thanks!

Thanks!

[President Merkin]

Might be tempted to consider the slave cylinder. Sat by a hot gearbox, much more subject to heating & cooling cycles.

[aterribleusername]

Could be the fluid is old and full of water. It'll be shared with the brakes but almost every time I've had a garage to a brake fluid change they never bleed the clutch circuit. My old Fiesta (2005) had the same issue and a 5 minute bleed solved it immediately, the garage I used at the time wanted to stick another clutch and master cylinder in it despite them both being 6 months old after a warranty gearbox had been fitted. Lasted another 70k with regular fluid changes when I did the brakes.

[Yomamaisasnowblower]

Thanks - tempted to have the clutch bled. If it is the slave, apparently it sits in inside the bell housing for the clutch and dmf so I'll need to change those and will of course get my pants pulled down in the process.

[Kawasicki]

Clutch sticks, not at straws.

[Yomamaisasnowblower]

Kawasicki said:

Clutch sticks, not at straws.

Care to explain?

[Kawasicki]

Yomamaisasnowblower said:

Kawasicki said:

Clutch sticks, not at straws.

Care to explain?

Just change the master and söave cylinders. One of them is on the way out. My car started to do the same on very hot days. Then one day it stayed down and wouldn’t come up again, no matter what I did. It was a fair bit of hassle and cost to get the car home. Our cars are the same mileage.

Sometimes it makes sense to fix a developing problem before it develops further, as it is cheaper that way.

[President Merkin]

Would certainly bleed the clutch first, assuming there's no obvious fault. It's the quick & easy option before you fire the parts cannon at the car.

[Yomamaisasnowblower]

Kawasicki said:

Yomamaisasnowblower said:

Kawasicki said:

Clutch sticks, not at straws.

Care to explain?

Just change the master and söave cylinders. One of them is on the way out. My car started to do the same on very hot days. Then one day it stayed down and wouldn’t come up again, no matter what I did. It was a fair bit of hassle and cost to get the car home. Our cars are the same mileage.

Sometimes it makes sense to fix a developing problem before it develops further, as it is cheaper that way.

Interesting - you have the same car? Can you change the slave that easily? From what I've read, you need to basically open up the area housing the clutch and getting to that isn't easy and costly and maybe not worth repairing given the value of the car...

[LeftLake]

Yomamaisasnowblower said:

Interesting - you have the same car? Can you change the slave that easily? From what I've read, you need to basically open up the area housing the clutch and getting to that isn't easy and costly and maybe not worth repairing given the value of the car...

Yep, I'd say if you are going as far as doing the slave then you might as well fit a whole clutch kit. Especially if you are going to be paying someone to do this for you. It's not a cheap job, especially for a car with that number of miles, but most of that cost is in the labour hours. If you are able to do the job yourself, or if you have a mechanically minded friend that can help out it'll save you a fair bit of money.

As others have said, worth bleeding the clutch first though.