Clutch stuck!

[matt.v10]

Hi guys,

Cars going to Scott in Jan he suggested a clutch cover has broken (don't know what this is) I just thought I'd mention it here encase anyone else has had something similar.

Car driving beautifully, has a clutch and flywheel that are only a few thousand miles old.
Parked Car up, 5 days later I start car put my foot on the clutch it goes down but I can't select a gear! the pedal returns normally but next press off the clutch there is zero resistance. The pedal is completely soft!
Toed the car to where it is stored and popped it into gear with out clutch and it ran in gear nicely, however you cannot disengage the clutch so car stalls when you come to a stop and then of course you can't select a gear.

Basically the clutch is permanently on. Fluid levels are spot on, no leaks.

weird or what! Anyone have any comments that would be great, I'm intrigued as to what could have happened.


Thanks

Matt

 

[Jamesv6]

A clutch cover Here

 

[matt.v10]

Sounds very much like it.

I just don't get how it can break while parked up!

 

[rustedandrotten]

Bit of damp on plate can cause rust to fuse plate to flywheel and/or cover. Normally it is only one , usual trick to free it off is to put in gear, start and drive, depress clutch pedal and apply brakes at the same time to shock it free. Give it a try before you start stripping down

 

[matt.v10]

Thanks Simon,

I hope that's what it is, I drove back from wales in appalling rain, car was soaked and doesn't go into the garage wet, left out for a week and didn't move it and sure enough the clutch was stuck, I tried all sorts to free it, this weekend I'll give it a try.

Thanks

 

[DaveL485]

I do similar to Simon but without the car moving, clutch pedal down, barkes on, in gear and crank the starter, that will pull the friction plate free.

But you say the pedal went soft, so that suggests a hydraulic issue....a stuck friction plate wont affect hydraulics. Does the pedal still self-return?

 

[matt.v10]

Pedal does return fine!

Tried all the above and more on sat, no joy unfortunately.

 

[rustedandrotten]

Have you checked the hydraulic fluid? if fluid is low and you have picked up air could cause this. Have you checked reservoir for fluid level? Clutch feed is above brakes so if you lose fluid through a fault in the clutch you wont lose brakes. No evidence of fluid on the deck?

 

[matt.v10]

Zero leaking fluid. Levels remain prefect!

 

[Sarria]

Something similar recently happened to my mx5.

The pedal didn't have much resistance and the biting point was all the way down on the floor, sometimes I couldn't engage or disengage gears. Clutch fluid level was OK and no leaks but after an inspection it was found that the slave cylinder was leaking slightly as the seal got worn out, then this was allowing air into the system. It was £13 to replace it and 1 hour labour.

I don't know how the Clio hydraulic system works but must be similar. The thing is that the brake and clutch fluid reservoir is the same in the Clio but the mx5 has two separate ones.

Maybe if someone knows where the slave cylinder is located in the v6 you can have a look.

 

[DaveL485]

If you pump the pedal about 20 times and then try and get a gear with the engine running does that help? Give it a good vigorous pumping. This will compress any air that might be in the system enough to give you a pedal, if it is air in the system.

 

[Jamesv6]

Slave is inside bell housing I think

 

[rustedandrotten]

Slave is indeed inside the bell housing, is not a serviceable item and requires the gearbox to be removed to access it, new slave is £50 to £80 depending where you source it :approve:

 

[DaveL485]

What happened with this one? Interested to know the fault.