Clutch issuese

[kaotik009]

Ok everyone. As usual Im new. Anyhow I purchased a 00 Nissan Maxima 2 weeks ago... This cars seemed great when I test drove it and until about 7 days later the clutch started to slip. I took it back and they said slave cylinder etc was good, so they think its the clutch so they go to replace it, but the clutch thats in it is brand new. So Im guessing it wasnt engaging all the way. Anyhow they had it for a week and replaced the clutch kit anyways. Well I got it back thursday and it seemed fine except that the clutch would catch about 1/4 or 1/2 inch away from the floor. Yesterday I went to lunch on break and the pedal got stuck to the floor and wouldnt retract. The fluid was empty. I called the dealership mechanic and he came out and bleed the system and had me drive it to the shop. He said the slave cylinder went out. Replaced it seemed fine. I get halfway home and the pedal started to stick a little bit again but not bad. It was leaking fluid again but from the slave cylinder. I checked the bleeder screw and it was loose. Anyhow whe he bleed it.. he did it like 4-5 times and the clutch caught as soon as i started to let off the pedal, is this right? I rebleed the system myself about 15 times until the fluid would squirt out and it wasnt foam looking anymore. The clutch would grab about 2-3 inches from the floor and now today its grabbing about 4-5 inches away but the fluid level is still full. Should I bleed it some more? I read on the forum somewhere about using a seringe or whatever and there are two spots to bleed it at. Wheres the other bleeding screw and this seringe deal? Help is much appreciated, thanks

[robo_geek]

if the tech didn't remember to tighten the bleed screw, he sure as heck did not do the free-play adjustment.

Once you're sure the hydraulics are air-free and not leaking, then the pedal free-play may be waay off. Make sure they tightened the lock nut!

[kaotik009]

Actually I think this mechanic is a full of **** and dont know what he is doing. Now today, later on... the pedal height was getting higher higher and higher. There was almost about 1-2 inches left of the pedal when the clutch engaged. Which this is what it did in the first place to begin with. It also started to slip, in all gears. So I luckly I was near by the dealership and I stopped by and he was there. I told him about it and he asks if I am holding the clutch down just a little at all since it would cause it not to be fully engaged and make the clutch hot and slip. I told him no but he seemed to not believed it was sliping. So he went to drive it and didn't even make it out of the parking lot, came back and said yeah this isn't right. Anyhow... on the slave cylinder theres this metal/copper looking type rod deal that goes into the rubber boot on the slave cylinder maybe 3-4 inches long that presses against the clutch arm thing that goes into the transmission. Im not sure what this is called but hopefully you all will know. Anyhow he had me push the clutch in and out, put it in gear and let it out then neutral. He said that it wasn't fully engaging and that rod type deal in the slave cylinder was too long and wouldn't let it engage all the way which made the clutch hot and start slipping. So he cut maybe a inch off that rod thing and put it back in and the clutch started to pull about 2 inches from the floor now... Since then I have drove the hell out of it trying to make it slip (without dumping the clutch) like doing 30mph and put it in 5th gear and floored it.... and would't slip... I tacked it to 6 1/2 through 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears and I couldn't to get it to slip. It seems as it fixed the problem but yet this way doesn't seem legit. I think it's just a quick fix rig and I want it done the right way. Any suggestions as to what to look for or at?

Heres the new parts that hes put on it... new slave cylinder, new clutch, pressure plat and throw-out bearing and new clutch line. He said if theres problems with it still that the only thing he can think of is the master cylinder but he said it looked brand new. Please help anyone because I put $3,300 down on this car and owe $3,000 more and $600 for labor and parts and I can't get my money back or anything

[A.Tech]

There is still air in the buffer lines. Now this applies to Gen4 maxis so I don't know if this is on yours.

The way to fix it is... On the Gen4. Bleed the upper Master Cyl buffer lines and see what that does. You also should adjust the clutches freeplay too see if that is causing an issue. I am not sure how easy it is for you to adjust it on a gen5 but I would assume it is the same thing. When you adjust the freeplay (Not the pedal height) the clutch will engage at certain pressures or in other words a different distance away from the pressure plate itself. Chances are you just need an upper bleed in the buffer lines and you just need to adjust the pedal. If all else fails I would go ahead and just replace the clutch Master Cly as that may have a tiny leak in it. Also keep in mind that clutch systems are a lot more finicky then brakes are. Bubbles are a lot more prone to getting tinier and causing more issues then a brake system would cause because it is a much smaller system. So bleed away some more. Also make sure you are bleeding it correctly. The bleed tube must not see air. And it is normal for the clutch to hit the floor completely when you are in the process of bleeding and your supposed to grab it with you're foot.

Hope this helps. =]

[Torgus]

assuming they replaced all the parts for free you got a decent deal. and the mechanic sounds like an idiot.

wit

Ok everyone. As usual Im new. Anyhow I purchased a 00 Nissan Maxima 2 weeks ago... This cars seemed great when I test drove it and until about 7 days later the clutch started to slip. I took it back and they said slave cylinder etc was good, so they think its the clutch so they go to replace it, but the clutch thats in it is brand new. So Im guessing it wasnt engaging all the way. Anyhow they had it for a week and replaced the clutch kit anyways. Well I got it back thursday and it seemed fine except that the clutch would catch about 1/4 or 1/2 inch away from the floor. Yesterday I went to lunch on break and the pedal got stuck to the floor and wouldnt retract. The fluid was empty. I called the dealership mechanic and he came out and bleed the system and had me drive it to the shop. He said the slave cylinder went out. Replaced it seemed fine. I get halfway home and the pedal started to stick a little bit again but not bad. It was leaking fluid again but from the slave cylinder. I checked the bleeder screw and it was loose. Anyhow whe he bleed it.. he did it like 4-5 times and the clutch caught as soon as i started to let off the pedal, is this right? I rebleed the system myself about 15 times until the fluid would squirt out and it wasnt foam looking anymore. The clutch would grab about 2-3 inches from the floor and now today its grabbing about 4-5 inches away but the fluid level is still full. Should I bleed it some more? I read on the forum somewhere about using a seringe or whatever and there are two spots to bleed it at. Wheres the other bleeding screw and this seringe deal? Help is much appreciated, thanks

[kaotik009]

Ok. guys sorry I havent replied... Anyhow after that rod in the slave cylinder he cut, it worked fine. The next day which was on Sunday the fluid leaked out again. I filled it up and it wouldn't hold anything after I pumped it about 4-5 times, reservoir empty. Yesterday the carlot came and got it and looked at it. Their other mechanic "the big mechanic" said that the rod was too short causing the piston in the slave cylinder to come out too far and stuck. He replaced it with the correct one. I got it back, drove it and clutched grabbed at about 2 inches from the floor. Did fine all that day. Today on the way home from work, the clutch was grabbing about half way and about the time I got home the clutch was grabbing at the top and slipping again. I let it sit for about 15 mins and went to drive it but it would barely pull in 1st it slipped so bad also, the clutch pedal seemed more difficult to press in and when I let out it seemed that it had alot of pressure on the pedal coming up. I found out you also need to bleed it at the clutch reservoir so I did. I did this about an hour after it has sit. I drove it and seemed fine, no problems. I meant to drive it before I bled it at the reservoir but didn't. So I don't know if the clutch is getting hot some how and making it slip, or if there was still air in the line or theres air getting in the line...?

[kaotik009]

There is still air in the buffer lines. Now this applies to Gen4 maxis so I don't know if this is on yours.

The way to fix it is... On the Gen4. Bleed the upper Master Cyl buffer lines and see what that does. You also should adjust the clutches freeplay too see if that is causing an issue. I am not sure how easy it is for you to adjust it on a gen5 but I would assume it is the same thing. When you adjust the freeplay (Not the pedal height) the clutch will engage at certain pressures or in other words a different distance away from the pressure plate itself. Chances are you just need an upper bleed in the buffer lines and you just need to adjust the pedal. If all else fails I would go ahead and just replace the clutch Master Cly as that may have a tiny leak in it. Also keep in mind that clutch systems are a lot more finicky then brakes are. Bubbles are a lot more prone to getting tinier and causing more issues then a brake system would cause because it is a much smaller system. So bleed away some more. Also make sure you are bleeding it correctly. The bleed tube must not see air. And it is normal for the clutch to hit the floor completely when you are in the process of bleeding and your supposed to grab it with you're foot.

Hope this helps. =]

Ok man. I think I am bleeding it correctly. I haven't rebled it since I found out about the top part. Anyhow if I'm wrong let me know. They way I would bleed it (before even knowing about the bleeder valve on the reservoir) I would have some one hold the clutch in. Un loosen the bleeder valve on the slave cylinder for about 2 seconds and tighten it up. Have the other person pull the pedal up as it gets stuck. Pump it 10 times to let it build pressure. Hold the clutch, loosen the valve for 2 seconds and tighten. Fill the reservoir as needed. I would do this about 15 times or until the fluid instead of coming out bubble or foam like, for it to squirt out and solid... Not foam looking. Tomorrow I'm going to bleed the whole system myself... so what process should I take? SHould I bleed the top valve next to the firewall first? How many times, to be safe? 50 times? I've read around it takes a looongg time to bleed it right. Then do the one next to the slave cylinder? How many times? 50? Or vice versa.... slave cylinder then the one next to the firewall?