Soft clutch problem with 2013 Seat Ibiza
Discussion
Hi all,
A few weeks ago when I got back from holiday, I started up my car and the clutch was extremely soft. The pedal was nearly at the ground, and at the time I figured maybe it was just that I wasn’t used to driving after being away for a few days, but eventually it became clear there was a definite issue.
I brought it to a garage I had not used before to get it diagnosed (as my normal garage was full), and left it with them all day, and by the end of the day they said it was sorted. I went there later to pick it up, and it wasn’t. Clutch was just as soft as before, but I thought I’d give them the benefit of the doubt and give it a day or so to see if it’d sort itself. My guess is they didn’t give themselves enough time to actually test the car properly by driving it. Next day it was just the same, so I called up to get it looked at again. Left it there for another day and night, to which I then picked it up with the clutch feeling quite a bit better.
From what they told me, there were no fluid leaks anywhere in the car from the clutch hydraulics, nor could I smell or see any. I had also brought it to another garage previously who mentioned it could be a leak in the hydraulics, however as there is no fluid escaping into my car, it can only be air getting into the hydraulics somehow?
At this stage it was perfectly driveable, however I was noticing that in the mornings (especially cold ones), the clutch was still as soft as before. The problem would quickly sort itself within a few minutes of driving and pumping the clutch however. Obviously at this stage there was still an issue with the car, but I couldn’t feel it getting particularly worse. In my simple mind I thought they had maybe solved the issue, but there was still a little air left in the hydraulics which needed to be bled.
So I had the clutch hydraulics bled at my normal garage, and now the problem seems to be even worse! I’m not sure how bleeding it could make it worse, unless if in the process some of the fluid was lost and not replaced? Furthermore how can air be getting in the hydraulics, but fluid not be escaping?
Please could anyone help me in diagnosing my issue?
A few weeks ago when I got back from holiday, I started up my car and the clutch was extremely soft. The pedal was nearly at the ground, and at the time I figured maybe it was just that I wasn’t used to driving after being away for a few days, but eventually it became clear there was a definite issue.
I brought it to a garage I had not used before to get it diagnosed (as my normal garage was full), and left it with them all day, and by the end of the day they said it was sorted. I went there later to pick it up, and it wasn’t. Clutch was just as soft as before, but I thought I’d give them the benefit of the doubt and give it a day or so to see if it’d sort itself. My guess is they didn’t give themselves enough time to actually test the car properly by driving it. Next day it was just the same, so I called up to get it looked at again. Left it there for another day and night, to which I then picked it up with the clutch feeling quite a bit better.
From what they told me, there were no fluid leaks anywhere in the car from the clutch hydraulics, nor could I smell or see any. I had also brought it to another garage previously who mentioned it could be a leak in the hydraulics, however as there is no fluid escaping into my car, it can only be air getting into the hydraulics somehow?
At this stage it was perfectly driveable, however I was noticing that in the mornings (especially cold ones), the clutch was still as soft as before. The problem would quickly sort itself within a few minutes of driving and pumping the clutch however. Obviously at this stage there was still an issue with the car, but I couldn’t feel it getting particularly worse. In my simple mind I thought they had maybe solved the issue, but there was still a little air left in the hydraulics which needed to be bled.
So I had the clutch hydraulics bled at my normal garage, and now the problem seems to be even worse! I’m not sure how bleeding it could make it worse, unless if in the process some of the fluid was lost and not replaced? Furthermore how can air be getting in the hydraulics, but fluid not be escaping?
Please could anyone help me in diagnosing my issue?
Thanks. I've had a few other people on another forum mention that it could be a leak within the actual master cylinder itself.
If I wanted to replace the part myself, would this be much work? I've not done a whole lot in terms of auto repair but can be pretty handy if I put my mind to it. Or should I just play it safe and get it done by a professional?
Thanks!
If I wanted to replace the part myself, would this be much work? I've not done a whole lot in terms of auto repair but can be pretty handy if I put my mind to it. Or should I just play it safe and get it done by a professional?
Thanks!
No worries!
Yes the seal can degrade and it draws air in as you release the clutch.
The difficulty of the job really depends on the car, some are easy to get to and other are buried under a mess of other components. Either way master cylinders in general can be a pig to bleed from dry, although you're unlikely to notice the odd little bit of air still in the system as you would do with the brakes.
I'd say have a look and decide for yourself based on how hard it is to get to and your confidence level.
Yes the seal can degrade and it draws air in as you release the clutch.
The difficulty of the job really depends on the car, some are easy to get to and other are buried under a mess of other components. Either way master cylinders in general can be a pig to bleed from dry, although you're unlikely to notice the odd little bit of air still in the system as you would do with the brakes.
I'd say have a look and decide for yourself based on how hard it is to get to and your confidence level.
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