Urgent clutch advice please!!!

[notax]

Damn car has broken down again - in the 2 months I've owned her called AA five times... Whilst driving today it occasionally became difficult to select gears. Parked up and when I went to drive home clutch felt very light and I couldn't select any gears. Is clutch hydraulic? Is it likely to have a leak? If so please let me know if I need a specific type of clutch fluid and where I should put it! Even if it has a leak I hope I'd be able to make it to a garage to save calling AA yet again. Thanks!

[GreenV8S]

It's hydraulic. It may have an internal or external leak caused by a failed seal. The problem may be that a seal has totally failed, or just that you have run out of fluid due to a slow leak. If it's just a slow leak there's a good chance that topping it up and keeping it topped up will get you going temporarily. Obviously you need to get the problem fixed in any case. The fluid you need is 'clutch fluid', which is the same as ordinary brake fluid. There should be an inspection hatch on the wing which gives you access to the reservoir.

[notax]

Thanks for your help (as ever!) I'll fill her up tomorrow and see how I get on - real nuisance as I was hoping to meet up with a convoy of Tamoras at 7.15 tomorrow morning - at least I get to spend a bit longer in bed now...

[davhughes]

Take a look in the foot well. Clutch fluid (depending on fault) will end up down there!

Good luck!

[Mellor]

Could be as simple as topping it up, if there is still some evidence of fluid in the reservoir. If you top it up and then see if you can select gears, if you can't try pumping the clutch a few times. It may just need bleeding.

It could be a leak, but it also could be just neglect and it hasn't been topped up for an age. Worth trying a top up and monitoring the fluid level.

[notax]

Thanks for all your advice - turned out to be a knackered master cylinder. At garage being fixed - hoping it won't be too expensive.