clutch stuck open then fine???

hey everyone, tricky one here! i got a call at work today with the missus saying the clutch has gone!! the terror! my heart dropped as the s3 is our only car atm and we have had a run of bad luck lately! apparently she could slip it into any gear fine but had no drive, she even stopped with it in gear and the no foot on the clutch!? no clutch smell!?

i was at work and she was near our local mechanic, he came to toe her and my 6 month old son the 5 min home then realised i had no toe eye, to be fair even if i did the fmic piping is in the way! so her jumped in to drive it back an its fine!!??

could the clutch have got some crud in it and stuck open or are we looking at a more common symptom here like master or slave cylinder??? she says she is pretty sure the pedal was moving right back to the top but not 100%.

car seems totally normal rolling up and down the drive and has a good bite when i pull the handbrake and slip the clutch???

common problem??

cheers vagslag thats alot better than clutch, it had one in 2011! i took it out and it ran fine, we have no mats in the car, i wondered about a possible clutch pedal breakage beginning after reading a few posts.. advised the missus to cut out any un important journeys and to stay of the dual carriageways until it eventually breaks or i can get to the bottom of it... any way to test the master cylinder? how does it work, im not familiar with the workings?? is it a diaphragm and vacuum?

ok so it done it again, again while the missus was driving! this time though she said the pedal went loose then came back with a few pumps?
i guess it must me dodgy slave or master cylinder then? master cylinder hopefully!!!

cheers again mate, i was under the impression the slave was inside the bell housing?? ive actually no clue about the hydraulic clutches on these, the master in the footwell? ive ordered a master cylinder now so im gonna learn abit more about the s3..... yay (sarcasm lol)

so far ive had the turbo off to be repaired, fitted the mods in my sig, replaced a caliper and bled the system, sai delete, power steering pump, alternator, cts, thermostate, wireing probs, dropped door, repaired my alcantara, all in just over a year... the joys of a high mileage car eh!-)

like this.... fun!-)