Urgent help PLEASE!

[S3_Mitch]

Hi all,

I have been working on my s3 all summer (hybrid) and its due to be mapped at Bills this Friday.

I have been away for the last week and the cars been sat, when I first drove it again I noticed that it was difficult getting into reverse/first and this got progressively worse over the 60miles I drove yesterday. The clutch was not fully disengaging so I assumed that air was in the system and had moved around while the car was sat. I have tried bleeding it and after a slight improvement the pedal now just pushes to the floor and does not return. Nothing happens when the pedal is pressed and throughout the whole bleeding process the level of fluid in the reservoir has not changed at all.

Wtf is going on, if I cant get this sorted in the next two days I honestly don't know what i'll do.

 

[<tuffty/>]

What clutch? I assume it was working fine prior to you going away?... was it one you fitted prior to going away?... trying to work out if you have done anything to the car work wise that could have lead to this issue...

Could be the master cylinder... they do go from time to time

<tuffty/>

 

[S3_Mitch]

CG motorsports stage 3 clutch kit, replaced slave cylinder at time of fitting (fitted when engine was in pieces). Cars done 300 miles no issue, issues only started after i got back from holiday not done anything.. just got in the car and went to reverse and noticed it was hard to get into gear. The real issue has only arised during me trying to bleed it..

 

[Stuart B]

I thought you neednt to jam something under the pedal when you are trying to bleed the clutch don't you?

This below is a faulty master cylinder

http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/clutch-pedal-stuck-down-not-broken-peddle.64389/#post-654777

 

[S3_Mitch]

I'm going to pick up a new master cylinder tomorrow and go from there

 

[S3_Mitch]

I found the issue with bleeding, fluid wasn't getting into the master from the reservoir due to the level being to low despite looking full. I haven't fitted a new master cylinder, i have now bled it and got a pedal back.

the issue is no matter how much i bleed it, it's not good enough and it won't go into gear. Need help urgently..

 

[Stuart B]

when you say "wont go into gear", with the engine switched off can you change gear either with the clutch pedal up or down? you don't need a clutch to engage the gears.

 

[S3_Mitch]

Goes into gear fine with the engine off, clutch in or out. The issue is I only have very little pressure in the clutch, say I force it into gear and lift the clutch 1mm the car will start to pull away so the clutch isn't disengaging fully

 

[S3_Mitch]

All I need is to get it on Bills rollers Friday I don't care whats wrong with it after that.. I've spent the last 4 month spending and working on the car and put in everything I have.. This is such a ridiculous issue to have to mess everything up.

 

[Stuart B]

I'm no expert but it sounds like the slave cylinder isn't moving hence no pressure air or master cylinder? but wouldn't the master cylinder also affect the brakes?

has anyone looked at how much movement there is on the slave cylinder when you press in the clutch?

 

[S3_Mitch]

Can't see the movement cause its in the gearbox, clutch has a separate master cylinder to the brakes and I think i'm going to just fit a new one tomorrow just encase its causing problems.. The issue is air in the system but there doesn't seem to be leaks or bubble coming out when I bleed it

 

[S3_Mitch]

new master cylinder has made no difference, looks like the cars a write off

 

[superkarl]

new master cylinder has made no difference, looks like the cars a write off

Fluid under the car/gearbox?
Have you checked the peddle hasn't snapped?

Both common and likely possibilities before considering the car a write off

 

[S3_Mitch]

Pedal is fine, can't see any leaks.. The pressure on the pedal is the same consistently been bleeding for two days

 

[S3_Mitch]

the clutch pedal feels pretty much normal and you can hear what sounds like the clutch disengaging when you operate it yet with the car on it won't go into any gears. When the car is on the clutch feels pretty soft..

before I first bled it the car drove fine it was just difficult to get into first.. Last night I had it going into higher gears and it would go into reverse with some force.. Now with new master cylinder, no noticeable difference in the pedal from previous situations yet can't get any gears! Why the **** didn't I leave it! could have easily got it mapped how it was.

I just don't know where to go from here, this meant so much just feel like I don't care about anything now.

 

[shaunevo6]

Gearbox out job then to check the pressure plate and slave cylinder

 

[scotty_24]

Brings back memories of my build
Had engine out etc fitted rods and clutch
Car was fine for a week running in, then harder and harder to get into gear and the bite was through the floor.
Bleed he system again, still no good.
Suspect slave cylinder.
Removed gearbox and doing the clutch pressure plate bolts had come loose.
Refitted bolts with lock tight to correct torque, et voila problem fixed.

Wasn't the clutchs fault, human error with torquing the clutch bolts

 

[ayfreetee]

Selector fork in the box may have started to snap it's rivets, common fault on these boxes I believe, did you pressure/vacuum bleed the system, it's really the only way to do it, also did you bleed the brakes too, as they use the same reservoir.

 

[S3_Mitch]

**** sounds like it could be the pressure plate bolts, I used the correct torque but don't remember using locktite. You can hear slave moving and it is quite squeaky.. Tried pressure bleeding etc.

 

[S3_Mitch]

can't see how I'll drop the gearbox again on axle stands in a day.. Don't have a nice concrete floor to lay on this time either, only loose road plainings.

then there is the new gearbox mount bolts and gear oil etc

 

[S3_Mitch]

going to have to let down Bill, RB detailing and non-refundable hotel lol fml

 

[scotty_24]

Goes into gear fine with the engine off, clutch in or out. The issue is I only have very little pressure in the clutch, say I force it into gear and lift the clutch 1mm the car will start to pull away so the clutch isn't disengaging fully

This is exact same as what happened to me. Foot all the way down on the clutch at junctions and the car was still trying to move away as if the clutch hadn't dis engaged.
Progressivley worse to the point where on the way to my mates to get the box out I had to turn the ignition off at junctions, select first and start as i was pulling away. And slide the gears in all the way to his.

We tried bleeding and the first gearchange was fine, and then as soon as we went for second the same fault, clutch bite was far too low and through the floor.

We whipped the box off and put another slave in (bearing in mind the slave was replaced as part of the build). Spanner checked everything and found the clutch bolts (brand new clutch and flywheel bolts from audi) were finger tight.

We came to the conclusion that the bolts has worked their way loose as we 100% remember tightening them.
New clutch bolts AGAIN and torqued correctly with a smidge of lock tite and not one problem in 2 years now. Clutch is awesome and takes a battering on track just fine.

Im not saying this is your issue, but any info helps.

It sounds like something hydraulically is wrong and the action of pressing the clutch somewhere down the line is not moving the slave enough to dis engage the clutch, or the pressure plate isn't moving enough to dis engage from the friction plate.

 

[S3_Mitch]

would loose pressure plate bolts not cause the clutch to not properly engage/slip?

 

[S3_Mitch]

you do describe my exact symptoms and it did get progressively worse the 60miles I drove the day it went wrong..

 

[scotty_24]

would loose pressure plate bolts not cause the clutch to not properly engage/slip?

In my case (if it was loose bolts, could have been a knackered slave but we changed it anyway even though it was brand new) the clutch wouldnt fully dis engage.

you do describe my exact symptoms and it did get progressively worse the 60miles I drove the day it went wrong..

Yep mine was exact same, the week before maping, we have a holy **** moment and decided to make an epic attempt to d the job on the Saturday before we drove to stay at the Travel Lodge hotel near Badger5 on the sunday!


http://workshop-manuals.com/audi/a3.../removing_and_installing_conventional_clutch/

 

[S3_Mitch]

took me two days to do the job last time, think I'm going to have to accept defeat my girlfriend is really ill as well so she doesn't think she would be able to do the journey/s anyway. She's as upset as I am tbh she lost her whole summer with me working on the car and promising it would be done before she goes back to uni (had it on the road the day before she went back).. Then promised we could both go to get it mapped and detailed when she has a few days off.. Wasn't to be I guess.

 

[Stuart B]

These things are sent to test us - you will find it a lot easier to resolve the issues without the time pressures. I remember having to finish changing the clutch slave cylinder the morning of the MOT the day of our holiday in my T25 camper. Today is the autumn equinox maybe something magical will happen.

 

[scotty_24]

If its not meant to be its not meant to be, and if rushed anything can happen.

Bill will understand, these things happen in the motor trade every day. Its out of your control.
Take your time, get it sorted and re book in once shes 100%.

Chin up mate, metal and plastic

 

[S3_Mitch]

Yeah, cheers.. Not easy this game.

 

[S3_Mitch]

Just an update on this, turned out my problem was the same as Scotty described above. I took the car to my mates workshop to use the ramp and we planned to drop the gearbox and replace slave etc. We got to the point where everything was removed from the gearbox (just needed to pull transfer box and remove engine mount)..

We then realised YOU CAN ACCESS THE PRESSURE PLATE BOLTS THROUGH THE HOLE THAT APPEARS WHEN YOU REMOVE STARTER.. We replaced all pressure plate bolts with loctite as they were all loose (as scotty described above).. Put all the stuff back on, re-bled the clutch, tested, sighed with relief. Functioning clutch with good bite point.

A tip to anyone with the symptoms I described, pull starter and check pressure plate bolts. Wish I'd known these could be accessed so easily..

 

[ayfreetee]

Nice one bud, glad it's sorted for you, things are always easier when you know how, all the best for the next time you book up the remap.

 

[S3_Mitch]

Thanks, got just under three weeks till mapping now.. Just a few bits to sort and make sure its ready

 

[scotty_24]

Just an update on this, turned out my problem was the same as Scotty described above. I took the car to my mates workshop to use the ramp and we planned to drop the gearbox and replace slave etc. We got to the point where everything was removed from the gearbox (just needed to pull transfer box and remove engine mount)..

We then realised YOU CAN ACCESS THE PRESSURE PLATE BOLTS THROUGH THE HOLE THAT APPEARS WHEN YOU REMOVE STARTER.. We replaced all pressure plate bolts with loctite as they were all loose (as scotty described above).. Put all the stuff back on, re-bled the clutch, tested, sighed with relief. Functioning clutch with good bite point.

A tip to anyone with the symptoms I described, pull starter and check pressure plate bolts. Wish I'd known these could be accessed so easily..

Ah good thinking! We just went full attack thinking it was the new slave was dodgy, and it was only when we removed the box we found the loose bolts.

Hope thats the end of your troubles, it has been for me and the clutch is great and takes some abuse !