Need help diagnosing clutch problems...

[B0ND]

So I'm having a bit of trouble with my 325i, and hoping to get some help from you all. Here are my symptoms:

It recently became very difficult to get my car into gear, particularly 1st, 2nd, and reverse. This happened over the course of perhaps a week before I got in one night and it just became too difficult with the car running to get it in gear. I turned the car off, put it in gear and turned the car on, when I took my foot off the brake (with clutch still in) the car started to roll slightly. So apparently my clutch is not fully disengaging.

I had not noticed any fluid leaking under the car, but I can't say for sure that there hasn't been any leakage. Since then I've tried flushing the hydraulic fluid, and I thought it was bled fully (no air coming out) but now the clutch takeup is even worse - that is, there is more play before I feel resistance. Also if I start the car in gear it wants to move, so the clutch still is not fully disengaging. I plan to bleed it again with my pressure bleeder, but am concerned that this will not fully solve my problem.

When I bought the car a little under a year ago the clutch was significantly stiffer than any I had ever driven before, but figured somewhere along the line someone replaced with a performance clutch that was much stiffer. The pedal feel has since stayed very stiff, with the clutch grab point always being very close to the floor and very short travel between fully disengaged and fully engaged.

Now after reading a bunch of threads I'm starting to think it is my pressure plate. I really don't want it to be my pressure plate, because I don't have the time/experience/desire to replace it myself (judging by reading posts of other people on here replacing their own clutches), and obviously it's fairly expensive to have a shop replace the clutch. Unfortunately I am starting to doubt it is a fluid problem, but I am welcome to encouragement that this is the problem.

Sorry for the long post, but in short, do you agree with me that it is a pressure plate failure? Or do you think that it could still be a hydraulic problem? And if so, why?

[jlevie]

With no fluid leaks at the slave, it can't be the problem. That leaves the master cylinder as the only part external to the bellhousing that could be the cause. If in doubt you could just replace the master cylinder, flush the system with a pressure bleeder and see if that helps.

But before doing that I'd suggest flushing the system with a pressure bleeder and then watch the slave cylinder rod while a helper slowly presses on the clutch pedal. If the rod fully extends the problem has to be inside of the bellhousing.

[Cooper]

just for kicks, take a look at the pedal assembly 'box' near where the clutch master bolts on for cracks. I had a shit clutch, replaced all the hydraulics then found the clutch was still shit because the busted pedal assembly. I went to my spare off of my parts car only to find it was busted as well.. the way in which they break causes the remainder of the bracket to flex and you wont get full travel of the master.

This probably isn't your problem but it wont hurt to have a good look.

[B0ND]

hmmm, interesting, hadn't thought of the pedal box before. I don't think it would be the culprit, but I'll check it out tonight. When I press on the pedal, should the whole master cylinder be moving at all?

Thanks guys, keep it coming

[Cooper]

When I press on the pedal, should the whole master cylinder be moving at all?

Master shouldn't move much, if at all.

[B0ND]

I bled the clutch system again this afternoon, with more success this time. The car is almost driveable, but still doesn't have enough pedal travel to fully disengage the clutch. I also looked very closely at the master cylinder, and I believe that is where the problem is. The actuation of the master cylinder is at an angle (the rod doesn't push straight into the cylinder). So when I push down on the pedal, the rod at the top of the master cylinder hits the left side of the master cylinder housing and pushes the entire assembly to the left about a half an inch (at the top) when the pedal is fully depressed. Anyways, I ordered a new master cylinder and it should be here soon, hopefully that will fix this whole problem.

[B0ND]

Well Cooper...looks like your long shot wasn't far off, here's a picture of my clutch pedal assembly. Of course this is after I bought a master cylinder and was about to replace it.

[Cooper]

Easy fix with a welder if you have trouble finding a better one.

I wouldn't return the master just yet

Good luck with it..

[Kristuphir]

I just discovered that same problem with mine tonight...only my master had been tweaked sideways so much by the PO that the plastic arm on the pedal end had broken clean off.

Will it flat not work like this? Am I in for a lovely pedal box replacement? I mean, that can't be welded while still in the car, can it?

[Cooper]

No, it cannot be welded in the car, but it's pretty easy to remove.

[B0ND]

Damn, it's been way too long since my car was on the road...Just thought I'd give a little update here:

The car is now (relatively) driveable. I replaced the bracket and the clutch now fully disengages, however I still have a couple problems.

1. The sensors for the brake light and the clutch are currently inoperable. The brake light sensor does not reach the brake pedal, and therefore the brake lights are always on. Does anyone know if the bracket dimensions were changed which would position the sensor further away from the pedal? I can't imagine that the brake pedal is positioned incorrectly...can't really mess that up (I think)

2. The clutch sensor...where does it go exactly? My mounting bracket looks different than on realoem.com and I don't remember exactly how it was attached. Pictures anyone?

3. The clutch pedal is still ridiculously stiff, this is most likely due to the current setup of the compression spring behind the clutch pedal, could someone try and explain/show how it's supposed to be?

Thanks guys,

Eric

[B0ND]

I love driving my car! Spend a couple weeks driving an old Ford Exploder and you appreciate your car a whole lot more.

With a ghetto fix (read: folded paper and electrical tape) my brake lights are working properly until I find out what I need to do for a permanent fix. I found the bracket where the spring attaches, and since my cruise control doesn't work anyways I figure I don't need the sensor for the clutch attached.

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for the help and to Cooper for suggesting a seemingly unlikely thing that turned out to be the culprit.

[Cooper]

glad it worked out, made me fucking crazy..

Did you get the brake switch figured out yet? I seem to remember one of the brackets for either the clutch or brake switch being a bolt on tab, any chance it's on upside down?