Clutch, Fiat 2.3, 130

[BusyBuilder]

Our van has developed a fault with the clutch.

Press the pedal down and it sticks, not rising back up. We have to hook it back up (with foot) and it sort of flicks back. But after a few miles it sticks more and more till it does it every time.

We then have to put gears in neutral and pump the pedal 10 or 15 times to get some pressure back, whereby it is okay till it starts doing it again. I think it's clutch fluid problem as pumping the pedal make it pressurised again, but I'm no expert.

I did look to see if a return spring had broken but I cannot see anything missing.

Any ideas ?

 

[XxAnthxX]

Have you checked the fluid level?

Sounds like it could be a faulty slave cylinder or a fluid leak perhaps

 

[Phill D]

I think There was a thread on this a while back.
The brake and clutch use the same reservoir and the clutch slave cylinder is hidden away somewhere inside the Bell housing I believe.
Can't remember what the outcome was.

 

[gus-lopez]

as others have said check fluid level first & that it is above the clutch outlet pipe which will not be more than half way down on the side. It can also be excessively dirty fluid , so bleeding it might help.

 

[Clivefog]

Slave cylinder failing.

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[Guigsy]

Mine started sticking to the floor while doing the passes over the Alps from Italy into France a couple of years back on a Friday night. I was being pretty hard on it, probably shifting under some load to keep the turbo singing when to build momentum up when climbing from hairpins. I limped off the mountain to a camp site and waited until Monday morning for the garage to open to come and pick us up on a low loader.

When they checked it back at the shop, they couldn't find anything wrong. I was much easier on it for the rest of the holiday (another 3 months) didn't have any more issues (went over passes several more times). The only thing I can think of is that although the brake fluid had been changed (which was the first time in at least 10 years!), the circuit for the clutch doesn't drain very well. So either there was some air in there, or the old fluid trapped in that circuit had enough moisture to start to boil at the higher altitude when it got hot??? Apparently the hydraulics are very close to the air outlet for your feet, and we had the heater on max for a couple of hours, which maybe doesn't help???

Anyway, I sold the van last week... never had the issue again. Sorry.

 

[Ratcatcher]

I had exactly the same, not in my Motorhome, but in my Vauxhall vivaro van, it was the slave cylinder failing, a much cheaper repair than the slave cylinder. I diagnosed it by myself, fluid dripping out under the pedals.

 

[Mr Colpot]

We hade the same on one of our previous vans. Pedal went to the floor and had to drive from Boulogne up to Calais with no clutch action. Parked up at Cite Europe and called Breakdown and they said couldnt be looked at for a few days. As we were booked on the train back I had a look and pulled the pedal back up and it worked ok - drove round and round car park testing it. (wish I'd done that in Boulogne!) Dealer had it back when we got home and replaced the clutch. All good after that.

 

[tonyidle]

If it always releases when you lift the pedal it's the master cylinder failing (or pedal return spring if there is one). Lifting the pedal cannot 'suck back' a failing slave cylinder.

 

[Ratcatcher]

Sorry typo, it was master cylinder failing on my vivaro

I had exactly the same, not in my Motorhome, but in my Vauxhall vivaro van, it was the slave cylinder failing, a much cheaper repair than the slave cylinder. I diagnosed it by myself, fluid dripping out under the pedals.

sorry typo, was master cylinder failing.

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[Guigsy]

Sorry typo, it was master cylinder failing on my vivaro

sorry typo, was master cylinder failing.

I think I've previously read that the clutch slave cylinder for the Ducato is within the clutch assembly, so a major job to replace it.

 

[BusyBuilder]

Thanks for all the helpful replies, looks like an expensive job then.