clutch wont disengage fully...help

[nevrenuf]

it started last night...the clutch wouldn't fully disengage and i couldn't get into gear from a stop, i had to turn the car off and put it in first, then start and could shift up with a little tap on the gas...no downshifts were possible, this morning ichecked her out again and it got worse, with my foot fully buried on the clutch it would move if i tried to start it in gear...

this car is a 2 weeks old to me so i can't really give much history...01 s4 avant with ko4s and stg2 clutch, everything on it is quality so i'm going to assume it's a good clutch in there, lots of life left, no slip whatsoever....i'm thinking bleeding the clutch slave to start but have no clue how and if it deteriorated that quickly, that's probably not a long term fix anyway....

how do i bleed my clutch? does the car need to be in the air?
what fluid do you guys use?
is this common?
thx

[ezfour]

I currently have the same problem, only I can still shift, a little notchy and locked out of 2nd but definite clutch drag. Grinds into R, 1st, and 3rd after several minutes with the clutch in. But once I stop the input shaft with the synchros it doesnt start turning again until the clutch is let out.

First try to bleed it. I use a pressure bleeder on the brake res. and whatever higher quality fluid they have at NAPA, if you have access to it though Pentosin is always better, I just live in the middle of no where. Any DOT 4 will work as long as you arent tracking the car.

To bleed the slave, search for DIY, its easier from the top but the coolant tank needs to be moved. Its just like you would bleed brakes, the bleeder valve is a 9mm right behind the slave hardline. The valve is plastic so be careful/ gentle. I used a standard size wrench since it fit a little tighter. You gotta go all in with your arm though. You can also get to it from the bottom and is easier if you take the CV heat shield off. Bleeding with the back of the car raised can also get any hard get bubbles out of there.

Second I would replace the slave and rebleed.
Third, replace the master and rebleed.

If that doesnt work I plan on lengthening the slave rod slightly as the clutch is barely dragging. I have a VAST stg 3 clutch so I am wondering if the added thickness is what is causing it.
I am a little vague on how the SAC mechanism plays into all of this but that could be another source of disengagement problems. However I had read that a longer slave rod will cause a higher engagement point on the pedal and mine is already pretty high. These master cylinders do not look to be adjustable.

Fourth, take out the trans and inspect or just replace the pilot bearing, clutch fork, throw out bearing. Maybe even the pressure plate.
Fifth, crash the car into a tree and get on with your life.
The end.

[DiscoPotato]

If bleeding and slaves fail your pressure plate is most likely done.

[ezfour]

Scotty might be able to tell you more since he is the clutch and trans guru. He basically said my trans is F'ed in the A. Although I didnt have a concise diagnosis when I talked to him about it.

[nevrenuf]

thanks guys....one thing i forgot to mention happened on thursday, i was rolling out of a driveway (not in gear), when i got into the street i went to put it in 1st and when i pressed the clutch in it was not linear, had a "notchy" or "pulsing" feel to it, not sure how to describe it better...after that it was business as usual drove about 150km, about 50/50 city and highway, got on it a few times with no slipping, and then last night the fun started....

i just tried pumping the pedal and it worked, goes into gear fine. this car is 2 weeks old to me so i'm a complete noob with it...does this sound like it just needs bleeding or a more fun, more costly issue?

throughout the whole process my pedal always returned to the top with no assistance, if that sheds light on anything.

[ezfour]

just try to bleed it, it isnt that hard and doesnt take that long. Engine needs to be cool first!

[nevrenuf]

drove fine all day today...wtf??? lol

[nevrenuf]

so...i've been driving her daily since i originally posted this with zero issues but this morning after launching her kinda hard, the same thing happened, except this time pumping the pedal did nothing...when i start it in 1st with my foot all the way down on he clutch it lurches forward and starts moving, the clutch wont even come close to disengaging...thoughts?

[SantorinS4-]

so...i've been driving her daily since i originally posted this with zero issues but this morning after launching her kinda hard, the same thing happened, except this time pumping the pedal did nothing...when i start it in 1st with my foot all the way down on he clutch it lurches forward and starts moving, the clutch wont even come close to disengaging...thoughts?

Do you still have the stock flywheel in there? I had this problem with my last S, the clutch was new and all of a sudden the car would not come out of gear. After towing the car to the mechanic's, the mechanic started it and it drove perfectly again. I was shocked as I couldn't drive the car only an hour before that. The mechanic tears the car down, turns out that the flywheel had play in it, changed out the flywheel and all was good again.

[Kai@EliteMS]

Sounds like a bad pressure plate

[phishntyme34]

This just happened to me, randomly and outta nowhere. I had to bleed the clutch twice before it actually fixed the issue. Thought i lost my clutch, pressure plate or both. I now have some slip in the clutch so those reporting the pressure plate failing are SPOT on. I'm currently in the market for a new clutch kit, may have to get new FW as well. Bought the car back in June without many mods but I do fear if there's an aftermarket clutch and flywheel that the repair will be quite high for parts. Sucks you have to actually dive in on the repair and hope you aren't surprised when you get there and having to drop another $500+ for a flywheel.

[nevrenuf]

everything seems to point to the pressure plate but i'm curious what exactly goes wrong with it....