Clutch doesn't disengage

[Geraldb5s4]

The other day my s4 clutch started not engaging. Happened all of a sudden was driving working fine then stopped and when to take off and it wouldn't go into gear. Shut it off and started it in gear to get it home. Clutch petal feels totally normal but doesn't disengage at all. Also goes into gear fine when car is shut off. On the way home it partly disengaged a couple times but then stopped doing anything again. Car is stage 3 with south bend clutch. Any ideas what it might be? I'm hearing everything from slave or master cylinder to clutch or pressure plate... Thanks in advance!

[zillarob]

If it were making funny noises down there or the pedal started feeling crunchy when pressed, I would say tob.

You didnt mention any of these so I think I would attack slave and master first.
Slave will leak fluid out of the bellhousing, master may not leak at all.

[julex]

unless you just replaced it with Parts Centric master and few months later this (that hole should not be there) :

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...-Audi-OE-parts

[james 408]

must be in the air. same thing just happened while i was sliding it in the rain 30 mins ago, 20 mile commute clutchless shifting and running lights... sigh.

strange it didn't bleed pressure this time but just went straight to nothing there...

[DieselElectric]

Hold the clutch pedal down for a while. If it's the hydraulic system, then the pedal will not return 100% after a few minutes of holding due to pressure leak down.

I have a feeling it's a Mechanical issue with the clutch. Something came apart and is binding up the system.

Hydraulics are pretty obvious. A leaking slave will result in visual clues (external leaks.), also a pedal not returning.

A master can have an external leak (at the input plunger), or an internal leak (seals).

Either way, if it were the fault of hydraulics depressing the pressure plate enough, you would notice it with a pedal staying partially depressed. There are no springs to return the pedal to position, just hydraulic pressure.

If your pedal feels 100% normal, even after holding it down for a couple minutes, release, and reapply, then I would put money on the issue being in the disk/pp area.

[VTurbo]

Assuming all hydraulics are ok. I had a very similar issue, turned out to be a broken pressure plate tooth.

[Geraldb5s4]

Thanks for input. Afraid it's something w/ clutch so pulling it I guess. If it was slave cylinder I thought the petal would probably be spongy.

[Dmitriygjr]

Same thing happened to me recently. Shifting smooth as butter with the car off, no engagement or disengagement with the car on.

After inspecting the pedal properties and the rest of the hydraulic system the clutch/pp were replaced, problem gone.

Of course, new throw out bearing and pilot bearing were put in as well.

Good luck!

[Geraldb5s4]

⬆️ Thanks working at pulling clutch now.