I've got a 64-plate MK3 2.0TD CR with 96K on the clock.
On new year's day, when I depressed the clutch to start it, the pedal hit the floor and stayed there. The hydraulic fluid reservoir was empty but there's no sign of leakage in the engine bay under the reservoir or as far down as you can see underneath and there's no fluid on the clutch pedal.
I filled up the brake fluid, pumped the clutch a few times and could select gears OK. A mechanic friend of mine then bled the clutch and the pedal feel/position was restored although he needed to bleed it again shortly after as there was more air in the system. Given the lack of visible fluid, he thinks the likely culprit is the slave cylinder and has said it would make sense to change the slave cylinder (obviously) along with the clutch & flywheel.
A couple of other points..... in the 3 years I've owned it, a handful of time the clutch has made loud clunking noises when depressed, more of a plastic noise rather than metal but with 3-4 quick depressions, this would go away. Also, for a long time, when changing gears and letting the clutch out quickly, there's a very slight pause before the things get going again. It's no clutch slip as the revs drop, pause and a fraction of a second later it picks up again. Could these be a symptom of the slave cylinder failing or perhaps something else?
I've obtained some quotes with vastly varying prices (all inclusive of parts & labour):
Skoda Dealership - £1824
Local VAG Specialist - £1080
Local Garage - £1141 + £60 to cover the hire of a "special tool" to set/reset the clutch (is this really a thing?)
Local mechanic - £670 (he's a friend of my brothers who's worked on my wife's car, giving me parts at cost (£500) and charging me £170 to fit them
I know cheapest isn't always best, I don't doubt my mechanic's ability and he's going to be using LUK parts but is there anything that could bite a one-man-band mechanic in the ar5e and on this type of job and cost me more in the long run?
I appreciate that's quite a lot to process and TBH I thought I'd get it all down for my own sanity (the wife's completely bored of this already lol)
Cheers
Russ