Hi!

Sorry if im asking something that's already been covered, I've literally just joined the group and not sure how to work things yet! I've recently bout a Fabia Vrs SE, the other day the clutch pedal gradually started to get lower and lower (the bite) until i couldn't get it in gear? I had to turn the car off and start up in gear and it isnt leaking any fluid any suggestion's? Paperwork states its had a master fitted in Feb 2017.

Any help would be appreciated thanks!

Check that the fluid level hasn't dropped in the brake reservoir, it's shared with the clutch and if it gets too low your clutch stops working before your brakes do.

Nice one, will check first thing tomorrow as i bought a master today ready to fit, would hate to fit it then turns out to be something so simple haha

Hopefully not the clutch concentric slave cylinder as that is inside the bellhousing.

 

If that's leaking you would not know unless you spot the low fluid level as sepulchrave suggested as the fluid leaks out onto the undertray and unless it totally blows you would not see fluid leaking under the car.

 

Clutch hydraulics problems on the VRS are a pain so good luck with it and fingers crossed its not the slave cylinder.

Just an update..

checked the fluid level first thing this morning and was fine, no signs of leaks either!

pressed the clutch and it went straight to the floor with a little persuasion of the hand the clutch pedal came back after 10 or so pumps?

I then bled the clutch again (normal bleed) and still the same so I tired a method called "reverse bleed" and that still hasn't done the trick either.

I can drive the car a short distance then the pedal with start to drop again, once pulled over and again another 10 pumps the clutch pedal comes back??!!!!

Am I missing something or if anybody has anymore knowledge it would be appreciated, thanks!

If the slave has been replaced already then replace the master, check the pipework first for any sign of leakage at the unions.

 

Edit: Just checking, but you cannot bleed the clutch system effectively without an eezibleed, you MUST use one because the master cylinder doesn't have a full stroke to push all the air out.

Edited 11 January, 20188 yr by sepulchrave

Not sure on the slave as I bought the car xmas eve, paperwork however states the car has had a master fitted in Feb 17.

Ive bought another master the other day but just wanted to eliminate all other possibilities before fitting it as surely it shouldn't/couldn't have gone yet?

Am I right it saying the only bleed nipple is down by the front of the gear box?

6 minutes ago, ShortyVRS said:

Not sure on the slave as I bought the car xmas eve, paperwork however states the car has had a master fitted in Feb 17.

Ive bought another master the other day but just wanted to eliminate all other possibilities before fitting it as surely it shouldn't/couldn't have gone yet?

Am I right it saying the only bleed nipple is down by the front of the gear box?

 

Yes, it does sound like there's air still trapped in the system but if you can't get it working then I strongly suspect the slave is at fault, my bad, I mis-remembered that the slave had already been replaced when in fact it was the master.

And you say the only proper way to bleed is with an easybleed? .. another question, how could I check if the slave is at fault is it possible without taking the box off?

Have a look at where the gearbox joins the engine (from underneath)  if it has a misting of brake fluid in that area its a good sign the Slave has gone, it doesn’t always become obvious until you’ve got the box out tho. 

 

 

 

53 minutes ago, ShortyVRS said:

And you say the only proper way to bleed is with an easybleed? .. another question, how could I check if the slave is at fault is it possible without taking the box off?

 

Yes, and no.

@lupoluke I had a look today and couldn't see anything looked pretty much dry tbf mate.

@sepulchrave ill see if I can get my hands on one then and give it a try first of all, thanks for the help mate

I've done clutch slave cylinder changes 8 times on a Fabia VRS and never used an eezibleed, piece of rubber tube, bolt in the end and a 1/2 split cut in the side of the tube above the bolt, stick the bolt end in a bottle and the other end on the bleed nipple, 3 of the 8 times I bleed the clutch on my own like this without any issues.

6 minutes ago, duck said:

I've done clutch slave cylinder changes 8 times on a Fabia VRS and never used an eezibleed, piece of rubber tube, bolt in the end and a 1/2 split cut in the side of the tube above the bolt, stick the bolt end in a bottle and the other end on the bleed nipple, 3 of the 8 times I bleed the clutch on my own like this without any issues.

 

Good luck bleeding the master this way, which is what we're actually talking about here, the master airlocks because it doesn't perform a full stroke of the swept volume.

Sorry to disappoint but I have done master cylinder twice using the tube and bottle, again with no problems.

7 minutes ago, duck said:

Sorry to disappoint but I have done master cylinder twice using the tube and bottle, again with no problems.

 

I'm not disappointed, my experience was entirely different, an airlock in the master I simply could not shift without the eezibleed.

 

If you use an Eezibleed I guarantee you will not get an airlock, that's why I always advise people to use one. That's all.

Nothing wrong with the eezibleed if you have one to hand but it should be possible to bleed the VRS clutch without one.

 

Have you got the paperwork for the master cylinder that was fitted? was it an aftermarket one or genuine? 

 

if you have brought a new genuine master cylinder then get it fitted and see if that fixes your issue, if you are not loosing fluid then there's not much else it can be.

Hi guys!

Sooooo today after a lot of hand bleeding, reverse bleeding  and several bottles of brake fluid I still had no clutch pedal.

I then opted to borrow an easy bleed but no joy so I ended up buying one from Machine Mart.

After a quick 5 or so minutes with the easybleed the bubbles stopped and a nice constant stream of fluid came out so I locked up the nipple...

and to great surprise I had a clutch pedal!! and its better now than it has ever been since owning it!

@sepulchrave you must be right in saying the clutch pedal/master doesn't have a long enough stoke to clear all the air, your advise certainly helped

So thanks to everyone who has helped down then line and got me sorted! Glad I joined the page now as its so helpful with advice from others,

I can now enjoy my VRS haha

#OneHappyVrsOwner

3 minutes ago, ShortyVRS said:

Hi guys!

Sooooo today after a lot of hand bleeding, reverse bleeding  and several bottles of brake fluid I still had no clutch pedal.

I then opted to borrow an easy bleed but no joy so I ended up buying one from Machine Mart.

After a quick 5 or so minutes with the easybleed the bubbles stopped and a nice constant stream of fluid came out so I locked up the nipple...

and to great surprise I had a clutch pedal!! and its better now than it has ever been since owning it!

@sepulchrave you must be right in saying the clutch pedal/master doesn't have a long enough stoke to clear all the air, your advise certainly helped

So thanks to everyone who has helped down then line and got me sorted! Glad I joined the page now as its so helpful with advice from others,

I can now enjoy my VRS haha

#OneHappyVrsOwner

 

Glad to be of service dude. Enjoy.