Car was fine driving back from work last night but today pedal was flat on the floor. 
I can move pedal by hand/toe and it will either stay up or down.  When down I can select gear with the engine off but not with engine running. 
It doesn't have any obvious leaks but I am without my tools to get undercover off.  The brake/clutch fluid reservoir is still full too. 

The last master cylinder I replaced was a cable one 20 years ago.  Never touched a hydraulic one. 

 

2.0 diesel 5 speed box if it makes any difference.  Any predictions of what's wrong?

 

Cheers. 

 

Sounds ominously like the concentric slave cylinder which if you have the 2litre diesel will be in the centre of the clutch - gearbox out job.

I had the exact same symptoms a few years ago and had to get the car recovered to the dealer, new clutch and slave cylinder was required, Skoda gave some goodwill but still had a big bill at the end of it.

The cylinder was leaking fluid onto the clutch which ruined the clutch as well as the failed cylinder to be replaced.   I had noticed mild clutch slippage first thing in the morning for a day or two but hadn't realised that was the impending issue...

Is yours 2WD or 4WD ?   Mine is 4WD so the job was even worse as a lot more labour/dismantling was needed.  

Sorry to be the bearer of bad/expensive news...  Hope you get it sorted out.

 

Edited 10 February, 20224 yr by TasMan

Yikes!!   Only 2WD but still hoping it’s the master cylinder.  
Was yours showing any fluid loss from reservoir level?

Hi

I’d second the slave cylinder.

I suspect the seals have gone and the fluid is leaking past them without moving the pressure on the clutch (explains the inability to change gear).

The clutch pedal normally returns due to the diaphragm spring in the middle of the clutch forcing the slave cylinder back, which in turn returns the pedal.

If you slowly lift the clutch pedal and press to the bottom (&repeat) the fluid level in the reservoir should drop and there should be a puddle under the car..

Let us know how you get on.

As you both correctly predicted, it is the slave.  Will swap out clutch too.  
Is flywheel worth doing at same time? 

On 11/02/2022 at 15:25, whaleshark said:

Is flywheel worth doing at same time? 

 

Don't know your mileage but as a 2013 car is approaching 9 years old I'd say yes whilst the gearbox is off. Avoid a Sachs clutch as there have been expensive failures of cover plates:-

 

 

Edited 12 February, 20224 yr by bigjohn

1 hour ago, bigjohn said:

 

Don't know your mileage but as a 2013 car is approaching 9 years old I'd say yes whilst the gearbox is off. Avoid a Sachs clutch as there have been expensive failures of cover plates:-

 

 

Thanks.  interesting thread.  It seems that maybe that problem has been solved/designed out.  My mileage for what it's worth is a fairly low 50k.  Wavering towards new DMF too.  In for a penny.....

1 hour ago, bigjohn said:

Avoid a Sachs clutch as there have been expensive failures of cover plates:-

 

Very out of date scaremongering, certainly Sachs clutches supplied to the factory within a certain time period were breaking up in service due to incorrect heat treatment of the diaphragm release fingers, long since resolved.

 

A mechanic in France told me that I must absolutely only ever fit a Sachs clutch to mine as he had had a problem with a Luk one, one single clutch! - I bought and fitted a Luk assembly with DMF.

 

My neighbour in the UK with a 2012 Octavia 2.0 CR TDi had the clutch plate fracture and chew its way through the gearbox casing, it was replaced and the casing repaired by his long term trusted garage, they said they had fitted a new Sachs clutch because the Luk ones like he (allegedly) had were well known for the breakage.

 

You pays your money you takes your choice.

23 hours ago, J.R. said:

 

Very out of date scaremongering,

 

It might no longer be an issue(fingers crossed) however people were still mentioning in 2020 so I wouldn't say it's very out of date scaremongering. Just pointing out real issues members of this forum have had.  Hopefully most of the faulty cover plates have been sorted by now.

 

 

Edited 13 February, 20224 yr by bigjohn

Nobody that bought and fitted a Sachs clutch as a replacement had it tear it's way through their gearbox or bellhousing to my knowledge, it was all factory fitments and may not even have been limited to Sachs clutches if my neighbours mechanic is to be believed and I have a lot of faith in him.

 

As such there will still be vehicles out there with the original clutch time bomb ticking away and Sachs may still be getting an unfair rep (IMO) in many years to come.

 

As VAG used several clutch suppliers for the factory assembly line all making identical parts embossed with the same VAG part numbers it's possible that the deficiency was the revision zero design and not faulty manufacture if indeed it was both Sachs and Luk clutches exhibiting the same failures, the later revision parts will have eliminated the fault.

Edited 14 February, 20224 yr by J.R.

Great, will do flywheel too.  Peace of mind. 
Thanks all.  
 

 

Edited 14 February, 20224 yr by whaleshark
weird quoting format