Hi, can anyone please help?

I was driving along, changing gears perfectly happily with everything behaving just as it has for the last couple of years when suddenly, and without any warning, the clutch pedal got stuck to the floor. There was no bang, no rattle, nothing. I've had release bearings go before and they seem to rumble for a while first, don't they?

After the car was towed home, I had a look at it. The clutch simply doesn't operate, so the car is stuck in neutral. The brake fluid reservoir is full. There is a puddle of what looks like very clean fresh engine oil on the floor. It is plainly not from the engine, as the oil on the dipstick is black. Looking at the underside, a matching clean fresh fluid can be seen at the very bottom of the gearbox housing, where it meets the engine block. There is no sign of fluid tracking down to that low point from anywhere else.

Any ideas what might have gone wrong, how I might diagnose further, or what the likely repair might be?

Thanks

biguglycar said:

Hi, can anyone please help?

I was driving along, changing gears perfectly happily with everything behaving just as it has for the last couple of years when suddenly, and without any warning, the clutch pedal got stuck to the floor. There was no bang, no rattle, nothing. I've had release bearings go before and they seem to rumble for a while first, don't they?

After the car was towed home, I had a look at it. The clutch simply doesn't operate, so the car is stuck in neutral. The brake fluid reservoir is full. There is a puddle of what looks like very clean fresh engine oil on the floor. It is plainly not from the engine, as the oil on the dipstick is black. Looking at the underside, a matching clean fresh fluid can be seen at the very bottom of the gearbox housing, where it meets the engine block. There is no sign of fluid tracking down to that low point from anywhere else.

Any ideas what might have gone wrong, how I might diagnose further, or what the likely repair might be?

Thanks

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Ones I tryed to refresh the oil in the clutch system with as result all the oil leaked out of the system and the pedal stuck to the floor. I got it back to the normal position after refilling the system again by pumping new oil trough the drain valve underneath the battery tray with the aid of an oilcan. By doing so you might be able to find a leak somewhere

The concentric clutch slave cylinder is inside the gearbox bell housing. Lift the clutch pedal and push it down again. If more fluid comes from the bottom of the gearbox, then the cylinder is leaking.
.

Sorry to bring more grim news but it looks like you’re going to need this lot http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271073028859?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT which are £265 ish it will be a big job to tackle yourself or a garage will seriously empty your wallet . Our Croma has nearly 115,000 miles on the clock and I know that the dual mass flywheel is on borrowed time. Just to add more grist to the mill if your gear stick moved when you took up drive or the gearbox was noisy then the m32 gearbox will need attention which is cheap diy but:yuck::bang: if done by a garage

I can't definitively say what your problem is but this happened to me at Dover docks going on holiday.

We got recovered locally. Waited several hours (lunch break) and then they tried bleeding the clutch to no avail. I actually already knew what the problem was but .....

Finally got recovered many hours later to Southampton. I suspected/knew the clutch cover plate diaphragm had broken. This is what the Fiat garage found. All out of warranty so a new clutch, slave, dual mass flywheel (which was rattling) and £1300 later all was back to new.

s130 said:

I can't definitively say what your problem is but this happened to me at Dover docks going on holiday.

We got recovered locally. Waited several hours (lunch break) and then they tried bleeding the clutch to no avail. I actually already knew what the problem was but .....

Finally got recovered many hours later to Southampton. I suspected/knew the clutch cover plate diaphragm had broken. This is what the Fiat garage found. All out of warranty so a new clutch, slave, dual mass flywheel (which was rattling) and £1300 later all was back to new.

Click to expand...

All with no sound effects? No crunch, snap, bang, etc?

Oh well, anyone want a Croma for spares?

Also, where is that fluid coming from, if the brake reservoir remains full? I thought the brake and clutch fluid was in a shared reservoir. Am I wrong?

I can't say if there was any bang, crunch etc.

All I know is that some plonker in a big 4x4 towing a caravan stopped at the top of the concrete ramp on the port inbound route to get papers from the rear of the car. This caused me to have to stop with my caravan attached on this very steep incline. On taking off again an not wanting to burn the hell out of the clutch I stalled the engine. For anyone who has stalled a diesel engine they don't stall smoothly but actually explosively stall. Bearing in mind this stall occurred under heavy load the bang/crunch was pretty massive. The pedal failing to return happened some half mile later after departing the check-in booth coming to rest in the boarding lane.

Summary the damage may have been done on the ramp but the subsequent failure occurred two stops later and occurred quietly. All I noticed was the pedal failed to return.

biguglycar said:

Also, where is that fluid coming from, if the brake reservoir remains full? I thought the brake and clutch fluid was in a shared reservoir. Am I wrong?

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The fluid for the clutch is tken from a separate section of the reservoir so you don't loose the brakes due to clutch failure. This means thelevel won't drop too far. There is also quite a bit of fluid in the master and slave cylinders and pipework, a little goes a long way.

Get a quote from an independent dealer, but get the lot changed.

Robert G8RPI.

I have a similar problem, today I pressed the clutch and it felt as if something snapped, the car drove ok for a while but the clutch seemed lighter, the pedal then did not return on one gearchange at first but then did. I did attempt to take it to my local garage and it drove fine but it was shut early. On returning home again the pedal refused to return at all and I had to stop and lift it by hand but again after that it drove fine. Each time it failed to return is when the car has just started. Is my problem a clutch replacement ?

jaffacake1966 said:

I have a similar problem, today I pressed the clutch and it felt as if something snapped, the car drove ok for a while but the clutch seemed lighter, the pedal then did not return on one gearchange at first but then did. I did attempt to take it to my local garage and it drove fine but it was shut early. On returning home again the pedal refused to return at all and I had to stop and lift it by hand but again after that it drove fine. Each time it failed to return is when the car has just started. Is my problem a clutch replacement ?

Click to expand...

could be clutch cylinder

If is the slave or master cylinder, are these big jobs as in a clutch change, I have no idea.

Hi,
Slave cylinder is concentric around the gearbox input shaft so is a 'box out job. Normally recommended to do a complete clutch replacement at the same time as the labour cost is more than the parts. Dual mass flywheel should be checked too. A 3 piece clutch kit (cylinder, friction plate and cover) will cost around £200, the flywheel would add £300. If you have any doubt about the condition of the drive shafts it's a good time to put pair of used Vectra C driveshafts in at the same time. It adds up but at least it's all done if you intend to keep the car.

Robert G8RPI.

Hi , thanks for the information, I did take the car out today with no problem but only a very short distance. I also have depressed the clutch pedal 50 odd times with no sticking but obviously there is a problem and it will occur and I suppose could be fatal if I'm a distance away. I am contacting the garage Monday but I suppose I already know the verdict so the Croma will be sold as spares or repairs. The timing belt, water pump and thermostat have only been done a short time ago but I am fed up with paying out so its time to go

Hi,
Sorry to hear that. Do the sums add up though? Spares Cromas go for less than £500. Even if you allow a pesimistic £400 for the clutch, Thats's only £900. Are you going to get anything better or more reliable for less than £1000?

Robert G8RPI.

Hi, I know what you are saying but in March I had trouble with the rear brake caliper ( problem is sourcing the parts ) so it had rear discs , pads and a 2nd user caliper as the garage couldn't source a new one, I had already been having problems with the car protection icon and key so that was an ongoing problem, It did have an alternator a year and half ago and thought it was linked to that. Thinking my problems were over it then overheated and the thermostat was changed but infact it was the water pump so it had a timing belt aswell. Now after that we did think we would hit a period of trouble free motoring but now the clutch is playing up so this year we have nearly spent £1000, add on the price of a clutch and now its getting silly money for us. Its ok if you are mechanically minded but I absolutely hate paying £55 per hour plus vat to a garage. The thing is I know the front cv is clicking and knowing my luck the starter motor would then pack up, oh and it needs a service so now its not worth it for me to pay out anymore. The only positive thing is when the aux belt was changed when the timing belt was done the car protection and key problem disappeared so it must have been linked to the alternator. All I want is a small/medium 1.4 petrol car with parts available at a reasonable price. I have never paid out this kind of money for any car I have owned. Thanks though for your thoughts

Hi, I did take my Croma out today and travelled 20 or so miles with only the odd very minor clutch stick. I did peer under the bonnet and noticed that there is some fluid on the engine tray. Could that mean that it is the master cylinder rather than the slave cylinder that is the problem ?

is it engine oil or brake fluid?