(T) Clutch/Box Prob - uno won't go in gear when cold

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to the site I've had a search around, but can't find anything to answer my specific question.

I have a K plate, fiat uno 1.0i.e. Start, with the fire engine etc.

I'm having the following problems with my clutch/gearbox and am hoping one of you can help?...

In the morning when I first start the car, the clutch pedal is really really spongy. It basically travels nearly to the bottom of its motion (to the floor) without much resistance at all. About an inch or two off the floor it resists a bit as a normal clutch pedal would.

At this stage the car crunches like a bar-steward when I put it in reverse, and will not go into 1st gear full stop - I have to start off in second. When driving the gear change is mega notchy, and the gear box clunks (you know that uno forced clunk noise lol) when it eventually goes in gear.

Once I've driven the car for a bit, it seems to sort itself out - I can select all gears (althought 1st takes a while to become available). The clutch still bites REALLY low, about an inch off the floor which led me to think the clutch was on its way out, BUT it still grips once engaged and doesn't slip at all - which has got me confuddled.

I've checked the clutch fluid and although it was low, topping it up doesn't appear to have made a difference, although if anyone can tell me if there is a main reservoir for the clutch that I may be overlooking (and filling up the break fluid by mistake lol, that would be handy). I wondered if there was some form of clutch adjustment like there is on my pulsar, but there's nothing immediately obvious.

Anyone got any ideas to save me getting turned over by a mechanic to take a look?

Cheers

Paz

OK, Your clutch resevoire sits on the right hand side, next to your shock at the top, small square container, about 5cm x 5 cm, try bleeding your clutch system and see if this helps, the bleeding nipple can be found on the slave cylinder at the gearbox.procedure- pump let someone pump your clutch pedal a few time 5-6 and let them hold it, put a length of fishtank pipe on the bleeding nipple and put the other end in a container. open the nipple up until the brakefluid stops flowing and close it up, then pump the clutch pedal again 5-6 times and repeat the bleading steps until you can see no air bubbles in the pipe. remember to top up your fluid as you bleed. if this don't help, you need to replace your clutch master or slave cylinders, preferbely both.

clutch release bearing sounds like its about had it mate. you'll find very soon that you wont be able to get it in any gear. basicly its warn and not disengaging the clutch fully when u press down on the clutch pedal. therefore causing difficulty in selecting a gear.

Dunc

Nuts, guess it'll have to go into the garage after all then. I was thinking maybe a mastercylinder, but then who knows - I'm not expert (unfortunately :lol: I'd save myself a lot of money!).

Cheers both. Anymore for anymore?

Paz

I had the same problem a while ago with my uno, it was the master cylinder that was to blame, you can get a patch up kit which will add another 2 or 3 months use to it but it will have to be changed eventually. Either that or your clutch cable may need to be tightened and slave cylinder bleeded if i remember correctly. Hope this helps.

F R O $ T Y

Welcome to FF paz.

Possibly air in the clutch line. But how did it get in though?

Have a look for clutch fluid leakage. If any, it will probably be onto of the gearbox if a slave cylinder problem, or around the driver foot well if a master cylinder issue. Could be also be any pipe in between.

Hers how I changed my clave cylinder and bled the system last year http://www.fiatforum.com/uno/29364-hydraulic-clutch.html

I’d bleed the system till you see clean fluid. I got away with only replacing the slave cylinder. it’s been fine since .

IIR all UK Uno starts have a hydraulic clutch, with no cable to adjust.

Let us know how you get on

Regards,

I noticed that the clutch fluid was down on its usual level the other day, so I'd guess its leaking from somewhere - best guess was the master cylinder, although I've not seen any fluid in the driver footwell so it may not be.

Cheers for the info on the slave cylinder change, might even have a go myself once my haynes manual turns up from ebay

I was hoping there might be some kind of pedal adjustment that might prolong the life of the car slightly until I got round to fixing it, there is on my hydraulic clutch pulsar, but I guess I was hoping for a bit much from a 1.0 uno

One question for you, I've located what I think is the clutch reservoir on the left hand side of the engine bay (as your looking in i.e. it would be the right hand side if you were sat in the car). IIRC, its mounted up quite high (possibly attached to the suspension strut?). Anyway, that aside, from that resevoir, on the same side but lower down in the engine bay is another resevoir with a 'pump' lid that says compress to check level (or similar) on top of it - can anyone tell me what this is?

Alternatively if someone has a good pic of a 1 litre injection engine bay, I can circle the part?

Thanks for the warm welcome and advice everyone

Paz

that is the resevoir for your brake master cylinder on the braking system. remember you've got a clutch master and a brake master two seperate units.

Here Is A Image

Yeah thats the one, cheers for cleaning that up for me

Paz

Monticore.

You should absolutely attach an oil breather filter to your rocker cover, as it sometimes sucks air AND dust/sand. This will grind your cam's "armored" coating away, and when that's done, the cams will disappear and morph into the shape as the cam shaft itself. Then the valves won't open and you propably get the point

This has been done with the Ritmo Abart...

M.

Well, I found the problem - interesting one this

I bled the clutch fluid out of the car and it turns out that the nipple who owned the car before me had topped it up with normal engine oil and not hydraulic fluid . As a result I was getting no pressure and the car would not go in gear

Paz

i've added a breather filter, took the photo the day i installed the cone filter, only got to buy the breather filter the next day.