Clutch pedal doesnt come up

[Litimag]

I was having this issue too, changed the pipe, clutch and fly last week, problem solved. Actually feels like a different car now

[chiru]

I think it is a vacuum issue, or a lack thereof. The pedal becomes heavier in both directions of travel after sustained full throttle driving. Sequential applications of full throttle such as redlining in the first three gears can induce the pedal to remain on the floor. This is especially so if multiple full throttle upshifts are followed by heel-and-toe downshifts. I suspect the throttle blips without load when rev matching on the downshifts exacerbate the issue of a lack of vacuum.

When the pedal does remain near the floor, the clutch continues to fully disengage and fully engage but the entire action happens within a couple of centimetres of pedal travel. The gearbox never balks (which would suggest incomplete disengagement) and the clutch never slips.

Interestingly, violently fully opening the throttle with the clutch fully engaged in the lower gears such as when accelerating hard from a slow steady speed with low engine rpm can occasionally induce the clutch pedal to very briefly drop by centimetre as full throttle is applied. For those with this problem, try driving in first gear at about 10 mph then suddenly accelerate at full throttle to the redline keeping your left foot hovering over the clutch pedal. Does your clutch pedal drop away from under your foot slightly as the throttle is fully opened?

Replacing the clutch return pipe with a braided item purchased through this forum has markedly improved my clutch pedal behaviour, although not cured the problem. That the clutch behaves absolutely normally with more sedate driving tells me that it cannot be a mechanical fault with the clutch. I wouldn’t be surprised if another unbraided rubber vacuum hose that is on the brink of collapsing at all times collapses when it becomes soft with the rise in engine temps under heavy load.

In my research, I’ve found a couple of examples of people who have changed everything associated with the clutch and solved the problem only to find it returned after a few hundred miles.

When I have the opportunity, I’m going to change the fluid and bleed the system carefully. I’m anticipating this improving the situation further.

I’m not an engineer and I wish I had a more intimate understanding of how the clutch mechanism on our car works as I think there is probably a fairly straight forward cause (even if there isn’t a simple solution).

[Litimag]

I think it is a vacuum issue, or a lack thereof. The pedal becomes heavier in both directions of travel after sustained full throttle driving. Sequential applications of full throttle such as redlining in the first three gears can induce the pedal to remain on the floor. This is especially so if multiple full throttle upshifts are followed by heel-and-toe downshifts. I suspect the throttle blips without load when rev matching on the downshifts exacerbate the issue of a lack of vacuum.

When the pedal does remain near the floor, the clutch continues to fully disengage and fully engage but the entire action happens within a couple of centimetres of pedal travel. The gearbox never balks (which would suggest incomplete disengagement) and the clutch never slips.

Interestingly, violently fully opening the throttle with the clutch fully engaged in the lower gears such as when accelerating hard from a slow steady speed with low engine rpm can occasionally induce the clutch pedal to very briefly drop by centimetre as full throttle is applied. For those with this problem, try driving in first gear at about 10 mph then suddenly accelerate at full throttle to the redline keeping your left foot hovering over the clutch pedal. Does your clutch pedal drop away from under your foot slightly as the throttle is fully opened?

Replacing the clutch return pipe with a braided item purchased through this forum has markedly improved my clutch pedal behaviour, although not cured the problem. That the clutch behaves absolutely normally with more sedate driving tells me that it cannot be a mechanical fault with the clutch. I wouldn’t be surprised if another unbraided rubber vacuum hose that is on the brink of collapsing at all times collapses when it becomes soft with the rise in engine temps under heavy load.

In my research, I’ve found a couple of examples of people who have changed everything associated with the clutch and solved the problem only to find it returned after a few hundred miles.

When I have the opportunity, I’m going to change the fluid and bleed the system carefully. I’m anticipating this improving the situation further.

I’m not an engineer and I wish I had a more intimate understanding of how the clutch mechanism on our car works as I think there is probably a fairly straight forward cause (even if there isn’t a simple solution).

Very interesting write-up mate, I had a look at the hose after it came out of my car and it was pretty saggy looking. Worth noting that my flywheel was borked too, probably just natural wear but I wouldn't rule out damage caused by the clutch issue.

[chiru]

I’m disappointed that someone like MRC haven’t established the cause and found a solution. I suppose there’s little impetus to find a simple fix if replacing the entire clutch setup resolves the problem.

[coffey555]

When I first got my car the clutch would stick down after a hard run with trips to the red line.

Audi changed the return pipe which did nothing to fix the problem. Ended up biting the bullet and changing everthing, clutch, flywheel, master, slave and release bearing.

Problem fixed for the next 6 years and 45,000 miles.

About a year ago the clutch pedal just started to become slow to return again before sticking down on one hard drive.

If you slow the gear shift down it seems to help rather than rushing the shift with little mechanical sympathy.

Will get around to looking at it if it gets any worse but with 155,000 miles just around the corner I will wait to see if the engine blows up when it hits that magic number.

[RS4JAY]

FON. Top lurking, 4 years and first post

I have never seen a credible one part resolution. My opinion is that the pipe is the first part that fails, but because everything still works, the car continues to be used and then the clutch and flywheel start to wear. When an owner eventually decides to do something about it, replacing just the pipe doesn't totally resolve the problem. Hence why the people who say they've fixed it, usually have replaced pipe, flywheel, clutch plate & parts. The master and slave cylinder replacements are just red herrings for me, sure some report very minor improvement after those but that could be down to just new fluid.

lol, cheers Sam. Yes I only purchased the car in September, I was looking 4 years ago but ended up with an M6.

[SilverS4]

Mine did a clutch pedal issue.
Turned out to need the pipe replacing between the master and slave, when it gets hot the rubber section in the middle goes soft.
Best cure is new master, slave and pipe.
Audi don’t bleed the clutch when they do brake fluid, mind you some of the techs don’t even do the inside bleed nipple on the front calipers.
Apparently they get 30mins book time and the whole job would take about an hour longer.
Be prepared to find black fluid in brakes and clutch line.

[Lukes3]

Who sells the upgraded pipe on here?

[marc1]

Robnic sells the uprated braided hose.

[Lukes3]

Cheers

[chiru]

Robnic sells the uprated braided hose.

Yep, he sold me mine. Very nice bloke to deal with and very efficient service

Who sells the upgraded pipe on here?

His is the penultimate post on page one of this thread. Send him a PM and he’ll give a phone number to call:

viewtopic.php?f=35&t=118361&hilit=Clutch+Robnic

[Jimbob71]

Mine did a clutch pedal issue.
Turned out to need the pipe replacing between the master and slave, when it gets hot the rubber section in the middle goes soft.
Best cure is new master, slave and pipe.
Audi don’t bleed the clutch when they do brake fluid, mind you some of the techs don’t even do the inside bleed nipple on the front calipers.
Apparently they get 30mins book time and the whole job would take about an hour longer.
Be prepared to find black fluid in brakes and clutch line.

Good point, if the return pipe is not bled at certain intervals, brake fluid will turn in to water in said pipe and boil after heavy use, and not be effective, effecting performance of clutch, causing scoring on components of clutch, bearing, wear etc! Resulting eventually the in clutch failure!? Design fault but cars are full of them!

[RS4JAY]

Ok, I have notice recently that my RS is getting increasingly more difficult to put in to 1,2 & 3 gears. I am out the country with work just now, so won’t be home until mid-January. But I have ordered, as new clutch & flywheel, along with a new Clutch Master Cylinder. I will be ordering a modified/uprated pipe from robnic also.

Can anyone advise, if there is any additional parts I should change while in the process? I will of course be changing the fluid and bleeding the system, but anyone have a preference to which fluid is best? For bakes I normally use RBF600

TIA

[Rw@@dy]

There was a post from robnic with a couple of other parts to change while you have it all apart, can’t remember off hand what they were, one was the release fork and I think the others were bearings


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[RS4JAY]

There was a post from robnic with a couple of other parts to change while you have it all apart, can’t remember off hand what they were, one was the release fork and I think the others were bearings


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Thanks Rwoody. I have PM'd Rob