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Hi Guys,

I have my RS4 just over a month now,loving it so far, but I think I have the Sticky Clutch issue.
It's stuck halfway down on me 4 times now, twice after "Spirited" driving, twice shortly after starting off.

From reading posts here it seems like there is a bit of uncertainty about it, but it points to a new clutch,
I;m just trying to figure out if this issue causes any damage and if so how I'm going to convince the dealer to replace it!

Any advice?

Cheers

I have this issue with mine occasionally. It's true no one seems to have a definitive answer..

I've been thinking and discussing with some people and we have a theory that it could be the proximity of the exhaust manifold with the master cylinder.. Not actually sure how close the two are but it would make sense to me as it only seems to happen when you've been up at high revs with maximum exhaust temperatures and therefore when the manifold would be radiating a lot of heat..

When i get some time i'm gonna see if i can get some heat shielding between the two, failing this, i'm still under the 3 month used car warranty i got when i bought it so i'll go down that route, something may actually be defective..

It seems like a problem over such a wide range of RS4s that people have had all sorts of clutch parts changed with no success, seems like a solution like this would make some difference, even a clutch fluid change to something higher spec may be an advantage.. Temped to try that as a first attempt.

Jaheenormous wrote:It seems like a problem over such a wide range of RS4s that people have had all sorts of clutch parts changed with no success, seems like a solution like this would make some difference, even a clutch fluid change to something higher spec may be an advantage.. Temped to try that as a first attempt.

Not strickly true - the only cure found is to replace the clutch and flywheel - from my experience and others you will be clutching (excuse the pun) straws if you think anything else will cure it.

I recently went down the route of new fluid, upgraded the return pipe, slave cylinder, master cylinder. Did each one separately one at a time. None have worked. So clutch next month.

There are a lot of threads on here about it and pretty much all have had to change the clutch.

Cheers, do Audi acknowledge it at all?
Just wondering what the best way to approach the dealer is, I still have 5 months warranty anyway.

The other thing that concerns me it that I've had it from cold twice now...
I must try that high revving trick so I can show the dealer something anyway.

Jaheenormous wrote:I have this issue with mine occasionally. It's true no one seems to have a definitive answer..

I've been thinking and discussing with some people and we have a theory that it could be the proximity of the exhaust manifold with the master cylinder.. Not actually sure how close the two are but it would make sense to me as it only seems to happen when you've been up at high revs with maximum exhaust temperatures and therefore when the manifold would be radiating a lot of heat..

When i get some time i'm gonna see if i can get some heat shielding between the two, failing this, i'm still under the 3 month used car warranty i got when i bought it so i'll go down that route, something may actually be defective..

I don't think this is the case. People have recreated the issue just by revving te car from a standstill.
My money is on a wearing item in the clutch assembly that gets locked into a bad position due the centrifugal acceleration of the clutch fluid at high rpm.
If it were the case the changing the slave and master cylinders would resolve it and generally it doesn't.

spikeyboy101 wrote: the only cure found is to replace the clutch and flywheel - from my experience and others you will be clutching (excuse the pun) straws if you think anything else will cure it.

Even that only worked for 2k miles on my car

Coaster wrote:

spikeyboy101 wrote: the only cure found is to replace the clutch and flywheel - from my experience and others you will be clutching (excuse the pun) straws if you think anything else will cure it.

Even that only worked for 2k miles on my car

Coaster: did they replace the clutch return pipe and flush clutch with new fluid?

Firstly, if you look carefully, there are a number of different (albeit similar) symptoms being reported as "sticky clutch". Even with those people who report very similar symptoms there are differing solutions which have apparently worked.

There are almost certainly issues with clutch hydraulics (Audi have revised the clutch return pipe 7 times since 2006 I believe), but it seems that there must be some other factors at play too.

The clutch return pipe was done first before the rest of the clutch. As the master, slave and return pipe were all replaced it's fair to say that the fluid was also changed. Even an Audi main dealer wouldn't put used fluid back in?

And despite all that being done the issue retuned after 2k miles?

irishmike wrote:And despite all that being done the issue retuned after 2k miles?

I can't remember the exact mileage but I only did a total of 12k in the car and the problem returned after a period of about 3 months IIRC.

Coaster wrote:The clutch return pipe was done first before the rest of the clutch. As the master, slave and return pipe were all replaced it's fair to say that the fluid was also changed. Even an Audi main dealer wouldn't put used fluid back in?

Hrm, interesting. If I'm reading this right, you had every aspect of the clutch hydraulics and assembly replaced and still experienced the problem?

Thoughts point to the pressure plate of the clutch. Also a problem found on the JHM clutch which had all different components except for the pressure plate.