Good morning,

I have a 1994 Honda Accord (manual transmission). The car was working fine until last night. I came back from somewhere and parked the car near the house... no problems at all.. However, this morning, when I pressed the clutch to turn the car on, the clutch offered no resistance for almost 70-80% of its travel down. I feel normal resistance towards the end when it is about to reach the floor. The car started, but the clutch still feels the same. I attempted to shift in 1st, and see if the car moves. It jumped a little as it would if release the clutch without using accelerator. I pressed the clutch again to prevent the engine from shutting down. But I did not dare to try again. I did not want to be stuck in the middle of the road.

Any ideas what I should be looking for?

I would really appreciate any suggestions or help.

Thanks

 

Look at the master cylinder. See if the clutch fluid is very low. If it is, see if clutch fluid leaked out of there. I would also take a look at the slave cylinder.

 

After finding & fixing any leaks, then you'll want to bleed the clutch hydraulic system.

MC can leak alongside it's shaft, then soak into the carpet right on the firewall so don't forget to look there.

Let us know what you find, there's a couple possibilities.

 

As the car was working absolutely fine with no problem whatsoever with the clutch, I was suspecting that there would a puddle of fluid under the car but I see nothing there. perhaps a drop or two.

Also, pardon my lack of knowledge, but I could not exactly find the clutch MC. I have uploaed 2 pics with arrow pointing to what I believe is the MC.

https://www.yousendit.com/download/T...OW5ENlR2Wmc9PQ

Please correct me if I am wrong. I opened that tiny cylinder and there was barely any space for any fluid. There was no marking "Max" or "Min" on the outside of the cylinder. at the bottom of the cylinder was a tiny disk that can move around. and I did not see any fluid there at all..

additionally, I checked to see if, with the engine running and clutch depressed, I can shift into all gears... no problems at all. I shifted in reverse to see if car can be backed up and turned out that it was beginning to move very quickly, as if engine transmission was kicking in instantly.


I will try and check the firewall. Can that be done by looking from the front our do I have to go under the car?

Thanks

 

That is the reservoir for the clutch master cylinder. There isn't a ton of room in there, but you should be able to see fluid. That float should float. Add some brake fluid (dot 3).

When my clutch hydraulics went, it was the slave cylinder, so check that as well. There is a rubber boot that can get filled with brake fluid. The slave cylinder is #11 in the picture below. It is on the transmission towards the front the bumper.

 

Follow the hose from that reservoir. The clutch master-cylinder (#9) is bolted to the firewall. When it leaks, it often leaks alongside the shaft which attaches to the clutch pedal. You'll be looking for fluid soaked into the padding underneath the carpet; below & forward of the clutch pedal.

If you find fluid there, you'll want to replace the clutch MC.

 

I have not had a chance to look for a leak yet, but assuming there is one, I know I cannot fix it myself, but will have to take it to a mechanic. A quick question regarding that! Since there is a little bit of resistance left in the clutch pedal still, the leak must be pretty small, correct? If I fill the MC with DOT3 fluid, will I be able to drive the car up to the mechanic's garage (about 10 miles drive)?? Also, what happens usually when there is no fluid left in the MC while driving?

My apologies for asking such possibly dumb questions, but 1) I am curious and 2) I am broke right now and would like save on towing expenses if possible.

 

Yes DOT3 fluid. The rest depends on how much air and the size of the leak (no fluid=no clutch). Top it off, test drive on side streets (not too far from home and not too far). How does it feel and re-check fluid. From there, the decision is up to you?

 

Another update….. I bought a can of DOT3 brake fluid to fill in the clutch MC. It might have taken less than half a cup when the float in the cylinder began to float and the fluid is not going down any more, which means the system is still filled with it. However, when I asked my friend to press the clutch to see what happens to the fluid, I noticed that each time he presses the clutch, a couple of bubbles come out to the surface from the bottom of the cylinder. Also, the clutch is still as resistance-less a before. I did not try to turn the car on. I will check the fluid level tomorrow morning again.

 

There's a SMALL chance that it'll get better simply by pumping the pedal 50 times. Each time you release a small bubble & a little bit of fluid goes down into the system. Keep watching it whether the fluid dissappears.

Without hydraulics, the clutch will not disengage. (You press down the pedal to disengage the clutch.)