I've got a TD5 90, I thought I'd bleed the clutch because the fluid looked a bit black, I've bled it, no air left, pedal feels fine but it's hard to get in to gear and near impossible to get it in reverse! New clutch master cylinders and slave last year! Any ideas?
Clutch bleed
- Thread starter Glenroy
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If the fluid has gone black it suggests the seals are deteriorating. The R380 gearbox doesn't like changing gear unless the clutch plates are completely separate. This is good usually, because it means you don't grind the gears, but if there's any rotary motion creeping through from the flywheel it won't go.
I'm sorry to hear they haven't lasted long, but the discolouration suggests a seal problem. Britpart by any chance?
I'm sorry to hear they haven't lasted long, but the discolouration suggests a seal problem. Britpart by any chance?
No, I can't remember the brand, but it was a decent brand, from memory. It worked fine before, but now I've changed the fluid, it doesn't.
I had this with my TD5. It had new master and slave recently.
l spent ages on it, reverse bleeding, holding pedal down while closing bleed nipple, everything.
The solution is to bleed it, then wedge the pedal down overnight with a piece of wood or whatever you can lay your hands on. After that it will be perfect.
Try it.
l spent ages on it, reverse bleeding, holding pedal down while closing bleed nipple, everything.
The solution is to bleed it, then wedge the pedal down overnight with a piece of wood or whatever you can lay your hands on. After that it will be perfect.
Try it.
neilly
Well-Known Member
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Is it on the flat or on a slope? when you are trying to bleed it.
Cheers
Cheers
Scooby22
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I find the best method of bleeding the clutch is to fit a long length of pipe from slave cylinder bleed nipple up to a container at top of inner wing then just pump the pedal with the nipple cracked open, keeping the master cylinder topped up with Dot 4 fluid. Any air will soon be expelled. Easy and works a treat.
Black fluid does suggest rubber seals are shot one one or both cylingers, did you use correct dot fluid.
Black fluid does suggest rubber seals are shot one one or both cylingers, did you use correct dot fluid.
Hello,
Yes I tried that, but then when I’ve left the car parked up it goes back to being difficult to select gears!
No, it’s in the middle of the travel, it was fine before I stupidly decided to change the fluid and now I can’t get smooth gear changes!
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As Brown said if the fluid was going black the seals are deteriorating. The rubber particles may have been built up around the seal enough to just keep it working and you've flushed them out with new fluid. New cylinders are not expensive. I suspect my slave cylinder is leaking slightly as I'm having to top my fluid up. Going to take it off to have a look this afternoon. IIRC it was a cheap one and I'm paying the price for buying cheap, cos it hasn't been on very long!
EDIT
300Tdi not TD5
EDIT
300Tdi not TD5
mojofilter
Active Member
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I found my Td5 clutch a right pain to get bled properly, but a bit of perseverance and it came up in the end.
He says the master and slave cylinders are new.
lf the biting point is halfway up and it's still dragging l'd suspect a fault with the clutch. Had exactly the same with our 300tdi.
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New last year isn't new now.
Yes but they should last longer than new! Anyway, it turned out to be a the pipe going to the slave had a kink in it which wasn’t allowing the appropriate amount of pressure to get through, straightened the pipe and adjusting everything, now changes gears like a Mercedes!!
Thank you for your help!!!! Turned out to be a kink in the pipe going to the slave cylinder! Straightened it and now changes gear perfectly! The wood method over night was obviously building up enough pressure for it to work on my brief commute to work and then would die down again!
Turboman
Mab An Gov
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It will be air in the system. I normally find gravity bleed works fine, but if not try what lightning suggests.
The fluid will have gone black because it has not been changed regularly. All brake fluid should be changed every year. because it absorbs moisture from the atmosphere.
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I agree they should last longer than that, but you can get rogue ones that let you down. How did bleeding it put a kink in the pipe?
Well I've learned something new there cos I didn't know the water absorbed by the hygroscopic fluid turned the fluid black.
You've got it fixed that's the main thing.
Turboman
Mab An Gov
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I agree they should last longer than that, but you can get rogue ones that let you down. How did bleeding it put a kink in the pipe?
Well I've learned something new there cos I didn't know the water absorbed by the hygroscopic fluid turned the fluid black.
May be an element of other contamination, as Brown suggests. But mostly it is water, and it goes down in yer calipers and wheel cylinders, and messes em up.
Just change yearly, brake fluid is cheap!
