98 Jeep cherokee. Had clutch replaced about 5-6 mos. ago @ ~160k mi. Worked perfectly since then but suddenly starting acting up (since cold weather started). When letting out the pedal, the clutch grabs hard at a certain part of the travel. Also when pushing in, the car seems to lurch forward as if the clutch was slipping and engaged fully as you push the pedal in(I find this part bizarre). The last thing is that sometimes it goes into gear easy and sometimes it is difficult. Anyone know what could be causing this weird mix of symptoms?
You might get that clutch out and inspected before it leaves you stranded.
The problem might be caused from an internal leak in the clutch master cylinder.
If the seals in the clutch master cylinder are leaking, the hydraulic fluid bypasses the seals. When you step on the clutch pedal not enough hydraulic pressure is produced to fully disengage the clutch. This then causes the gears to grind when trying to shift, or the vehicle can lurch foreward when put into gear because the clutch is still partially engaged. When slowly releasing the clutch pedal it should slowly engage the clutch. But if the seals are bad inside the master cylinder, and a worn section inside the master cylinder is reached, the hydraulic pressure can be suddenly be released, so the clutch grabs suddenly or hard.
Tester