Clutch pedal

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

I have a 2005 Chevy Cavalier with a manual transmission.

The Car has 78k miles.



I have noticed that the clutch pedal is intermittently soft. Basically, when i start driving the pedal will seem normal. As I drive there seems to be less “back pressure” (not sure if that is the word). The pedal will return , but the clutch seems like it engages when the pedal is closer to the floor. As I drive the “back pressure” will seem to return to normal.



It does not do this all the time, and occasionally the pedal does not seem to disengage the clutch at all.



I will start the car with the clutch pedal depressed to the floor and the car will lurch forward (almost like you started the car in gear with the clutch not depressed at all).



2

Have you checked the clutch master cylinder to see if the fluid is low? If it is, there may be a leak. If not, you have a bad master cylinder or slave cylinder. The master cylinder shouldn’t be difficult to replace, but the slave cylinder is a part of the hydraulic throwout bearing, and the transmission will need to be removed to gain access to it. Typically these are replaced together, but I would consider replacing just the master cylinder to see if that fixes the problem.

I don’t like what some car manufacturers have done to manual transmission clutch systems in the last 10 years. On this car, the master cylinder is plastic and the slave cylinder is part of a hydraulic throwout bearing. The hydraulic line between is also plastic. I don’t feel these parts are as durable and reliable as the older systems, where the master and slave were made of aluminum or iron/steel, and the slave cylinder was mounted to the outside of the transmission bellhousing, using a lever to move the throwout bearing. The older system could be serviced quickly and easily. On the newer systems, the throwout bearing leaks, and it is a hard, time-consuming and generally more expensive repair.

3

you might try checking the clutch with that many miles on it it may just be worn out

4

Thanks for you response.

I have checked the fluid level and it is fine.

I was thinking it could be a hydrolic problem, but wanted to see what someone else thought.

Thanks again for your response.

5

Not really very many miles on a clutch at all, unless the clutch was abused. how do you propose the OP “check-out” his clutch, if not simply observe operational qualities?