# Strange Clutch **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** forester, clutches, subaru\ **Created:** [December 24, 2011, 7:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/strange-clutch/70112 "2011-12-24T19:10:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![millhunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3be4f8/32.png) [@millhunk](https://community.cartalk.com/u/millhunk)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 7:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/strange-clutch/70112/1 "2011-12-24T19:10:58Z")
1998 Subaru Forester with a weird clutch problem. Clutch works fine in cold weather, but for the last 3 summers when driving in city traffic, the clutch gets spongy and starts to catch lower and lower to the floor. Car has about 125,000mi bought it 2 years ago and don’t know when or if the clutch was ever replaced. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 8:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/strange-clutch/70112/2 "2011-12-24T20:12:45Z")
Replace the clutch master cylinder. In the future have the clutch fluid and brake fluid changed every 3 years. Next many others will repeat and elaborate this advice… ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 8:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/strange-clutch/70112/3 "2011-12-24T20:37:57Z")
Make sure to have the clutch slave cylinder replaced as well when you replace the clutch master cylinder. ---
**Author:** ![millhunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3be4f8/32.png) [@millhunk](https://community.cartalk.com/u/millhunk)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 3:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/strange-clutch/70112/4 "2011-12-27T03:46:56Z")
Thanks for the info guys! That would sure beat a clutch R&R - Subaru dealer gave me a rough est of $2,000 for that - ouch! ---
**Author:** ![Honda-Blackbird](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/honda-blackbird/32/3159_2.png) [@Honda-Blackbird](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda-Blackbird)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 4:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/strange-clutch/70112/5 "2011-12-27T04:11:33Z")
Good advice by all…I would go with the cheapest item first…see what you get… Clutch slave cyl…then Master… see what you get ONE of them is the culprit…and neither are too xpensive. Blackbird