Sticky Clutch Pedal - Sharan 1.9 TDi '05

[HorseOffaGypsy]

Can someone please help! I've lost the will on this...

I was "loosing" the clutch on my 1.9 TDi '05 Sharan (~180k Miles!!).. the biting point was on the floor... the clutch (and fly wheel) were replaced and everything was OK. A month or so later and then the clutch pedal started "dropping" - one minute it would be at the correct height, the next, when you touch the pedal, it would drop to "3/4 position" (and the biting point would move down the same amount), If you put your foot under the pedal it "pop's" back up. Now the pedal and biting point is constantly variable... even as you are driving along.. if you "tap" clutch pedal, every 20 or 30 taps (i.e hit the pedal but do not depress the actual clutch) the whole pedal will drop by 50 mm or so.

I've taken the car back and forth to the original garage and the following have been tried:

1) Bled master cylinder... improved but then same problem returned
2) Replaced brake pedal and return spring...... improved but then same problem returned
3) Replaced master cylinder... improved but then same problem returned
4) Replaced slave cylinder (also exchanged the new clutch- just in case!) and replaced a fluid pipe (not too sure which one!)... improved but then same problem has returned

What is going on - the garage are fed up - when it leaves them its working fine but within a matter of months its gone again. (As you can probably tell this has been on going for some time!!!)

Can anyone suggest where to go next??

My estimation is that there is some sort of air leak in the system... but there are no signs of fluid loss. Is there some obvious way that air could be getting in there that's been overlooked?

My other thought is... if the hydraulic fluid has been contaminated with some other fluid (oil/water etc.) or an incorrect grade fluid was used, could the system "cavitate" or "out-gas" itself which then leads to air pockets? Can (or should) the fluid be replaced/changed? (The garage have done this before but if they keep using the wrong grade, this might answer why it goes and then comes back!?)

This probelm only effected the clutch pedal - the actual operation of the clutch appears to work correctly.

Any suggestions on where to go next would be welcome!

Cheers,

HoG

[RayDex]

Hi HoG,

Did this get resolved? if so how/what was the problem?

Cheers,

Ray