R D S wrote:
"Mrcheerful" wrote in message
m...
R D S wrote:
The clutch on our Multipla gets very crunchy after prolonged use and
gets to the point where driving becomes a real pain in the arse.
The clutch itself is approx 1yr old and the slave cylinder was
changed just prior so I wonder if the master cylinder needs
changing. That said I wonder if the fluid needs changing as there is
*very*
jerky feedback from the brakes in the wet and if I understand
correctly the clutch and brakes share the same fluid. Would a need
to replace the fluid create the symptoms above?

In either case I would appreciate advice on replacing the fluid or
changing the master cylinder.

Cheers,

Rick

Fluid condition will not make any noticeable difference to clutch
operation, it would work for a while at least with water in the
system. Clutch and brake fluid should be changed every two years or
so as it attracts water, effectively the fluid in the clutch circuit
doesn't go anywhere and the fluid down at the slave cylinder must be
quite fresh as you had a new one quite recently.

If the clutch is apparently not disengaging when hot then it means
that either the clutch is not disengaging fully or the main shaft of
the gearbox is being dragged along by the engine.

There is a slim chance of a ballooning flexible hose, possibly the
release mechanism on/in the gearbox is stiff. Possibly the clutch
itself is faulty, incorrect grease application during clutch fitting
can give the same effect. if it uses one, the crankshaft spigot
bearing may be at fault and drags the mainshaft with it (this was
common on some fords) although many vehicles no longer have a spigot
bearing.

Thanks for the above.

If it makes any difference the problem is notably worse on a hot day.

I am sure it is fluid compression related as it occasionally gets so
bad that I can't get the car in gear unless I switch off the engine
for a moment and then fire it back up again.

then the first thing to try is to bleed some fresh fluid through, perhaps
some air was left in from before?