Embarrasing Story...Kinda Long - Zilvia.net Forums | Nissan 240SX (Silvia) and Z (Fairlady) Car Forum

240SX21 · 08-02-2002, 11:56 AM

ok, so im driving down a local street yesterday & all of a sudden i notice that my clutch pedal is very loose(meaning that it became very easy to push to the ground).  i was on my home so i figured id check it out when i got there.  all i had to do was merge onto the highway & get home.  then, just when i got to the front of the line to merge onto the highway, i couldnt shift into gear!  my clutch pedal became completely loose, it wouldnt come back up when i pushed it down!  i tried for a couple minutes to get it going, but after non-stop beeps from the some-30 cars behind me, i decided to give up & call for a tow truck.  so i threw on the hazards & waited.  i managed to leave a little crack for other cars to pass by me, but of course i had to sit there & watch each & every one of them stare at me before passing.  after 20 minutes of waiting(& having 1 kid who i sometimes race laugh at me as he went by), the tow truck gets there.  at this point ive held up traffic pretty well & everyone hates me.  but at least the embarrassment is over, right?  i forgot to set the alarm to valet mode, so as the truck is towing my car back to my house, the alarm is going off non-stop!  so just incase nobody noticed my car was being towed, the alarm attracted everyone's attention as it rolled through my town back to my house.  lots of fun there.  anyways, on to the actual problem.  i posted it in the tech forum, but ill post it again here:

my clutch pedal is completely loose, meaning that when i push it
                        to the ground, it doesnt come back up on its own.  i literally have to pick
                        it back up with my foot.  and my car is undrivable because i cant shift
                        into gears(unless i grind em) since i cant press the clutch down properly.
                         now, i dont if this is an accurate test or not but a couple of buddies of
                        mine had me leave my car in 1st, while we tried to push it.  it didnt roll,
                        so they said that my clutch was grabbing, meaning that my clutch isn't
                        burnt out.  which i figured since this is a brand new clutch(i just got the
                        auto-2-manual swap done about a month ago). i already checked my fluid & its                          fine. its also weird cuz
                        normally im told you can feel your clutch going days/weeks in advance
                        before it actually gives out.  but this happened all of a sudden(in a
                        matter of seconds).  the only thing i noticed was that my clutch pedal
                        would squeak whenever i pushed it down, & this started a few days ago,
                        but i assumed i just needed some wd-40 on the pedal.  so anyway, now
                        my car is completely undrivable for the first time since ive had it(over a
                        year ago).   i dont that much about manual trannys & clutches, so if
                        anyone can help me out on what they think the problem is, that would
                        be great.  im bringing it to my mechanic(the same one who did the swap
                        for me) tomorrow, but i just wanted to see what you guys had to say
                        first.  oh, and people tell me that this could be a problem too: my clutch
                        cable is sitting really low to the ground beneath my car.  some tell me
                        that it should be bolted to the chassis or else it could become loose &
                        thats what might be causing my problem.  please if anyone has any
                        ideas just let me know!!!!  thanks!!!

240SX21 · 08-02-2002, 12:10 PM

oops....i always call it a clutch cable.  my "clutch cable" that im talking about is actually the cylinder pressure hose.  thanks to campain for pointing that out.

240meowth · 08-02-2002, 12:41 PM

time to powershift your car's way into heaven?

well, since you said your clutch is grabbing and you just did the auto->manual swap.  check for that metal thing that's connected to the inside of the tranny.  make sure everything is together.

s13driver · 08-02-2002, 02:09 PM

i think your slave cylinder went out... or the 1 that is called operating cylinder on the fsm... i just replace mine not too long ago.. so i think this can be the cause to your problem.. just jack up the car and have a look. see if it is leaking or something.

benjamminm3 · 08-02-2002, 02:11 PM

throwout bearing gave up?

uiuc240 · 08-02-2002, 02:23 PM

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (benjamminm3 @ Aug. 02 2002,3:11)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">throwout bearing gave up?</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
when those go out, the pedal doesn't stick to the floor.  they will make a bad "rolling metal" noise.  the throwout bearing simply sits on the input shaft of the tranny and presses the shift fork against the pressure plate.  basically.  i'm pretty sure.  <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/hehe.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':hehe:'>

Eric

SR20Fastback · 08-02-2002, 02:51 PM

No my throwout bearing got bent or was loose when my clutch went out, and it did the same thing. I was on the freeway and all of a sudden the car wouldnt go into 4th. Man I was pissed, went without my car for 26 days.

fairladyz · 08-02-2002, 03:50 PM

I'm a 100 percent sure that your clutch releasing fork came loose or snapped into half. I had the EXACT SAME problem twice- First time the fork was snapped into half(powershifting no bueno) The second time the fork came loose(Don't ask)
All I can tell you is that you have to drop the transmission inorder to fix it.(Well, at least for my car)
good luck

240Driver39 · 08-02-2002, 05:03 PM

Hey, i had a problem back a lil while ago. The clutch wasnt disengaging, but it was working perfectly the day b4

so i did a search in the archives, and there is a post that helped me. I got mine workin again the next morning without needing to replace a part. I believe my slave cylinder is going, but i have not had a problem again. the thing i have to do is lift the clutch pedal everyonce and a while, the freeplay area, not off the floor or nehting, it has become habit and i rarely even think of doing it. I also topped off my clutch hydrolic fluid since i noticed it was a little below the fill line.

here is the post that helped me

Post in archives

u could try there, worth a shot

240SX21 · 08-03-2002, 09:40 AM

thanks a bunch guys.  im gonna give it a try adding fluid to my cylinder & pumping the clutch, but if the problem isnt solved by that then i gotta tow my car back to the mechanic & see what he says.  ill let you know what the problem was.

240SX21 · 08-03-2002, 06:19 PM

i didnt have as much fluid as i originally thought, so it helped a little when i filled it up.  now the pedal comes back up on its own & i can go into every gear except 1st.  why? <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'>  i was told i had to bleed the slave cylinder now.  how is that done exactly?

08-02-2002, 12:41 PM	#3
240meowth Nissanaholic! Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: torrance, ca Age: 41 Posts: 2,407 Trader Rating: (4) Feedback Score: 4 reviews	time to powershift your car's way into heaven? well, since you said your clutch is grabbing and you just did the auto->manual swap.  check for that metal thing that's connected to the inside of the tranny.  make sure everything is together. __________________

08-02-2002, 02:09 PM	#4
s13driver Zilvia Addict Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: BrokenlanD Posts: 625 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	i think your slave cylinder went out... or the 1 that is called operating cylinder on the fsm... i just replace mine not too long ago.. so i think this can be the cause to your problem.. just jack up the car and have a look. see if it is leaking or something. __________________ it is so hard to educate the uneducated.

08-02-2002, 02:23 PM	#6
uiuc240 Nissanaholic! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Naperville, IL Age: 46 Posts: 2,093 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (benjamminm3 @ Aug. 02 2002,3:11)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">throwout bearing gave up?</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'> when those go out, the pedal doesn't stick to the floor.  they will make a bad "rolling metal" noise.  the throwout bearing simply sits on the input shaft of the tranny and presses the shift fork against the pressure plate.  basically.  i'm pretty sure.  <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/hehe.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':hehe:'> Eric __________________ 2002 Mazda Protege5 1989 S13 w/SR20DET (sold)

08-02-2002, 02:51 PM	#7
SR20Fastback Nissanaholic! Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: The Bay Age: 40 Posts: 1,637 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	No my throwout bearing got bent or was loose when my clutch went out, and it did the same thing. I was on the freeway and all of a sudden the car wouldnt go into 4th. Man I was pissed, went without my car for 26 days. __________________ Fodive STILL blows goats, I have proof.

08-02-2002, 03:50 PM	#8
fairladyz Leaky Injector Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: In front of you Posts: 100 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	I'm a 100 percent sure that your clutch releasing fork came loose or snapped into half. I had the EXACT SAME problem twice- First time the fork was snapped into half(powershifting no bueno) The second time the fork came loose(Don't ask) All I can tell you is that you have to drop the transmission inorder to fix it.(Well, at least for my car) good luck __________________ 1992 Sapphire Blue Twinturbo 5 speed JWT POP/Borla cat-back/JWT ECU/ UD pulley GD Downpipes/Testpipes

08-02-2002, 11:56 AM	#1
240SX21 Zilvia Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: NJ Posts: 199 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	ok, so im driving down a local street yesterday & all of a sudden i notice that my clutch pedal is very loose(meaning that it became very easy to push to the ground).  i was on my home so i figured id check it out when i got there.  all i had to do was merge onto the highway & get home.  then, just when i got to the front of the line to merge onto the highway, i couldnt shift into gear!  my clutch pedal became completely loose, it wouldnt come back up when i pushed it down!  i tried for a couple minutes to get it going, but after non-stop beeps from the some-30 cars behind me, i decided to give up & call for a tow truck.  so i threw on the hazards & waited.  i managed to leave a little crack for other cars to pass by me, but of course i had to sit there & watch each & every one of them stare at me before passing.  after 20 minutes of waiting(& having 1 kid who i sometimes race laugh at me as he went by), the tow truck gets there.  at this point ive held up traffic pretty well & everyone hates me.  but at least the embarrassment is over, right?  i forgot to set the alarm to valet mode, so as the truck is towing my car back to my house, the alarm is going off non-stop!  so just incase nobody noticed my car was being towed, the alarm attracted everyone's attention as it rolled through my town back to my house.  lots of fun there.  anyways, on to the actual problem.  i posted it in the tech forum, but ill post it again here: my clutch pedal is completely loose, meaning that when i push it                         to the ground, it doesnt come back up on its own.  i literally have to pick                         it back up with my foot.  and my car is undrivable because i cant shift                         into gears(unless i grind em) since i cant press the clutch down properly.                          now, i dont if this is an accurate test or not but a couple of buddies of                         mine had me leave my car in 1st, while we tried to push it.  it didnt roll,                         so they said that my clutch was grabbing, meaning that my clutch isn't                         burnt out.  which i figured since this is a brand new clutch(i just got the                         auto-2-manual swap done about a month ago). i already checked my fluid & its                          fine. its also weird cuz                         normally im told you can feel your clutch going days/weeks in advance                         before it actually gives out.  but this happened all of a sudden(in a                         matter of seconds).  the only thing i noticed was that my clutch pedal                         would squeak whenever i pushed it down, & this started a few days ago,                         but i assumed i just needed some wd-40 on the pedal.  so anyway, now                         my car is completely undrivable for the first time since ive had it(over a                         year ago).   i dont that much about manual trannys & clutches, so if                         anyone can help me out on what they think the problem is, that would                         be great.  im bringing it to my mechanic(the same one who did the swap                         for me) tomorrow, but i just wanted to see what you guys had to say                         first.  oh, and people tell me that this could be a problem too: my clutch                         cable is sitting really low to the ground beneath my car.  some tell me                         that it should be bolted to the chassis or else it could become loose &                         thats what might be causing my problem.  please if anyone has any                         ideas just let me know!!!!  thanks!!!

08-02-2002, 12:10 PM	#2
240SX21 Zilvia Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: NJ Posts: 199 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	oops....i always call it a clutch cable.  my "clutch cable" that im talking about is actually the cylinder pressure hose.  thanks to campain for pointing that out.

08-02-2002, 02:11 PM	#5
benjamminm3 Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 25 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	throwout bearing gave up?

08-02-2002, 05:03 PM	#9
240Driver39 Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: May 2002 Location: Charleston, SC Age: 40 Posts: 1,090 Trader Rating: (1) Rides Gallery: 240Driver39 Feedback Score: 1 reviews	Hey, i had a problem back a lil while ago. The clutch wasnt disengaging, but it was working perfectly the day b4 so i did a search in the archives, and there is a post that helped me. I got mine workin again the next morning without needing to replace a part. I believe my slave cylinder is going, but i have not had a problem again. the thing i have to do is lift the clutch pedal everyonce and a while, the freeplay area, not off the floor or nehting, it has become habit and i rarely even think of doing it. I also topped off my clutch hydrolic fluid since i noticed it was a little below the fill line. here is the post that helped me Post in archives u could try there, worth a shot __________________ 1990 240sx 5spd fastback

08-03-2002, 09:40 AM	#10
240SX21 Zilvia Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: NJ Posts: 199 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	thanks a bunch guys.  im gonna give it a try adding fluid to my cylinder & pumping the clutch, but if the problem isnt solved by that then i gotta tow my car back to the mechanic & see what he says.  ill let you know what the problem was.

08-03-2002, 06:19 PM	#11
240SX21 Zilvia Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: NJ Posts: 199 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	i didnt have as much fluid as i originally thought, so it helped a little when i filled it up.  now the pedal comes back up on its own & i can go into every gear except 1st.  why? <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'>  i was told i had to bleed the slave cylinder now.  how is that done exactly?