That’s not the bleed nipple!
Clutch to the floor
- Thread starter Bondyt6
- Start date
Who said that it was?
Eyetracking
New Member
The story so far.
We've learnt to keep topping up the reservoir with DOT4 after every journey. There's no simple logic to the speed of the leak. Sometimes it doesn't need topping up for days and other times it will drop all the fluid overnight. We've tried parking in different orientations - but it feels just random. If it's dropped all the fluid we just fill to the brim, flex the reservoir to encourage more flow when filling and then spend about 15 minutes pumping the clutch pedal by hand and then by foot. The first 5 minutes feel like nothing is happening but then you get a bit of resistance and then it builds up some pressure quickly. I've not worked out an optimal technique - seems you just got to pump it lots initially and just keep going, even though it feels nothing is happening. I must be pumping 60 times a second for the first five minutes.
Had to wait a month before a garage would look at the van. They've just had a look and said the gearbox/clutch needs dropping to fix it. They earliest they can do it is in 3 months time. :-(
We're on the Isle of Lewis. Options at the moment are find a mainland garage in Inverness or further afield. Wait until November and use a local garage. Or get on YouTube and learn how to do it myself on the driveway.
I'll post an update when we get it fixed.
We've learnt to keep topping up the reservoir with DOT4 after every journey. There's no simple logic to the speed of the leak. Sometimes it doesn't need topping up for days and other times it will drop all the fluid overnight. We've tried parking in different orientations - but it feels just random. If it's dropped all the fluid we just fill to the brim, flex the reservoir to encourage more flow when filling and then spend about 15 minutes pumping the clutch pedal by hand and then by foot. The first 5 minutes feel like nothing is happening but then you get a bit of resistance and then it builds up some pressure quickly. I've not worked out an optimal technique - seems you just got to pump it lots initially and just keep going, even though it feels nothing is happening. I must be pumping 60 times a second for the first five minutes.
Had to wait a month before a garage would look at the van. They've just had a look and said the gearbox/clutch needs dropping to fix it. They earliest they can do it is in 3 months time. :-(
We're on the Isle of Lewis. Options at the moment are find a mainland garage in Inverness or further afield. Wait until November and use a local garage. Or get on YouTube and learn how to do it myself on the driveway.
I'll post an update when we get it fixed.
Unless you've had a clutch / DMF fitted and you're happy that both are in very good condition it makes sense to replace both while the whole thing is in bits.
Was this at a dealer or an independent, I’m assuming independent garage?
kfrenchm8926371
New Member
Where is the bleed nipple located for the clutch?
I believe you can get to it with the driver side wheel off and fourth gear selected, go in through the wheel arch.
Good to know because it isn’t very easy from above.
The manual isn't much help to be honest.
For vehicles with manual gearbox
– Pull off cap from bleeder screw of clutch slave cylinder.
– Push collector bottle bleeder hose onto bleeder valve of clutch
slave cylinder -arrow-.
– Open bleeder valve and allow approx. 0.1 litre or 100 cm3 to
flow out.
– Close bleeder valve and quickly operate foot pedal 10 to 15
times from stop to stop.
– Open bleeder valve and allow another 0.05 litre or 50 cm3 of
brake fluid to flow out.
– Close bleeder valve.
– Fit cap.
– Press clutch pedal several times.
This procedure assumes the use of some specialist VAG equipment that feeds brake fluid in at the reservoir (nothing that a willing assistant with a supply of brake fluid couldn't emulate)
For vehicles with manual gearbox
– Pull off cap from bleeder screw of clutch slave cylinder.
– Push collector bottle bleeder hose onto bleeder valve of clutch
slave cylinder -arrow-.
– Open bleeder valve and allow approx. 0.1 litre or 100 cm3 to
flow out.
– Close bleeder valve and quickly operate foot pedal 10 to 15
times from stop to stop.
– Open bleeder valve and allow another 0.05 litre or 50 cm3 of
brake fluid to flow out.
– Close bleeder valve.
– Fit cap.
– Press clutch pedal several times.
This procedure assumes the use of some specialist VAG equipment that feeds brake fluid in at the reservoir (nothing that a willing assistant with a supply of brake fluid couldn't emulate)
Just joined the group so hello to everyone 
Just got into my van this weekend went to start and the clutch pedal went straight to the floor and I had to pull it back up, the brake fluid reservoir was recently topped up could this be part of the problem with air in the system?TIA
T6 SWB 140 TDI
Just got into my van this weekend went to start and the clutch pedal went straight to the floor and I had to pull it back up, the brake fluid reservoir was recently topped up could this be part of the problem with air in the system?TIA
T6 SWB 140 TDI
Assuming the pedal is the same as the T5's it has a spring arrangement which, once air enters the system because of any leak (master cylinder, slave cylinder or pipe leak) the pedal will then stick to the floor needing hand pressure to pull it back up. When the problem is fixed and the system is bled, the pedal will behave normally again. I've found slave cylinder leaks the most usual culprit. No need to panic about the fact that the pedal sticks to the floor even though it seems dramatic but it does mean you have air in the system. Actually, by topping up and bleeding (lifting the pedal each time as you will need to) you can usually carry on for a bit (say for the duration of a French trip) as long as you keep a keen eye on the fluid level and don't let it get low enough to draw in air.
Similar threads
