Clutch pedal sticky when hot?

[jimrobbington]

Wtf, am i crazy? Been cold lately, so I've had the heat on my feet lately. I've noticed when it gets hot down there, the clutch pedal becomes reluctant to release? I thought i was crazy at first. The pedal feels the same going in, but upon release, its almost like there's a slight vacuum or resistance, and the pedal doesn't snap back the way it should. So i turned heat off completely, opened the roof, within 5 minutes of cooling off, pedal was completely back to normal, releasing as fast as i can get my foot off the pedal. Is there something i need to grease/replace/upgrade? Perfect timing, car goes into the shop Friday to install the USP SS clutch line.

[jsh139]

Someone else on here had the same problem about a month or so ago. Can't recall what was done, though. Slave cylinder, maybe?

[flk]

Never felt this, but I do have a slight judder at engagement point when shifting fast between 1-2 and 2-3 WOT.
I don't like this feeling and it's never been something I felt before on previous MT's.. dunno if this has anything to do with that 'actuator' in the clutch line.

[jygesq]

Never felt this, but I do have a slight judder at engagement point when shifting fast between 1-2 and 2-3 WOT.
I don't like this feeling and it's never been something I felt before on previous MT's.. dunno if this has anything to do with that 'actuator' in the clutch line.

it is actually a clutch delay valve, BMW & Audi have them on their MT cars.Supposedly to protect drive train. In reality it destroys the driving experience. I lived with it got 15 years on my MT BMW. many owners take them out.Easy on BMW, NOT SO EASY on Audi.

[schirm]

When I first got my car I had this issue. It was fixed under warranty. It would get sticky about an hour into driving.

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...omething-wrong

[jimrobbington]

When I first got my car I had this issue. It was fixed under warranty. It would get sticky about an hour into driving.

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...omething-wrong

Damn it, slave cylinder? That's what i was afraid of. I drove it today, it has nothing to do with heat, it just comes and goes, fucking weird. So i guess i should cancel my appt for the usp install til i get audi to replace it?

To be honest, I've never owned a car this new, so I've never dealt with warranty stuff. Do i have to go to the dealer? Or can i do warranty work through an audi/vw tuner and get reimbursed somehow?

[schirm]

Damn it, slave cylinder? That's what i was afraid of. I drove it today, it has nothing to do with heat, it just comes and goes, fucking weird. So i guess i should cancel my appt for the usp install til i get audi to replace it?

To be honest, I've never owned a car this new, so I've never dealt with warranty stuff. Do i have to go to the dealer? Or can i do warranty work through an audi/vw tuner and get reimbursed somehow?

That's what it was for me. But if your under warranty you just bring it it. I had to bring it to them while it was happening. Because the tech didn't have the time to drive it till it would start. I mean who knows maybe usp install will fix it. It's cheap and will benefit regardless. For Audi warranty work just bring it to dealer when something's wrong.


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[infinkc]

Man, after reading all these slave failures, I better replace mine soon so I don't run into issues.

[jsh139]

If you're still under warranty bring it to Audi. Do NOT install the USP line yet unless you wanna potentially deal with them trying to deny coverage.

[mikdes26]

What year is the car? Also, for people "in the know," is this a common enough issue that Audi has corrected it on the latest models? I'm getting my 2016 this Friday.

[jimrobbington]

What year is the car? Also, for people "in the know," is this a common enough issue that Audi has corrected it on the latest models? I'm getting my 2016 this Friday.

Mines a 2012

[stigster]

I took my car in about a month ago for this exact same problem. The mechanics said they took it out for a test drive and couldn't replicate the problem. They told me my tranny fluid need to be replaced every two years and it was at that mark so I paid the $260+ for the fluid exchange and bleeding of the line. Felt better for a couple days than resorted back to that "molasses" feeling. I have an appt. tomorrow to have the car looked at (again) under warranty. I found this video which shows my exact problem: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bbrXz3fucaA

I'm going out test driving my car with a mechanic and won't leave until that problem is replicated. I'll report back with any prevalent info.

Hope this video helps!

[kobrian85]

The slave cylinder in my 2008 A3 failed, but it happened with about 85,000 miles on the clock. According to my mechanic he said it was a pretty fluky incident, that he hasn't seen many failures like mine. Luckily it failed at home and not on the road, but the clutch was buried on the floor and my car dumped fluid (brake?) all over the garage floor. The failure also meant that the entire clutch assembly was flooded with fluid, so I had to replace the clutch plate and flywheel in the process, it became quite an expensive venture. All that said though, I had no symptoms like you guys are describing above (and no clutch failure symptoms of any kind), prior to the failure, it was fine driving home and the 3rd pedal was missing a few hours later when I got back into the car.

[sittinlow]

I also have that same issue on my 2010 with 50k miles. Happens randomly and I recently bought the USP line but haven't installed it yet. Keep us updated on what the dealer says.

[stigster]

Dropped the car off at the dealership yesterday. They drove it both yesterday and today and couldnt replicate the issue. They will take it out Monday morning for another test. I'm scratching my head on this one.....why can't they replicate the issue when I feel it everytime I drive it? For all experiencing this.....does it happen at random times or can you pinpoint what's causing this?

[Vogz]

OP, I had the exact same problem on my '11. Was the slave cylinder as others have said. Easy fix if you can convince the service department to replace that first. I wasn't so lucky. Took 3 trips before the replaced the slave.

[jimrobbington]

Dropped the car off at the dealership yesterday. They drove it both yesterday and today and couldnt replicate the issue. They will take it out Monday morning for another test. I'm scratching my head on this one.....why can't they replicate the issue when I feel it everytime I drive it? For all experiencing this.....does it happen at random times or can you pinpoint what's causing this?

Mines pretty random. In a 30 minute drive, it will happen at least a couple times the other day, it did it once right away after a cold start, but usually, it needs to warm up first.

[rtl5009]

The slave is so easy to replace in this car

[Vogz]

The slave is so easy to replace in this car

True, but if the car is still under warranty, no reason to waste money doing it yourself.

[wwhan]

Nice Post on clutch system technical details: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/350288-In-Depth-Details-on-the-Clutch-and-Release-Systems-of-Audi?p=5025585&viewfull=1#post5025585

[sittinlow]

Does anyone know about how much the slave will cost to change?

[jimrobbington]

Does anyone know about how much the slave will cost to change?

It's funny. ECS has the part for $150, while JHM has it for like $35!? I would assume probably 2 hours book time or so.

[sittinlow]

It's funny. ECS has the part for $150, while JHM has it for like $35!? I would assume probably 2 hours book time or so.

Huge price difference but not too horrible. Hoping to go to Elite Motorsports this week to do some other work and diagnose clutch issue.

[elscotto80]

I had a similar issue with my a4, not sure how comparable the transmissions and clutch components are. My issues were creaking and irregular clutch pedal movement. It did seem to stick a little. The issue would be very noticeable in really hot temps, so this was easy to replicate in the summer.

Audi replaced the throwout bearing, clutch release lever and a few other small pieces.

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[StevenStarke]

I thought this was an issue of the clutch pedal spring assembly? When it gets warm, it doesn't spring back correctly. The only fix I've seen if people taking it apart and using white lithium grease on everything but even that hasn't worked for everyone, just most.

[stigster]

Well the dealership called me today and told me they couldn't find anything wrong. It's obvious they don't know what they are looking for or don't care.....maybe a combo of the two. I experienced the problem a few times on my two hour drive back home. When I dropped off the car last Thursday, I sent the service manager several emails regarding the issues people have been having on this forum, that YouTube video posted above, and even a video I shot with the clutch returning like molasses for me. Still no dice. I will take it to a different service center in Peoria, AZ the next time I have a chance.

For everyone who's had this repaired under warranty how did you specifically describe the problem? Where they able to experience the same issue when they drove it? Finally, did they even go hassle you and try to say it wasn't covered under warranty?

Hope you guys have better luck than I did.

[jimrobbington]

Well the dealership called me today and told me they couldn't find anything wrong. It's obvious they don't know what they are looking for or don't care.....maybe a combo of the two. I experienced the problem a few times on my two hour drive back home. When I dropped off the car last Thursday, I sent the service manager several emails regarding the issues people have been having on this forum, that YouTube video posted above, and even a video I shot with the clutch returning like molasses for me. Still no dice. I will take it to a different service center in Peoria, AZ the next time I have a chance.

For everyone who's had this repaired under warranty how did you specifically describe the problem? Where they able to experience the same issue when they drove it? Finally, did they even go hassle you and try to say it wasn't covered under warranty?

Hope you guys have better luck than I did.

Damn man, sorry to hear. I hope i have a better experience than you. I did get your PM, and I'll be sure to update how it goes on my turn. I can get it to happen p pretty much on any drive 10 min or longer, sometimes it does it upon cold start. I can't imagine they won't be able to duplicate it.

[Vogz]

Well the dealership called me today and told me they couldn't find anything wrong. It's obvious they don't know what they are looking for or don't care.....maybe a combo of the two. I experienced the problem a few times on my two hour drive back home. When I dropped off the car last Thursday, I sent the service manager several emails regarding the issues people have been having on this forum, that YouTube video posted above, and even a video I shot with the clutch returning like molasses for me. Still no dice. I will take it to a different service center in Peoria, AZ the next time I have a chance.

For everyone who's had this repaired under warranty how did you specifically describe the problem? Where they able to experience the same issue when they drove it? Finally, did they even go hassle you and try to say it wasn't covered under warranty?

Hope you guys have better luck than I did.

I had a bitch if a time getting a tech driving the car to experience the problem. Took me 3 different visits before they replaced the slave. They did try replacing different things each time though. First was the clutch pedal assembly, then the clutch line (they pulled the transmission at the same time to inspect the clutch), finally after repeated requests from me they replaced the slave and it fixed the problem. The biggest issue was getting the problem to replicate while a tech was driving it. They never once hassled me though or hinted that it wouldn't be covered. They were very nice on each visit and really bummed when the first few things didn't fix the problem.

[jimrobbington]

So, dropped the car off at the dealer for this. Guy says they might drop the transmission to inspect, and i foot the bill of its a failed clutch. I don't think there's any issues with the clutch itself, so fingers crossed there.

Getting some other stuff done under aidi care too, have me a loaner and said we'll touch base next week.

[jimrobbington]

Fuuuuuckkkkkk. Typical dealer style, they say they will have to replace the clutch and flywheel to fix this...... Not sure what to do at this point. They have the tranny dropped already, and i have to pay labor either way. I don't believe it's a failing clutch, but they say there are bits of the clutch missing, and burn marks.

[Brother Owl]

Damn that sucks... but looks like the time is right for that stage 3/4 JHM?!

[jimrobbington]

Damn that sucks... but looks like the time is right for that stage 3/4 JHM?!

Yeah..... JHM Stage 3 with LWFW on the way..... I'm going to be so pissed if they install it and it's still happening. At 35k miles, you think i have anything AoA can do to help? It's not like i have $3k just sitting around for this. This went straight onto some plastic. It's also going to push back any form of running wrote longer than i had hoped. Good thing today was day 1 of my new job, and I am supposed to be seeing another generous wage increase on top of that here really soon.

[dropshadow]

I took my car in about a month ago for this exact same problem. The mechanics said they took it out for a test drive and couldn't replicate the problem. They told me my tranny fluid need to be replaced every two years and it was at that mark so I paid the $260+ for the fluid exchange and bleeding of the line. Felt better for a couple days than resorted back to that "molasses" feeling. I have an appt. tomorrow to have the car looked at (again) under warranty. I found this video which shows my exact problem: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bbrXz3fucaA

I'm going out test driving my car with a mechanic and won't leave until that problem is replicated. I'll report back with any prevalent info.

Hope this video helps!

This is my video and was my 2013 S4. The dealership said that it was caused by a bent finger on the pressure plate. Audi replaced the clutch disk, pressure plate, throwout bearing, lever, and slave cylinder under warranty to make sure they took care of the issue. They didn't want to have to open it back up if it didn't solve the problem. The issue was resolved after the repair.

This happened at 17k miles on the car, and it only happened when the clutch was hot (usually when idling in slow traffic, or when slowly pulling out of a car wash through the dryer).

The first Audi dealer I took it to (Audi Minneapolis) said I needed a new clutch disk and wouldn't even try to get it covered by warranty. (Side note, this is why it's nice to have a semi-discreet dashcam in your car. After I got the car back from Audi MPLS, I was able to see exactly what they did to replicate the problem. They drove it around their lot for a few minutes and were about to give up and call me crazy when the pedal started sticking, as seen in the vide above.)

Then I took it to the dealer where I bought the car (Audi St. Paul), and they did the whole repair under warranty. The car was not tuned, so no TD1. If you're tuned, you may not be as fortunate as I was to have it covered.

[Brother Owl]

Yeah..... JHM Stage 3 with LWFW on the way..... I'm going to be so pissed if they install it and it's still happening. At 35k miles, you think i have anything AoA can do to help? It's not like i have $3k just sitting around for this. This went straight onto some plastic. It's also going to push back any form of running wrote longer than i had hoped. Good thing today was day 1 of my new job, and I am supposed to be seeing another generous wage increase on top of that here really soon.

Clutch related you're likely sol... that being said you can write AoA maybe? Might not be worth the hastle.
If it makes you feel any better I'm having to push the clutch through the floorboard to get my girl started - clutch fork? Clutch position sensor? Probably the 1st step on the road to a new clutch... sigh...

[jimrobbington]

Damn, well I'll be happy if everything works as intended. So be it if the clutch really is shot. But if it turns out the clutch slave cylinder was bad and they made me replace everything else first instead out of pocket just to "trpubleshoot", I'm going to be super pissed and raise hell.

I asked him to send me pictures of the damage/wear.

[DGVR6]

Clutch related you're likely sol... that being said you can write AoA maybe? Might not be worth the hastle.
If it makes you feel any better I'm having to push the clutch through the floorboard to get my girl started - clutch fork? Clutch position sensor? Probably the 1st step on the road to a new clutch... sigh...

Do you get a notchy shift? I have to bury my clutch to get a gear in 1st gear smoothly.


Jim, write to AOA regardless. If it doesn't fix the problem id fight to atleast get the labor reimbursed.

[Brother Owl]

Do you get a notchy shift? I have to bury my clutch to get a gear in 1st gear smoothly.


Jim, write to AOA regardless. If it doesn't fix the problem id fight to atleast get the labor reimbursed.

No, shifting is smooth. Clutch takeup is right in the middle of pedal travel, just like it should be. After reading multiple threads about this though I'm skeptical about my chances... we'll see what happens at my 35k service.

[DGVR6]

I see...

Funny thing Jim.. I replaced the clutch/flywheel. high temp fluid and braided line. On WOT the pedal gets mushy and soft, I kinda like it because I can shift with no resistance to the pedal, but I also get the sticky feeling when releasing the pedal slowly. I'm positive it's the slave or the line wasn't bled correctly. It was fine after the install though so leaning towards a faulty slave.
Did you experience any of those symptoms?

If not then they might be right on it being that.

[WHITELIGHTINGS4]

I know this is a old tread but im having the same issue on my b8.5 s4 i replace my clutch and all last week with eurocode lightweightflywheel and stage 2 disc and plate but my peddle is still recoiling slow at haft way slows for a second ... I just read this tread and i was already thinking of replacing master and or sleeve before reading.. But i might just replace the sleeve because it seems this was a fix for everyone? Any feed back from the ones that fixxed this issue thx

[dropshadow]

I know this is a old tread but im having the same issue on my b8.5 s4 i replace my clutch and all last week with eurocode lightweightflywheel and stage 2 disc and plate but my peddle is still recoiling slow at haft way slows for a second ... I just read this tread and i was already thinking of replacing master and or sleeve before reading.. But i might just replace the sleeve because it seems this was a fix for everyone? Any feed back from the ones that fixxed this issue thx

My issue was diagnosed to be a bent finger on the pressure plate. The resolution was a new pressure plate, clutch master cylinder, clutch disk, and throwout bearing. Not necessarily everything needed to be replaced, but the dealership and AoA "wanted to make sure the issue was resolved and not have to try again." YMMV.