The clutch pedal in my 2001 Golf TDI feels a little sticky the first few times I use it in the morning.
A couple months ago, I flushed the clutch fluid. I used a pressure bleeder on the reservoir and flushed through the bleeder on the slave cylinder. I replaced the build with Valvoline SynPower. The clutch felt great for several weeks, but has started to stick with the cooler weather in the past couple weeks. When I first start the car in the morning, the pedal feels like it comes up a little slower than normal. Just as I release the clutch from the floor, there is a slight popping feeling. I'll occasionally hear a squeak from the pedal the very first time I release the clutch in the morning. After about 5 releases, the pedal feels completely normal. The engine doesn't need to be running; I can pump the pedal 5 times to work out the stickiness before starting the car. The clutch continues to feel normal until I let the car sit in a cool place for 8 hours or so.
I've tried a couple things with no real change. I flushed the fluid a second time. The fluid I took out looked pretty clean. I lubricated the clutch pedal pivot and the connection between the pedal and the master cylinder rod, and I greased the joint between the over center spring and pedal and the point where the cruise control switch hits the pedal. I don't see any evidence of leaks from the master cylinder under the dash.
Has anyone seen a problem like this? I could believe a failing master cylinder, but with no leakage and no problem shifting, I'm not convinced yet.
Thanks Robert snipped-for-privacy@uiuc.edu