Clutch wont depress? wtf?

- C
- CannedBread
  
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posted
18 years ago

Thu, Sep 22, 2005 10:11 PM

i've got a 97 Hyundai Elantra GLS with a manual transmision. this afternoon when i went to leave i pushed in the clutch and the car started fine, i then put it into reverse and pulled out into my driveway then i put it into neutral and rolled down my driveway into the street. then i pushed the clutch with the intention to shift into first, but the pedal wont depress. It will go down about half an inch and thenwont go any further. The clutch/brake fluid level is just a little below max so i dont think that is the problem.

i thought maybe there was something under my dash obstructing the pedals movement because that is what it feels like. i got under the dash and screwed around with it for a while but nothing helped. the pedal itself isnt being obstructed by anything. i detached the pedal from the rod thing that it pushes and the pedal itself moves around fine so my theory is wrong.

has anyone experienced this before? what might the problem be? where should i start?

- H
- hyundaitech
  
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posted
18 years ago

Fri, Sep 23, 2005 4:17 PM

There's either a hydraulic blockage or something's bound up in the mechanism on the trans or on the master cylinder.

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- hyundaitech
  
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posted
18 years ago

Fri, Sep 23, 2005 4:23 PM

I suppose it's also possible that something with the clutch itself came apart preventing the pressure plate from returning properly. If the pressure plate hasn't sprung back, then you won't be able to depress the clutch pedal because you can't pull the pressure plate out any more.

To check for this, look at the lever on top of the transmission. There's a detent made into the transmission case which keeps the lever from returning too far. If the pedal is up, the lever should be almost touching this detent. If it's still rotated away from the detent (more than a millimeter or two), then something is not allowing the lever to return.