Hey All,
I have an A3 Jetta 2.0L (very modified) that has developed a clutch- release issue. The clutch suddenly wouldn't release fully; expected to find the clutch cable almost broken. But it's intact and it's been long enough since that it should have separated entirely by now if that were the case. Adjusted the cable tension for the sudden slack, (It has a manual adjust cable, not the auto-cable) but the release still isn't correct. To shift you have to match revs, and you'd never get it in gear from a stop if you hadn't downshifted previously. When starting in gear - the car tries to move as the clutch is never fully released.
So here's what I hope - that the operating lever inside the transaxle is cracked, or the release shaft has failed somehow. I would expect that if the release arms (tabs?) on the pressure plate have bent or broken, shoudn't that make quite a clatter, or at least transmit some nasty vibration through the clutch pedal? For now I'm just waiting to use my friends garage because I don''t want to open the end cap outside where the breeze could blow crap into the transaxle and FOD it.
Your ideas?
Thanks! Mike