[harsha.cs1]

Dear Friends,
I have a 2000 model Hyundai Accent which has done 45,000 kms.
Just 2 months back, I noticed that:
(i) my clutch was very very soft and was not offering any resistance almost till the very bottom;
(ii) the car was moving a little in the 1st gear even with my clutch fully pressed; and
(iii) the gear shift was hard.
In short, my clutch was not fully engaging. When I checked it with the mechanic, we noticed that there was NO clutch fluid. I was surprised because my car was recently checked at the Hyundai Free Care Clinic.
Anyway, I filled the clutch oil and the car ran fine - the problems were gone.
Yesterday again, the clutch showed exactly the same symptoms. Plus for the last few weeks, second gear was showing low pick up. I filled up clutch oil and it is fine for the time being. There definitely has to be a leak of clutch oil else the same problem wouldnt have resurfaced in just 2 months.

Where do you think the problem lies? If in any part, can the leak be plugged/stopped or would any part require replacement? Any idea on the approximate costs involved?

I look forward to your guidance on the issue. Thanks a tonne. BTW, I found that there are no existing threads specifically on clutch fluid leak - so I presume this is an uncommon problem.

Regards,
Harsha

[Jaggu]

Start with the oil pipes and the can itself, if there are any visible leak, if so you found the culprit. If not you will require the mechs to check if all the clutch cylinder/oil seals are not leaking and are intact.

[harsha.cs1]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Start with the oil pipes and the can itself, if there are any visible leak, if so you found the culprit. If not you will require the mechs to check if all the clutch cylinder/oil seals are not leaking and are intact.

Thanks a lot, Jaggu. And in the event that the clutch cylinder has a leak, can it be fixed or should it be replaced? I understand that there are two cylinders - master and slave - and it is usually the slave that gives up first, am i correct? In that case, first the chela would have to be checked and then the guru!
In any case, i have not seen a leak where the car is usually parked - so i guess i must do some checks with the engine running etc., right? thanks again!

[DRC]

Check the footwell. If the master cylinder is leaking, you will have traces of fluid in footwell. (atleast in fiats, not sure if it is true for Hyundais too)

Well, there is no hard and fast rule which cylinder fails first. If you have a habit of clutch riding, master cylinder may fail first.

[harsha.cs1]

Originally Posted by DRC

Check the footwell. If the master cylinder is leaking, you will have traces of fluid in footwell. (atleast in fiats, not sure if it is true for Hyundais too)

Well, there is no hard and fast rule which cylinder fails first. If you have a habit of clutch riding, master cylinder may fail first.

Thanks a lot, DRC. I will do that once i get home. However, like a true-blue BHPian, I avoid riding the clutch like plague! Anyway, I guess I will show it to the mech soon - just that it is always better to go armed with all info to the mech else he will take me for a not-so-pleasant ride!

[Jaggu]

First inspect the leaks, then proceed to garage. If you are opening the assembly, do check the condition of clutch and replace all the parts if required, if its more than 75-80% worn out.

Ideally these parts should not fail but then one cant predict the QC job these days. As DRC said really cant apply a thumb rule as to which one will fail, but yes your theory is valid also.

[harsha.cs1]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

First inspect the leaks, then proceed to garage. If you are opening the assembly, do check the condition of clutch and replace all the parts if required, if its more than 75-80% worn out.

Ideally these parts should not fail but then one cant predict the QC job these days. As DRC said really cant apply a thumb rule as to which one will fail, but yes your theory is valid also.

Thanks again, Jaggu. I agree with you that if some other parts are reaching the end of their life, it is better to change them than let them take a toll on the new parts.
Well while I agree on your QC comment, I must also acknowledge the fact that the car is reaching its 9th year and has done around 45K already. While the odo reading isnt much, but i believe age also takes its toll.

[harsha.cs1]

Hi Friends,

Update from my end - I had been to JC road yesterday. Mechanic Fairoz who sits on JC road checked the clutch set up and noticed that the slave cylinder in the bonnet was leaking. Hopped next door to Car Automobiles and bought the part for Rs. 600. It was changed immediately. I paid the mechanic Rs. 200 for the prompt service, though I am sure it was not more than a Rs. 100 job.
I wonder how much it would have cost me in the showroom.

Thanks a lot to DRC and Jaggu for being super-responsive.

Cheers,
Harsha

PS: I will get home and try and trace the wrapper of the clutch cylinder so that I can share the name of the brand with you. In any event, I was also informed that TVS also makes those parts (not in stock that day) and costs close to Rs. 1200.

[Jaggu]

Glad to know that its sorted, and was only a minor job. Happy motoring