The clutch master cylinder is the chamber where your vehicle pushes the clutch fluid to help you disengage your clutch. There is a pushrod on one end of the cylinder, and when you depress the clutch, you push this rod against the clutch fluid, which pushes it to the slave cylinder and eventually to the clutch fork in the transmission. Lower the ramp and remove the gearbox mounting from the chassis leg. Lower the engine slightly on the engine support to allow access to remove the gearbox mounting, air conditioning pipe and earth strap (see below). Your clutch master cylinder is typically located in front of the clutch pedal but on the other side of the firewall in the engine bay. You can often find it close to the brake master cylinder. As mentioned earlier, the Vivaro can be ‘challenging’ when it comes to the bleeding process. The recommended process for this system is as follows and a second person is required.

Depending on the make of your car, the power steering fluid reservoir may have level markings similarly to the coolant, where you can visually to see if it is in the optimal level. Typically, the clutch master cylinder directly connects to the clutch pedal via a pushrod, so if you draw a straight line from your clutch pedal into your engine bay, you’ll usually find the clutch master cylinder. Clutch Master Cylinder Replacement Cost Ensure the mounting surface for the new CSC is clean and then mount it (do not ‘dry squeeze’ the CSC as this can cause damage internally or externally) and bolt into position, torqueing the bolts to the manufacturer’s specification (see below). Remove both gear change cables (see below) from the gearbox by pressing in the centre of the nylon ball joint retainers and lifting; then remove the retaining clips on the outer cables.For normal driving conditions, use a 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze, you can get this from the local supermarket so you won’t need to go out of your way. If you don’t have antifreeze and are desperate to top up, you can fill with tap water in the meantime, but ensure that the correct antifreeze concentration is added ASAP. The clutch master cylinder is what transfers the force of you pushing down the clutch pedal to the transmission! Clutch Master Cylinder Location

Next, examine the quality/color of the fluid itself. Normally, the fluid is clear with perhaps a yellowish tint. But if you haven’t changed it in a while, there’s a good chance it’ll be cloudy, dirty, and dark. If that’s the case, you should purge/bleed the system to replace the old fluid. Your clutch fluid is like your brake fluid in that if it feels spongy or soft, you have water or air in the system. Moisture in a hydraulic system is a killer, and with clutch fluid, there’s no reason that it should ever be there. If you want to use concentrated screen wash, then make sure you read the label. This will tell you how much to use during the year. In winter, you’re likely to need more concentrate to prevent freezing, as you should never use antifreeze here. Then you can mix the screen wash with tap water to dilute it. There are essentially two types of hydraulic clutch actuator designs that you’ll likely come across. First, there’s the pushrod style, which is basically just a piston that moves a linkage attached to a clutch fork. Pushing the clutch pedal actuates the pushrod, moving the cylinder and engaging the clutch fork (kind of like a traditional all-mechanical clutch). Your brake fluid should be replaced completely every two years, and can be done as part of a routine service. Power steering fluidDon’t worry, you don’t need any fancy tools or expertise to do this, all you need is a few paper towels and 5 spare minutes. Before you begin Once the fluid coming out of the bleeder valve starts looking clean (and bubble-free) in the vacuum hose, remove the vacuum tool. Now, if gravity is allowing fluid to drip out, you may be able to simply tighten the bleeder valve shut and be good to go. Here is a more detailed list of the signs of a bad or failing clutch master cylinder to look for: 1. Low Clutch Fluid If you’re fighting a squishy clutch pedal and your fluid looks clean (or…even if it doesn’t) you may have an air bubble in your hydraulic line. In a lot of cases, a simple bleeding can fix the issue. Keep reading for details on that process. Changing Hydraulic Clutch Fluid However, these costs will vary depending on the type of vehicle you drive and where you take it for repairs.

Clutch fluid level should not fall as the clutch itself wears. It might actually rise. If the level is dropping you need to find the leak. We’ll speak in general terms because front-wheel transaxle vehicles have a slight different look than a rear-wheel drive setup. And based on the type of clutch actuator you have (pushrod or bearing, explained above), your bleeding job will be slightly different too. In most cars, you can’t actually see the screen wash reservoir level, only the cap for it. You will know it will need topping up if the nozzles don’t spray anything or if your car tells you. How to top up screen washIt’s worth nothing that in some cars, in particular those from the VW Group (Volkswagen, Seat, Skoda, Audi), need a specific type of coolant/antifreeze. Your vehicle handbook will state what type you’ll need and can often be a different colour (in the case of VAG cars, it is dyed purple). At the CarShop Service Centre we can identify any fluid visually and by the Autodata system, and can provide the correct coolant too!