I have read thread after thread, and I’ve done everything under the sun to resolve the issue I am having to no avail.
So I’ll start at the beginning. I bought this one Owner Florida 2005 Volvo S40 2.5L T5 w/ the 6 speed FWD Transmission. The car is beautiful. Runs perfect. No flaws. Test drove amazing. The only thing I had some reservations about was I very subtle shutter in the clutch pedal while turning an shifting, I attributed to a weakening clutch disc, or wearing drive axles.
One day… I was stopped at a light. The light turned green, I engaged the clutch, shifted to first and began to accelerate at a normal speed (We were just going to dinner). When I engaged the clutch to shift to second the pedal fell and the car wouldn’t shift into second. Dead to the world. I quickly pulled the pedal up and tried to re-engage the clutch to get in second gear and out of traffic. But the pedal seemed to have lost all pressure. It bounced back, but I couldn’t tell the pressure wasn’t there.
So, to get back home, I held the shifter firmly toward first gear. The car very very slowly began crawling forward. At about 7mph the shifter dropped into first and I power shifted (shifting w/o the clutch) the rest of the way home (cautiously running two red lights and two stop signs.) We made it home safe thankfully. Below are my first inspections followed by my attempt to reconcile the issue. Please read everything and contribute if you have any better ideas. Thanks!!
Day 1 – Initial inspection.
So at first I thought to check the Brake Master for low fluid. Fluid was a touch below the max line. No concern there. Next I lay under the dash to check the clutch pedal motion. I could see the clutch pedal push the Clutch Master Rod through the Fire wall. I did not see any leaking or seeping fluid, I did not hear any air escaping. Next I got on the forums and read. Thread after thread pointed toward a leaking or failed Slave Cylinder in the bell housing citing leaking fluid under the car from the bell housing air vent. So I jacked it up and inspected the bell housing, air vent, and slave bleeder. All dry upon inspection. Finally I decided to pump the pedal 50 or so times to see if the fluid would start seeping from well… anywhere. Nothing.
Day 2 – Lost.
I decided I would attempt to bleed the system. I read many different bleeding techniques. I’m familiar with hydraulic brake systems and I’ve bled plenty of brakes. Only a handful of Honda Clutch Slaves though. So I pumped the pedal 10x. Opened the Slave bleeder (11mm) located below the air box on the trans facing the passenger side, pressed the pedal to the floor and held it. Closed the bleeder. Repeat. Did this a few times. Fluid came out. Not so much bubbling. Maybe none. Pedal still dead. Again, comes back up, but has very little resistance.
Day 3 – Buying Parts $$$.
So I decided after days of reading post after post. Thread after thread, that I wouldn’t find any answers online and would have to tackle this on my own. I searched eBay and Google Shopping for a new Clutch Kit. PartsGeek.com had one cheaper than anywhere else I could find. 2005 Volvo S40 2.5L Clutch Kit – $226 w/Free Shipping. Took two days to arrive. Kudos to PartsGeek for fast shipping service.
Day 4 – Removing the Trans.
So I’m no newb to engine removal and replacement. However, I’ve only done two clutches and both were on an EG Honda. Like lego’s for grown ups. So I was a little intimidated about tearing down a luxury import alone. I did it anyway. (I have tons of useful pics and info, but this GD app site crashed 3x while typing all of this, so I’ll have to update with that info later). So after 6 hrs. I’ve pulled the trans. Lowered it to the floor by hand. And called it a day.
Day 5 – Inspection.
So this morning I went out. Cleaned up my mess from the day before, and took a look at the inside of the bell housing. It was bone dry. Carbon dust everywhere. But dry. No leaked fluid. No burst Seals. No leaky slave. F*ck me right? Haha. So I looked now to the pressure plate still attached to the engine and flywheel. The splines looked a little out of whack (See pic). I removed the pressure plate and holy f*ck. The clutch disc was shredded. Toast. I was stoked. I assumed that MUST be what the issue was right? I mean this thing looked like a cat climbed in there and the rest is history. Dust and fibers (See pic).
Day 5 – Continued.
So moving on. Happily I installed the new clutch disc, pressure plate, and slave. I bought new pressure plate bolts. Grade 12.3 hex head. 8mm x 1.25 pitch. Everything bolted up nice. I spent the next 4 hrs. Reinstalling the trans. I am pretty damn good at doing things myself, but my little cousin assisted in stabilizing the trans while I shifted it in to place on the passenger axle, and spline. It went pretty darn smooth considering the lack of space, and only one floor jack to assist (Again, pics and video and details to follow when I get posting to this site figured out.) so the trans is in. Buttoned up everything but the battery and airbox. We decided to bleed the clutch before finishing. So standard bleeding. Pump. Hold. Open. Drain. Close. Repeat. Fluid was solid and clear. No sign of air. Finished installing the battery and airbox. Start the car. No warning lights. Runs perfect. Press the clutch. Nothing. F*ck.
Day 5.75 – So pedal is weak. Still comes back. Not sticking to the floor. But little to no pressure pressing down, and will not engage the clutch. Still won’t shift into gear. For good measure, I still drive it around the block a few times using the same power shifting method I did to get it home originally. Hoping that air in the line may work its way out. If that’s even the issue. No luck. I gave up. I phoned a friend at the Ford Motor Co. service tech help line. He’s a supervisor and handles all the calls coming in from certified forntechs who can’t figure out how to resolve an issue.
Day 6 – Clutch Master Cylinder
So my buddy insisted that if proper bleeding, and everything else listed above didn’t work, the only thing left is: bad new parts (still no visible leaks anywhere) or a bad Clutch Master Cylinder that is leaking in to itself. (So Inwouldnt have visible leaks). So PartsGeek.com to the rescue. I ordered the Clutch Master Cylinder – $68 shipped. Arrived in two days. This my friends was a pain in the booty to replace. Extremely small work area. And all plastic parts. I’ll update this later with pics and details of removal and install. New master is in. After bleeding again. No pedal. No leaks. No clutch.
This is where I am. Help.