clutch problem?

[320iAN]

sorry for asking yet another question!

ive a strange clutch? .. when the car (E30 325i 1989) is running and i select a gear .. any gear and i sit with the clutch fully pressed, after a few sec's the car will slowly start to drive with clutch still pressed.
i either have to switch of the car or let it stall, then once ive taken my foot of the clutch the pedal rises slowly? when i drive it the clutch "bite" is excellent, no slip and it'll get the wheel's spinning right in to 3rd gear.

i'm thinking a few thing's but if someone else has had this then maybe you can save me some time or/and cash?

from what i can see there are no leak's but i think presure can still be lost due to old fluid or air getting in the system ive not had to add fluid
worst thing i suppose is the fork's on the pressure plate, which a full new assembly would be best fitted?

thanks for any answers and help to this

[Martinaston]

One of the cylinders is on its way out, no idea which though.

[320iAN]

One of the cylinders is on its way out, no idea which though.

cheers sound's like the cheaper option .. probably be best replaceing both cylinders and fluid then take it from there?

they both look fairly straight forward to change .. (famous last words!)

[Chris]

Is that the only option?

Mine does the same thing, although not all the time.

[Brianmoooore]

It's the master cylinder that has failed, but change the slave as well at the same time.
A failed slave cylinder will always result in a loss of fluid (onto the road).
A failed master cylinder may or may not result in a loss of fluid, depending on exactly which seal has failed, but if it does lose fluid, it will end up in the driver's footwell.

[320iAN]

thank's Brian (again )
i'm just home after taking the E30 a wee spin and the gear change was faultless, as was the clutch!! strange blinkin thing?

i'll defo be changing both part's

[tregzybmw]

i have it too...

if i put my foot on the clutch in a traffic jam or at the traffic lights for more than 30 seconds the bite is so low, as the pressure has been lost.

will get the cylinders sorted!

how much we looking at here?

[Steve-E30]

Think the masters are about £35 and the slave is about £25 , Can i just add that when your changing the master and remove the pipe make sure its not perrished ans where the pipe joins the master is a lil plastic elbow that are about 15p from bmw
I changed the master with the same problem your having mate then i thought the slave went so changed it to find out the plastic elbow has a tiny split in it next to the master cylinder

[320iAN]

cheers steve, i'll take note and give it the once over

[M7GHR]

ime having same probs with my car, just bought both cylinders this week, cost me £90 inc vat from euro but they r
original supplier items. you dont always get fluid loss either, a seal can be goosed and the fluid can just pass from one side of the piston to the other as the piston is moved without actually leaking any fluid, so u might not find it under car or in the footwell. the cylinders should be replaced in pairs too because if you only replace one the otherone tends to fail soon after due to the new one having better pressure than the old one. i tried bleeding mine a couple of weeks ago but made no difference at all. going to do mine next week, i can let you no the outcomr if you like, hope this helps, geoff

[320iAN]

guess what! i was in euro car parts tody and bought a front wheel bearing for my E30 and an ABS sensor for my E39 and forgot all about the servo and cylinder!! DooH!!

and they only had an origonal bearing so that was double the price of the blue-print copy needed done so i had to take it

[M7GHR]

did both my cylinders last week, easy job, no problems now!!!

[tregzybmw]

i have it too...

if i put my foot on the clutch in a traffic jam or at the traffic lights for more than 30 seconds the bite is so low, as the pressure has been lost.

will get the cylinders sorted!

how much we looking at here?

So, after reading the replies, my problem could be down to a perished tube/pipe?

btw; the master and slave cylinders were replaced in 2003.

[Brianmoooore]

If the bite point is moving downwards the longer the pedal is held, and there is no fluid loss, then the master cylinder is faulty.

[tregzybmw]

my clutch has now fully broke. (3 DAYS BEFORE I HAD IT BOOKED IN TO A GARAGE!!)
Its booked in for new slave and master...shall let you know what the garage finds...