E30 Zone

Can anybody tell me what the fairly small cylinder resoviour is for?
and more importantly what it feeds as i've just found it empty!!!

It is the one located just next to the battery, clipped to a small bracket attached to the top of suspesion mounting. It has only one feed from the bottom and it goes into the bulkhead below the battery.

car is a 318is

I'm guessing for the clutch...

Is the clutch not fed from the brake system?

This what I was led to believe.

Nope - that's the clutch fluid reservoir as Maxfield said.

clutch

Clutch it is then.

Thanks guys.

Any tips for bleeding the system?

As the res is empty im guessing there will be a fair amount of air in the system, although i've not had any probs with the clutch yet.

Anyone know how much fluid the system holds?

I've Done a search of the forum on clutch bleeding.

Some seem to describe bleeding the system simular to brakes ie: using nipples etc. others seem to say it's self bleeding system.

Can anyone confirm which one? or can it be done both ways?

There's a bleed nipple on the slave cyl, but I don't think I've ever had to use it...

Question is: Why is it empty?

Ziggy wrote:There's a bleed nipple on the slave cyl, but I don't think I've ever had to use it...

Question is: Why is it empty?

9/10 slave will be f*cked.

Yep. But could also be the master, or just (as last happened to mine) the hose from the bottom of the reservoir... Either way just filling it up & hoping, is unlikely to achieve much!

If the clutch feels ok, just top it up ad keep a close eye on the level?

B7 wrote:

Ziggy wrote: Question is: Why is it empty?

9/10 slave will be f*cked.

And a month after thats changed, the master will need doing - as a rule, change both cylinders at the same time.

jam172 wrote:If the clutch feels ok, just top it up ad keep a close eye on the level?

Yep, no point looking for problems that arent there, as Ziggy said, it could just be the the pipe from the reservoir.
Top it up and keep checking the level and if it keeps going down, start looking for leaks.

cmw608 wrote:Is the clutch not fed from the brake system?

This what I was led to believe.

no its not.

How much fluid does the system hold?

I've put nearly a litre of fluid in to the resoviour and it has all drained down into the system! with nothing left in the res!

There is no leaks apparant anywhere. Any ideas where the fluid might be going?

Clutch is working fine, no problems. Not sure how long the res has been dry, not checked it for a while.

iirc a litre should about fill it. are you sure there is no leaks? the small black pipe connector at the master cylinder sometimes breaks causing the fluid to leak and run down the pedal into the drivers footwell.

A litre should fill it three times over! There's a nasty mess somewhere.
If the clutch still works properly, it has to be a leak in the rubber hose.
Clutch is fed from the brake resevoir on LH drive models, BTW.

Check the drivers side carpet for dampness, the master cylinder can leak fluid all over your carpet.

Cheers,

Iain T

Plastic pipe has probably snapped that goes into the master cylinder letting the fluid seep behind the carpet. fooking annoying. Left hand drive cars clutch takes a feed from the brake reservoir.

john

Thanks for the info guys.

Found the leak, down behind the carpet in footwell! Thats why i did'nt see it intially.

So i've now got best part of a litre of fluid absorbed into the carpet!!!

The hose had worked itself off of the plastic tube, creating a straight passage from res to footwell!!!

Sorted now thou, thanks again.