clutch sticking after aggressive driving
 

It has been mentioned a few times before but i dont think anyone diagnosed the cause of the problem. it's basically when the clutch pedal goes soft and sticks to the bottom and you have to actually lift the pedal upwards with your foot. this problem seems to occur after aggressive driving like repeated drag racing or driving on the track probably due to heat build up in the clutch. last sunday i was on the track and even though you only upshift and downshift once in the entire lap, i did get the sticking clutch after a prolonged session of driving. i had to lift it up with my foot. i pulled into the pits and the problem went away, but i left the track right after that.

so, has there been any progress in identifying this problem or a remedy? is it the slave cylinder? or the pressure plate?

I would start with the easiest thing first which is bleeding the clutch. Takes 2 people but the process is the same as bleeding a brake system. The bleeder screw is attached to the transmission on the drivers side. Replace with a high temp DOT4 fluid.

this would be my first inclination as well.

why would that help? i mean, if the fluid is boiling and bubbling, the clutch would not disengage easily. but that's not the issue. it disengages fine, it just doesn't rebound as easily and sticks in the disengaged position. as far as i know only mechanical springs engage the clutch and the fluid is irrelevant.

I've tracked my car 6 times in hot weather with no clutch issues.

Because the clutch uses a CSC (rather than a fork) the system is entirely hydraulic. I haven't pulled it apart but I imagine the CSC assembly contains a return spring so that the fluid is pushed back out of the assembly and force returned to the master cylinder. So if you are overheating the CSC you may be fatiguing the spring, or you have a defective CSC. In the interest of cheapness, the CSC body is mostly plastic and so isn't the most durable piece in the vehicle. Like Spearfish I haven't encountered this on the track yet, even in high heat.

Definitly sounds like you have either a fluid boiling proplem or air in the fluid system.

Get the best clutch fluid you can find and bleed the system.

i took mine back to the dealer the moment it happened. they had to replace the clutch release bearing and something else. hasn't happened since and my dealer was kind enough to put me in a rental for the duration of the repair.

Pharmacist, any update?

no, clutch is working fine. i havent been to the track since then. i'll see what happens next time i go to the track.

USMCASA, did your clutch stick only during aggressive driving like on a track or on normal use?

So.... I had a very similar problem... except mine never returned to normal. Took it to the shop hoping they could just bleed the line but no such luck. Their diagnosis: Slave cylinder weak and pressure plate fingers warped/worn. edit: from looking at the invoice it looks like they replaced the entire clutch assy and the slave cylinder... the service adviser I was dealing with didn't seem like he knew what was going on so getting information out of him was like pulling teeth and the info was suspect.... the guy that handled the long block replacement was great though.

On a side note... My clutch had always felt a little weird. It wasn't exactly smooth and as the clutch pedal was depressed you could feel some kind of rotational knocking.

My clutch feels smoother now and the knocking has went away.

^ Throw out bearing noise. I'm assuming yours is still new so the noise is not as noticeable, but give it a few months and it'll come back. It is quite normal.

Clutch sticking... is this the same feeling under super cold temps?

no. under cold temperatures everything feels sluggish, like the clutch, steering wheel, even lcd displays. that's normal and caused by excessive viscosity of the fluids due to low temp. in my case, i was on the track, so temp was at least normal if not more. and the clutch pedal was not sluggish, it was completely stuck. it didn't rebound on its own at all and i had to pull it up with my foot. it only happened once after a long drive on the track, but i left the track right after and it didn't happen again. another member here also had a similar problem while drag racing his car. haven't seen any updates from him about a cause or solution to the problem.

I had the exact problem on the track 10 days ago. It was towards the end of the day, on a track where you shift maybe 5 times per lap. I was going to overtake somebody and clutch in to goto 4th gear and bam...stuck to the ground. Long story short I let it cool down for 25 minutes and it was okay. Now it is important to note it was getting progressively "slushier" as the day went by, and this happened when I ran two consecutive 20 minute sessions.

I'm probably going to bleed the fluid with a Dot4 before my next session next weekend.

Side note: I used to have a 2006 Infiniti G35 manual coupe. Maybe once a month or so the same thing would happen to me on the street, mainly if I was going around 15mph coming up to a light to take a RH turn. I would be rolling up 15mph, have clearance, put it in 2nd and give it gas as I let out the clutch quickly and it would get sucked to the floor. Happened to me maybe 5 times over the year I had it.

No... not talking about throwout bearing noise or gear lash noise.... I'm talking about a physical knocking sensation felt in the pedal when the clutch was disengaged (pedal depressed). That is not normal and indicative of a problem.

That was a separate issue that was resolved with the clutch assembly getting replaced. My clutch now feels better than it ever has in this car. Engagement is also smoother.

I think the issue of the clutch sticking to the floor after aggression stems from the slave cylinder, unfortunately. Seems like I'm not the only one that has had to have the slave cylinder replaced.

http://www.the370z.com/nissan-370z-g...ck-clutch.html

I vote you boiled clutch fluid. I did it at buttonwillow, clutch went to the floor and stayed there. It was about 100 degrees out and me and a friend were running the car in back to back sessions. Pulled off the track let things cool down. Pumped it a few times and clutch came back. When I got home I changed to high temp fluid and I noticed the clutch line gets fairly close to the exhaust (I have hfc's which might have contributed to the problem). It even has a little silver sweater on it to protect it from the heat. Other folks may have had clutch failures but if your pedal came back or was fixed with a bleed you prolly just got it too hot.

I have the same problem and I just took my Z to a dealership. They charged me $90 just to CHECK the clutch. The guy came back and said I need a new clutch which would be about $1700-$2000 for parts and labor. Obviously I am not getting that job done there. I also do not know if I just need new clutch fluid changed or actually need a new clutch, and I do not want to go to another dealership and pay another hefty fine. What to do?

Doesnt warranty cover it? ^

Clutch is considered a wear and tear item
Frank

It is, but if it fails in a short period of time they may replace it under warranty at their discretion.

hows your clutch feeling now btw?

dude it is absolutely awesome now. and i hope it stays that way:tup:

how was the installation on your part? i need a drop bad!!!

How many miles? I would think that should be under warranty.

the slave cylinder in our cars has a very small fluid port that is meant to dampen the clutch engagement, this leads to a sluggish feeling clutch when shifting quickly like it's slipping for the first half second on release, F-bodies have the same problem with their CSC's and when the port becomes fouled the fluid doesn't move very well and can cause the clutch to be stuck to the floor.

All the suspension went in great. Guys at z1 did awesome and fast.

The car feels soooo flat and awesome. When i get my new wheels ima get it fully setup and then its gonna be amazing.

Lemme know about your clutch and thr guys at z1. I think they are looking into the issue about csc's.

No Help From Infiniti/Nissan with Sticking Clutch Pedal - WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
 

My clutch pedal had been sticking at random times for over a year. The problem was so sporadic and the dealership was 30 minutes away so the sticking pedal problem would stop sticking by the time I could take it in and show them the problem.

About a month or two ago, I took it to Grubbs Infiniti in Euless, Texas, for the airbag recall and mentioned the sticking clutch pedal to them. Of course, they were unable to replicate the problem so they were not able to fix it and sent me on my way.

On December 9, 2010, I took it in again because I could smell that awful burning clutch smell. The dealer wanted me to pay $1,450.00 for the repairs. I have an extended warranty on the vehicle but normal wear and tear is not covered. That is understandable but it still was not good enough for me. I knew that the sticking clutch pedal was causing wear and tear that was BEYOND normal on my car – especially since it had been doing it for over a year.

By accident, I stumbled across this forum and MULTIPLE other forums of people have the EXACT same issue with their G35’s. I also found MULTIPLE forums of Nissan 350 owners with the EXACT same problem – after all it is essentially the same car. I was shocked and appalled that this has not become a recall issue when it is a matter of consumer safety. I think that this issue is bigger than any of us or Infiniti/Nissan realizes. This is a widespread problem they are avoiding.

Even more shocking and appalling is the lack of concern for my safety that I received from both Grubbs Infiniti and Infiniti Consumer Affairs. Their complete unwillingness to make the needed repairs and cover all or part of the costs and STOP putting my life in jeopardy every time I drive the vehicle is asinine.

Infiniti/Nissan’s defective sticking clutch pedal IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN and does cause premature wear on other clutch parts. Therefore, Infiniti/Nissan should:

• Issue a recall on this sticking pedal IMMEDIATELY. People’s lives are at risk! This is no different than the sticking accelerator problem that Toyota had but they want to sweep it under the rug. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE THEY WILL WAKE UP?
• If they aren’t going to recall the sticking clutch pedal, then they need to cover the repairs to fix the sticking clutch pedal and any repairs from the unnecessary wear that the sticking clutch pedal caused.

If you have tried to work with the dealership or Infiniti/Nissan to get them to do just those very things and your attempts failed, here is what I suggest you do, as suggested to me by a consumer attorney:

• File a complaint, in writing, over the phone or online with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) by going to https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm
• File a complaint with the Attorney General – Consumer Protection Division in your area. You can find a list by state by going here: NAAG | Current Attorneys General
• Write your congressman or congress-woman. You can find yours by going to https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml. The last thing Infiniti/Nissan wants is a criminal investigation (much like Toyota’s) into the company's safety problems and lack of concern for their customers.
• Contact a public defender at your local news station. Almost all of us have them now. You may not get a call back or response from this but I am willing to bet that if we all do this, one of them will step up the plate and broadcast this problem. And if you know how the news works, when one reports it, they ALL report it. News broadcasts will bring more people forward with the same problem and will provide us Infiniti/Nissan owners with some strength in numbers.

Having lived this, I hope that my tips and pointers help.

In addition, if any of you are in Texas and would like to become part of a group lawsuit against Infiniti/Nissan to offset some of the attorney fees, please email me at dalanamorse@gmail.com

United we stand… Let’s come together and MAKE Infiniti/Nissan do the right thing since they obviously aren’t going to do it on their own.

trouble with the lawsuit idea is that i think you would have to prove not only damages at your expense, but that it would also be a real saftey risk(to my knowledge it hasn't caused a crash yet), and possibly some form of negligence on nissan or infiniti's part. Reasons it doesn't really effect safety are that if your clutch gets stuck in on say the highway and you have to stop, you can still stop perfectly fine, the engine will actually help brake the car, your breaks will work fine, and even if the throttle is jammed open, pushing the brake pedal in on any nissan or infiniti will shut the engine off thanks to the safety interlock feature (which also makes a real brakestand burnout impossible).

Yes it sucks balls on nissans part that it happens but the real percentage of failures is actually fairly normal hell for even one percent of cars to be effected by this +500 07-10 Z's and G's would have to have their csc fail. Recall is something like 2-3% for non safety issues, and they don't count cars that have had modifications that could have resulted in the failure so all the guys that have had their csc's fail thanks to a different clutch don't count.

Stuck clutch pedal solution: Bleed clutch fluid with Motul RBF 600 and replace stock clutch line with a SS clutch line. Voila~ problem fixed.

any suggestion on who is making ss clutch lines?

http://www.the370z.com/drivetrain-en...available.html

thats the one he has.

Ive said it in other threads about the clutch's as well. This line really helps with the pedal feel as well.

Yeah, Z1 sells SS clutch lines for $29.00 on their site.

Unfortunately that doesn't fix the problem if you have a defective CSC, but it is a good upgrade anyway.

I guess I should have mentioned that it is one of the solutions. It worked for me, and just trying to give my :twocents:.

It should actually just be a matter of proving it is a safety issue. And a group of people is goiing to get noticed more than one random person here and there trying to get results. It shouldn't take an injury or loss of life for them to do something.

Stopping, sure no problem there. But what about the need to accelerate and not being able to? You're a sitting duck, changing lanes or trying to accellerate and get someone off your tail.... what if that someone is much larger than you? Say an 18 wheeler and doesn't have the stopping power when your car quickly slows with no brake lights? That happened to me. It was very scary. I managed to dig my foot back and pop the pedal back up to make my car function again fast enough to get out of the way but IT SHOULD NOT BE THAT WAY.

Additionally, this problem is WAY bigger than the Z's and G's. After researching this online it appears to be any Nissan/Infiniti that has a clutch. It's their parts in general. I found it Altimas and Maximas too. This problem is HUGE and they know it. Precisely why they don't want to open that can of worms.

Either way, if enough of complain to the RIGHT sources, instead of just griping on a forum, maybe something will get done. The links I provided are the people have authority over this and if there are this many of us dealing with the same issue and we all take a little time to make a simple complaint about the problem, then Nissan/Inifiniti will have no other choice.

did you try pulling the shifter out of gear? see the thing is cars stop and they break, and they do all of that fun stuff any way so long as the brakes work and the car doesn't uncontrollably accelerate (toyota) there isn't a really problem. Remember back in driving school when you learned about following distances? they are spaced out far enough to give the guy behind you sufficient warning to be able to see you stopping or slowing down and for them to either change lanes or slow down themselves. Just because no one follows these stopping distances does not make it the auto manufactures fault, it makes the guy behind you get either a negligence, or following to close citation after he hits you. Is it right eh not going there, but it makes your case harder. I would go in and ask a lawyer if you feel you have been wronged if you even have a case before you start rallying the people into a mass lawsuit. Lawyers were invented for a reason and if you feel wronged they are the ones to ask, if a case starts to build then you open it up to a class action and people join the case to try and properly justify all who have been wronged by it. Just my opinion take it for what its worth, i'm not trying to justify Nissan not fixing the problem, just saying that they have an entire legal department and if you don't approach it properly your screwing yourself. complaining to the various governing body's and watchdog associations as well as nissan's consumer affairs is good though it lets them no your pissed, and documents the problem, unfortunately to file a case with NHTSA something has to happen first so if your clutch failed and it may have caused some form of accident go ahead and file.

This is the important part of all of this. This is a VERY widespread problem. The Z and G is more of an enthusiast vehicle. I'd wager more Z or G owners are actually members of forums. But this is a problem that is VERY well documented on the Maxima and Altima forums. My 2007 3.5SE 6MT did this twice in the 40,000 miles I owned it and never again - both times were when I was drag racing and slipped the clutch at a very high rpm. I have seen posts from Maxima and Altima owners that had this happen on a daily basis and the dealership ABSOLUTELY GAVE THEM HELL over diagnosing and fixing something that is VERY clearly a design flaw on the part of the manufacturer. You gotta think....of all the Altima and Maxima owners, what percentage of those people actually subscribe to a forum and post these problems? There's lots of people with this problem and the vehicles affected (that I've seen) are the 2002-current Altima, 2000-current Maxima, all years of the 350 and 370Z and the G counterparts.

It's a big problem and is very widespread and there are times that accelerating is necessary to avoid a collision - so safety concern....absolutely I say.

Late,
Trav

Trav - Thank you! It's nice that someone else sees that this is a massive problem and needs to remedied by the manufacturer rather than JUST complaining about it on a forum. All those things I posted to do, I did. I even wrote the CEO of Nissan/Inifniti and complained to the BBB. Enough complaints directed to the write people will get something done about this safety problem. And it honestly is a matter of a little time and small amount of effort. I basically copied and pasted my letter to everyone that needed to know, changed the "to" address and paid some postage. CEO got a certified letter. Anywho... hopefully people will listen and do the same so maybe, just maybe, they will be forced to recall this. As for the accelarating, you can't do that until you have diverted your attention from driving to getting the clutch pedal to pop back up. Until its up, gas does nothing but rev, rev, rev. This is where the danger lies. I hope they do something before someone gets hurt or dies. Seriously.

Clutch stuck
 

I was launching clutch keeps staying on the ground any ideas car has 19k miles

Oh

Clutch is working fine now any idea what it could be