Hello,
Over the weekend my dad and I worked on his 2003 Mini Cooper S. He had the brakes done on it and they drove the car home however once it got home the clutch pedal wouldn’t return unless you reach down and pull it up.
Searched around online and figured out the mini has a hydraulic clutch. Found the master cylinder and hydraulic line and followed it down to the slave cylinder.
I inspected the master and slave and saw no signs of leaking.
Checked his brake fluid level.
we then attempted to bleed the system - we don’t have a power bleeder so we manually did it.
i compressed the slave piston all the way down and took the cap off the brake reservoir.
Then with the pedal up I loosed the slave bleeder screw, my dad pushed the brake pedal in and air and brake fluid would come out. I’d tighten the bleeder screw and we’d repeat the process.
we did the at least 20 times without having success. The clutch showed no signs of stiffening or returning.
Then we tried to gravity bleed it for a few hours, i loosened the slave bleeder. He pushed the clutch down and we left it sit for a few hours. I came back and the bleeder screw had unscrewed their rest of the way and popped out and was laying on a different part of the engine. So I tightened the cap back down and he tried to pump the clutch but there was no difference.
anyone have any ideas on what we’re doing wrong?
Over the weekend my dad and I worked on his 2003 Mini Cooper S. He had the brakes done on it and they drove the car home however once it got home the clutch pedal wouldn’t return unless you reach down and pull it up.
Searched around online and figured out the mini has a hydraulic clutch. Found the master cylinder and hydraulic line and followed it down to the slave cylinder.
I inspected the master and slave and saw no signs of leaking.
Checked his brake fluid level.
we then attempted to bleed the system - we don’t have a power bleeder so we manually did it.
i compressed the slave piston all the way down and took the cap off the brake reservoir.
Then with the pedal up I loosed the slave bleeder screw, my dad pushed the brake pedal in and air and brake fluid would come out. I’d tighten the bleeder screw and we’d repeat the process.
we did the at least 20 times without having success. The clutch showed no signs of stiffening or returning.
Then we tried to gravity bleed it for a few hours, i loosened the slave bleeder. He pushed the clutch down and we left it sit for a few hours. I came back and the bleeder screw had unscrewed their rest of the way and popped out and was laying on a different part of the engine. So I tightened the cap back down and he tried to pump the clutch but there was no difference.
anyone have any ideas on what we’re doing wrong?
Side note, the slave piston was fully depressed to prevent air from being in there. And I was considering buying a motive power bleeder if that would help???
we could hear bubbles by the clutch master cylinder when we’d pump the clutch with our hand
we could hear bubbles by the clutch master cylinder when we’d pump the clutch with our hand
3rd Gear
Did you inspect Al of the calipers / bleed screws? Recent brake job and now the clutch doesn't return is suspect. They use the same reservoir... I wonder if your slave cylinder is damaged some how? No pedal return culprit is usually the slave cylinder, in my experience.
1st Gear
Sounds like a bad slave. They are a bear to bleed. also check all brakes. You Slave my be toast
Thanks for the reply’s everyone.
this weekend I hope to get back and take a peek at it.
I’ll bring a spare slave cylinder and look over the brakes.
I swear we were bleeding them how everyone typically does so we started to think something must have gone bad.
this weekend I hope to get back and take a peek at it.
I’ll bring a spare slave cylinder and look over the brakes.
I swear we were bleeding them how everyone typically does so we started to think something must have gone bad.