the clutch is starting to feel a little 'spongey' on my 04 cooper s. it has 50k miles but im not a "spirited" driver in any sense so im wondering if it could be anything else besides a leak of some sort? it feels fine when i start my first drive but as time goes on, the clutch seems to slowly get softer. also, any help on what a problem like this might cost? im a starving college student so every penny counts!

When was the last time you had the brake fluid changed? If I remember correctly, the clutch master and slave cylinders draw fluid from the brake reservoir.

Ck the fluid level see if its low, if yes ck to see if the slave on the clutch is leaking. Clutch master could also give you the same feel if its leaking. Air in the system could do it but should be bad at the start not the ok then bad like you state. My money would be on the slave being bad.

Funny, I'm about at 50k miles, and recently had my brakes done, (new pads, new rotors, lines, bushings, and fluid).

And now I notice that when I let my clutch out, it feels sloppier, as if the clutch is on its' way to failure.

So, you say I should check the fluid level, but which tank are we talking about? Pics?

Thanks!

thanks! i'll check em out and see what happens. and its been a little while since i checked the brake fluid, so thanks for the reminders as well!

It could be air in the system or one of the cylinders bypassing. A little bit of air in the system will expand when hot causing it to feel different after warm up. Before you go crazy and replace a clutch, replace the slave and master cylinder. It will be less than $100 if you do it yourself.