Alright guys, sorry to call you out individually, but I'm gonna have a feeling you guys are going to offer me the best advice on this.
I searched the archives, and there are a lot of posts about soft clutches/clutches that suddenly engage at the very bottom of the travel, but they're all a permanent thing. My problem is intermittant.
Anyway, I get the usual symptoms of hydraulic pressure loss: pedal travels about 1/4 of the way before engaging, feels spongy, and doesn't snap back up as fast as usual. The clutch engages at the very, and I mean very, bottom of the travel, but I have no problem starting or shifting smoothly.
Here's where it gets complicated- it happens after I've been driving on the highway for a long time, like more than 2 hours. For example, I noticed it when downshifting for a tollbooth, and then consequently upshifting while I'm leaving. Again, getting off the exit ramp, it feels all spongy. Now the REALLY strange part- it goes away after a little stop and go driving!! And when I say goes away, I mean like there is 0 travel between the time you step on the clutch and the time that you feel the return pressure of the clutch- its perfect.
So, I guess my first question is: Is there any way that these can get air in the lines and then later get air out of the lines (not necessarily "self bleeding", but I suppose thats an option)?
The clutch was replaced in the summer of 02 with a new pressure plate, to bearing, the usual clutch job. On top of that, they replaced the master clutch cylinder, because it had leaked, dumped out hydraulic oil on the clutch, and consequently glazed it. They also replaced the clutch slave cylinder "as preventative maintenance". Everything has been great until now.
Whew, that was long. Sorry to make you guys read all that. Any thoughts? I wish I could get underneath the car and look for trans leaks, but its been raining all day and yesterday
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