JMURP

Driving all morning, everything is fine. Took a break, backed out of my garage (worked fine), depressed clutch and it stayed down at the floor. I had to push it back up with my hand. tried it again same problem. I turned the car off- tried to start it (car requires clutch pulled down) it starts, I push clutch up. I depress clutch to see if I can get into either first or reverse- I can't get in any gears. A few minutes later my brake warning light goes on and beeps.
So, the clutch is not mushy, it requires pressure to push it down, it just stays down. I can start the car, but can not get it into a gear to move it.
????? any ideas

DelMarA6

As clutch goes bad, first you notice slipping under hard throttle, or as you climb a hill. What you describe sounds more like a master or slave clutch cylinder failure. (the clutch operates similar to a braking system, with fluid and master cylinder driving a piston-like cylinder to actuate the clutch)

April

Next to check would be master and slave cylinders.

HysterWV (ChadB)

2nd.

StoneMan

Low fluid - brakes and clutch use same reservior..

bad clutch master cylinder..

Bad clutch slave cylinder..

Good luck with the diagnosis.

Ritz

If your brake pedal is soft too, I'd suspect a broken brake line or bad master cylinder. If the brakes are fine, I'd suspect a bad clutch master or slave cylinder. Your brake light came on because you lost a bunch of fluid *somewhere* and the reservoir is now below minimum. Put the car on a lift and find the brake fluid leak and you've found your problem.

Cheers,

Chuckie T

I owned an '84 Rabbit GTI and a plastic bracket that held the clutch cable snapped. The symptoms were very similar to yours. The peddle was limp and I had to practically press the clutch through the floor to enable shifts. It was a $75 fix back in 1990.

April

True, if fluid is missing, it's going somewhere.

Hy Octane

Sounds like your master cylinder is shot.

Ritz

not relevant...note the brake light coming on...he's got a fluid leak somewhere.