Is there a TSB for the clutch sticking?

[Heelhook22]

Hello Team,

I posted this in the warranty section, but will try again here. Other than a bad smell when going into reverse, my clutch has been working fine (I have 6900 miles on my maro). However, I drove my car to work the other day and parked my car. When I got off work 10 hours later, I went to start my car and noticed the clutch pedal was sticking at about 3" from the floor. I stuck my foot underneath the pedal to lift it up. The clutch is now in the correct position, but it doesn't feel the same. The pressure required to depress the pedal is very light now and it just doesn't seem to engage as well as it used to. Now before anyone claims its my driving style all my cars have been manual and I've never had to have any of my clutches replaced until at least the 135,000 range

Now I've read all the info on here about the smelling/sticking clutch issues people are having, but I wanted to know if anyone knew the TSB for this issue. I find this helps tremendously having this information ready before visiting the dealer. Any information you can give me would be appreciated.

P.S.- I know folks are replacing their stock clutches with Findanzas and such, but I would like to forego dishing out extra money for a clutch if I don't have to just yet....but boy does that twin disc look appealing

[Robert91RS]

#PIE0023: EI09259 - Engineering Investigation - Clutch Pedal Soft Or Goes To The Floor No Clutch Activation Fluid Leaking In Clutch Slave Cylinder Area - (Oct 8, 2009)

Subject: EI09259 - Engineering Investigation -- Clutch Pedal Soft or Goes To Floor, No Clutch Actuation, Fluid Leaking In Clutch Slave Cylinder Area


Models: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro

Equipped with Manual Transmission RPO M10



Attention: Proceed with this PI ONLY if the customer has commented about this concern AND the EI number is listed in GMVIS. If the customer has not commented about this condition or the EI does not show in GMVIS, disregard the PI and proceed with diagnostics found in published service information. THIS IS NOT A RECALL -- refer to Service Bulletin 04-00-89-053C for more details on the use of Engineering Information PIs.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Condition
Important: If the customer did not bring their vehicle in for this concern, DO NOT proceed with this PI.

Some customers may comment that the clutch pedal is soft or goes to the floor. This condition may cause the clutch to not function. The condition may also be accompanied by hydraulic fluid leaking around the clutch slave cylinder area.

Cause
GM Engineering is attempting to determine the root cause of the clutch slave cylinder fluid loss. Engineering has a need to gather information on vehicles, PRIOR to repair, that may exhibit this condition. As a result, this information will be used to "root cause" the customer's concern and develop/validate a field fix.

Instructions
If during the initial service evaluation, the dealership finds the clutch hydraulic bleed valve/screw is leaking fluid or the bleed valve/screw is loose or missing, contact the engineer listed below. The engineer may request the clutch slave cylinder assembly be replaced and the part returned to the Warranty Parts Center for evaluation.

Contact Information
Phone (###) ###-####

If the engineer is unable to take your call, please leave the information listed below in a message.

• Technician Name


• Dealer Name and Phone Number


• Complete VIN and Repair Order Number


On the repair order, document the date and time the call was placed.

If engineering is unable to return the call within one hour, proceed with diagnosis and repair based on information found in SI.

Warranty Information
If engineer was contacted or required information was provided, use:

Labor Operation
Description
Labor Time

K9707*
Engineering Information -- Clutch Slave Cylinder
0.2 hr

* This is a unique labor operation number for PI use only. This will not be published in the Labor Time Guide.

[Heelhook22]

Thank you so much! This is truly, truly apperciated!!!

Cheers,


Heelhook

[Robert91RS]

Hey, no problem.

[Moorepheus]

I have had my car since Saturday. When I drove her off the lot and for the first few days, I had to push my clutch to the floor and as soon as I would start to lift off the pedal, it would start to engage...HARD. Now, just 4 days later, it doesn't engage as soon as I lift my foot up, it seems to be more in the middle of the pedal travel and seems a bit softer. I have not drove a clutch in over 12 years and I am getting use to it. I don't smell anything when I am driving it (burning clutch). Just wondered if this was normal or maybe this problem? Only have 200 miles on her.

[Ghost of Vincent Price]

Originally Posted by Moorepheus

I have had my car since Saturday. When I drove her off the lot and for the first few days, I had to push my clutch to the floor and as soon as I would start to lift off the pedal, it would start to engage...HARD. Now, just 4 days later, it doesn't engage as soon as I lift my foot up, it seems to be more in the middle of the pedal travel and seems a bit softer. I have not drove a clutch in over 12 years and I am getting use to it. I don't smell anything when I am driving it (burning clutch). Just wondered if this was normal or maybe this problem? Only have 200 miles on her.

Yours sounds like normal clutch break in. However the issue with the clutch pedal sticking has been around since 1998 and is one of the reasons I stayed away from a manual. They need to get away from the hydraulic clutch design they use. I feel its a mixture of contamination of the clutch fluid and the fluid boiling in the slave cylinder that causes the starvation which results in the pedal not returning.

I changed out everything on my 4th gen (same style hydraulics) and never got rid of the problem. I wrapped the line in heat shielding, changed the master cyl, changed the slave cyl, changed the line, added better fluid. Nothing worked. I even changed the clutch.

Anyways its been an issue thats hit or miss forever now. I pretty sure the lt1s didnt have this problem, and their slave isnt the throw out bearing style that the ls1+ trannies have.

[Moorepheus]

Originally Posted by Ghost of Vincent Price

Yours sounds like normal clutch break in. However the issue with the clutch pedal sticking has been around since 1998 and is one of the reasons I stayed away from a manual. They need to get away from the hydraulic clutch design they use. I feel its a mixture of contamination of the clutch fluid and the fluid boiling in the slave cylinder that causes the starvation which results in the pedal not returning.

I changed out everything on my 4th gen (same style hydraulics) and never got rid of the problem. I wrapped the line in heat shielding, changed the master cyl, changed the slave cyl, changed the line, added better fluid. Nothing worked. I even changed the clutch.

Anyways its been an issue thats hit or miss forever now. I pretty sure the lt1s didnt have this problem, and their slave isnt the throw out bearing style that the ls1+ trannies have.

Thanks for the info. Just amazed at the change just 4 days after driving my car.

[clg_98ta]

Originally Posted by Ghost of Vincent Price

However the issue with the clutch pedal sticking has been around since 1998 and is one of the reasons I stayed away from a manual. They need to get away from the hydraulic clutch design they use. I feel its a mixture of contamination of the clutch fluid and the fluid boiling in the slave cylinder that causes the starvation which results in the pedal not returning.

You're right about this. I had to flush/fill the fluid in my 1998 T/A every year or two. I replaced the master and the slave and still had intermittant 'soft pedal'. When I replaced the slave, I installed a remote bleeder (6-ft braided line with bleeder at the end) to facilitate flush & bleed. I thought that surely GM would have the kinks worked out of this hydraulic setup 12-years later - but it sounds like they don't. It may even be worse now with the dual reservoir.

My Camaro is less than a month old and I haven't had any issues yet, but I'm very dissapointed to hear that others are.

[95_9C1]

[ZooDad]

Haven't seen one, but my dealer gave me this for an explanation.

[KATHY63]

I just found this thread and we have been having problems with our clutch since last year. Last year the master slave cylinder, flywheel and some other things had to be replaced because that was supposed to fix it. It still sticks. Gm does not know what to do and they want the car back, but we want it fixed. It usually sticks when going from first to second in normal driving. I DO NOT use the launch mode because I do not know how. We are still trying to fix the problem. Our fluid was black but we made the dealer flush out the system, but a couple of hours after I picked it up, it stuck on me twice. Any suggestions?