Jim Grant's Tech Tips
'95 Nissan Maxima, Cold Morning Clutch
Q:
I have
a '95 Nissan Maxima SE with a 5 speed manual transmission and 160k (it's
been great). However, now when starting on a cold morning I cannot shift
the car into gear. The clutch pedal goes to the floor and gets stuck.
If I pull too hard on the shifter I can here the gears grind. What could
my specific problem? I know it has something to do with the clutch. I
just had a complete clutch job about two years ago. The problem then was
when the car was in gear it would not go anywhere.
A:
Don't
force the shifter on your vehicle, getting rough can cause additional
problems. Your vehicle has a hydraulic system for releasing the clutch.
The first thing you should check is the fluid level in the clutch master
cylinder. This reservoir is located to the driver's side of the brake
master cylinder. It is a small reservoir and is often overlooked. If you
find the level to be low you'll want to inspect for the cause of the fluid
loss. The clutch slave cylinder, which is located on the transmission,
is the most common area for a fluid leak. The master lives a little better
life but can still be the cause of fluid loss. The clutch master will
leak fluid in the passenger compartment. Often the fluid slowing runs
down the firewall and behind the carpeting. It is unlikely you'll see
this leak unless you get on your knees and look up under the dash with
a light. From your description an inspection is in order. By the way,
don't wait too long, or you'll be completely without a way to release
the clutch.
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