# Skoda Octavia Clutch/Gear Problem



## tobomacdobo (13 Oct 2009)

Hi,

I'm hoping someone can help me with my problem. I'll try to explain it as best I can. My car is a 2006 Skoda Octavia TDi, 100,000 miles. It runs perfectly on short journeys but just after buying it a few weeks I began having problems with the gear stick- mainly it was sticking when trying to change from a gear I had been driving in for awhile to a higher gear or vice versa. The problem began to get worse so I tokk it back to dealer. The clutch has since been replaced, a new master cylinder fitted and the pressure plate has been replaced.

Car drove perfectly for 2wks but now I'm experiencing the same problem again. When the gear stick starts to stick I pump the  clutch pedal to get a stronger clutch as pedal will have gone completely soft. Sometimes when this fails I pull the pedal towards me with my foot & then the clutch is strong again & I can change gears.  The clutch fluid was refilled, then bled & replaced when problem remained.

Does anyone know what the problem could be? The mechanics don't seem to know & I've already taken it to 3 different guys.


----------



## mathepac (13 Oct 2009)

If there are no signs of fluid leaks, it sounds like either :


 the clutch release bearing (which should be replaced as  a matter of course when doing the clutch), or
 an air-lock, as the hydraulics have been incorrectly bled.


----------



## dubal (14 Oct 2009)

same problem is with mine for the last week ,,,car drives perfect around town but when i head out the motorway for about 10 miles then the clutch pedal is not working . i have to lift it up and pump it ....the garage has replaced the slave and master cylinder and drove it home today thinking it would be fixed but the same problem after about 10 miles without using the clutch ...i,ll post tomorrow if i get any more news when i go back to garage....


----------



## Guest125 (14 Oct 2009)

Does the clutch pedal sink to the floor after a period of non use?


----------



## dubal (15 Oct 2009)

after 18 minutes of driving(without use of the clutch) it has about 2 inches of use at the bottem just enough to get out of gear...pump the pedal 4/5 timer and its back


----------



## SparkRite (15 Oct 2009)

Strongly suspect a hydraulic problem ie. leak or a faulty master or slave cylinder.


----------



## Guest125 (15 Oct 2009)

Had that problem in a Fiat Marea,the return spring on the clutch pedal was broken a simple fix.Had a look around the clutch pedal on my own Octavia but in true modern car tradition can't see anything.Have a look for fluid leaks around the top of the pedal.


----------



## tobomacdobo (17 Oct 2009)

Have checked for leaks but can find none. Was going to get slave cylinder replaced in the hope it would solve problem. It's very frustrating!!


----------



## Guest125 (18 Oct 2009)

Just thinking,I eventually had to replace the slave cylinder in the Marea too.Are you losing fluid?


----------



## dubal (21 Oct 2009)

ok just have done 700k in past 3 days with no problems of pumping the pedal...here,s the solution to the problem which i found by pure ignorance .....
I brought the car to a clutch and gearbox specialist on the north side of dublin...who informed me that due to the master and slave being replaced then feeling slight vibration throught the clutch pedal then the problem must be in the dual mass flywheel auto ratchet mechanism which keeps a worn clutch adjusted for optimal use ....1050+vat .....weird because skoda dealer quotes 950+vat to do same job ,,,,so much for non genuine fitted products and skoda were going to replace it with normal flywheel clutch disc product...brought it back to garage which fitted slave/master products and was quoted 540 parts and 200 to fit ...not bad price ..so as i had to do a bit of driving this week i9 booked it in for later this week ....
On friday afternoon i finally had enough of pumping the pedal and coming down to a roundabout near home i decided to let the clutch out early when going down to second and then first gear Last thing i saw on the clock was 5000rpm on a diesel engine maybe not to good for it and there was a definate smell of clutch in the air ......
i woke up next morning to a perfect pedal no pumping drove all the way from kildare to dublin and back clutch is still perfect ....
i can only assume that there was either dust or dirt on the plate or mechanism which operates inside the gearbox but maybe next time anybody has the same problem try this once .....


----------



## mathepac (21 Oct 2009)

dubal said:


> ... i can only assume that there was either dust or dirt on the plate or mechanism which operates inside the gearbox .....


or oil,  hydraulic fluid or another contaminent.

I haven't run across this one before, thanks for the update.


----------



## kimmullenuk (15 Feb 2011)

I have same problem with 59 plate Octavia. only done 50,000miles had master cylinder replaced by Skoda main dealer took 2 days to diagnose problem, got my car back yesterday, advised my clutch was worn, had to call out Skoda assist (RAC) today. Same problem. i have had 2 Octavia's from new prior to this one. The first one I part exchanged for my second one with 148.000miles on the clock, with no repacement clutch. I sold my second one with 192.000miles on the clock, with no replacement clutch. 
My car is now at a different Skoda main dealer. I'm pretty sure the problem can not be the cluth. all the people that i have asked have told me "it's a hydrolic problem". Will update when i know more.


----------



## kimmullenuk (15 Feb 2011)

yes, clutch pedal drops after distance driven


----------



## kimmullenuk (15 Feb 2011)

read kimmullenuk





tobomacdobo said:


> Hi,
> 
> I'm hoping someone can help me with my problem. I'll try to explain it as best I can. My car is a 2006 Skoda Octavia TDi, 100,000 miles. It runs perfectly on short journeys but just after buying it a few weeks I began having problems with the gear stick- mainly it was sticking when trying to change from a gear I had been driving in for awhile to a higher gear or vice versa. The problem began to get worse so I tokk it back to dealer. The clutch has since been replaced, a new master cylinder fitted and the pressure plate has been replaced.
> 
> ...


----------



## tonyt25 (16 Jun 2011)

*clutch pedal issue*

bought my octavia back in january , and hav bin experiancing the soft clutch  pedal issue , tried bleeding but with no joy,, taday i noticed two bleed nipples on the master cylinder (clutch fluid filler located just to the right ) with the car running bleed both nipples then the slave cylinder , did this about 10 times rotating each nipple , drove 20 miles and hey presto still got clutch , may not be a cure but the best i ve had it since owning the car ,  good luck


----------

