I have searched and got some info except this....... My clutch felt like it was starting to go, then all of a sudden tonight when I started the truck it was soft untill just before it hit the floor and I had to drive home from work 30 miles just feeling for gears and shuting it off at a redlight, shifting into first then starting up and going again. From reading other threads I believe its the slave, but not sure. I checked the clutch fluid and it is rusty coloured, but upto level. It was clear a couple weeks ago. I looked through the inspection hole on the tranny and everything is dry as a bone. The truck is an 03 4.0 litre 4x4 with 112,000 km. (I'm in Canada)
Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

I would suspect water has gotten into the fluid , that can expain the color . And since water compresses differently than brake fluid , I suggest flushing out everything from the res through the slave. It may be a good idea to remove and invert the master cylinder to be sure and get all the air / old fluid out.

 

I'm kinda new to this so where is the master cylinder? And would this be covered by extended warranty?

 

I checked the fluid again. its not rusty just blackish a little. Guess it just looked rusty last night witht the flash light.

 

Brake fluid turns black when it's getting old. And brake fluid is what our trucks use in the hydraulic clutch system. Pump that old fluid out, or just crank open that bleeder and let it all drain out....then replace the fluid with some nice new DOT3 fluid. Rememeber, never use an already opened bottle, moisture gets in there and brake fluid and moisture don't mix. You must use a new bottle, then throw it away.

 

Quote:
moisture gets in there and brake fluid and moisture don't mix.

Brake fluid is hydrophilic.Meaning it loves water. so , yes , brake fluid and water do mix.Brake fluid will absorb water from the air. That is why once you open a can of brake fluid , you should use all of it and not store it on a shelf . By opening it you have introduced miosture from the air.

 

DOT3 and Dot4 are Glycol based....and Glycol based brake fluids are ' hygroscopic '. Meaning it absorbs water from the atmosphere, and having water in your fluid will reduce the boiling point of the fluid, and will degrade hydraulic efficiency.

I still say he needs to change his fluid. I run Valvoline Synthetic brake fluid in my clutch system. 25k and no brown yet.

 

So If the slave is covered by warranty, but the clutch isnt, then do you think they would charge me for the labour of dropping the tranny even though they have to anyway to get the slave out?