Manual transmissions are simple mechanical transmissions that used to be found on the majority of vehicles. They have three pedals instead of two. This third pedal is the clutch pedal, and it allows the driver to disconnect the engine from the wheels. In rare cases, a driver may find a stiff clutch pedal on their manual transmission.
Although a manual transmission can be a joy to drive for a skilled operator, a stiff clutch pedal makes the vehicle substantially more difficult and less fun to drive. There are a few reasons your clutch pedal might be stiff. Here are a few common causes.
Top Reasons for a Hard Clutch Pedal
When you step on the clutch pedal with your foot, there should not be too much resistance. A normal clutch pedal depression will feel nice and smooth.
Some vehicles have stiffer clutch pedals than others, depending on the amount of torque the transmission is designed to handle and if the vehicle comes with any type of clutch assist.
However, if you feel that the clutch pedal is way too hard to press, then there could definitely be something wrong within the system. Below are some of the most common causes of a clutch pedal being hard to press down.
1) Clutch Needs Adjustment
If your clutch is too stiff, one of the simplest things you can check is the clutch pedal adjustment. If the clutch is way out of spec, the clutch may be partially (or even fully) disengaged while the clutch pedal rests at the top of its travel.
Before diving too deep into troubleshooting, verify that your clutch pedal has been adjusted properly. This is especially true if you’ve recently changed the clutch or the clutch master cylinder.
2) Bad Clutch Fork
The clutch pedal pushes on hydraulic fluid. This fluid pushes on the slave cylinder, which actuates the clutch fork. The clutch fork acts as a lever to then separate the clutch from the flywheel, allowing the driver to disconnect engine power from the wheels.
Over time, the clutch fork may be bent or even broken, reducing the driver’s leverage against the pressure plate. Replacing the clutch fork usually requires dropping the transmission. It’s important to replace the clutch fork when you replace the clutch, which helps to avoid this problem.
3) Pedal Blocked
If you have small items on the floor of your vehicle, it is possible that one of these small items might be caught underneath the clutch pedal. If this happens, you won’t be able to press down the pedal completely.
You might not think to look underneath the pedal because it probably won’t occur to you that this is the reason it is sticking. If you ever need to press down hard on the clutch pedal, make sure there is nothing underneath it.
Otherwise, it could damage the pedal or prevent you from disengaging the clutch. Even worse, the object can get stuck under your brake pedal with much dire consequences.
4) Bad Clutch Cable
The clutch cable is what connects the clutch pedal to the clutch linkage in many vehicles. When you press down on the clutch pedal, it causes the cable to pull on the linkage so that the clutch becomes disengaged.
Once the clutch is disengaged, you can shift the gears of the transmission safely. If the clutch cable is stretched too much or broken, then you may have to press down harder on the clutch pedal to disengage the clutch.
5) Bent Clutch Pedal Assembly
The clutch pedal assembly is the structure that mounts the clutch pedal to the firewall. Some vehicles have rather flimsy clutch pedal assemblies that may bend over time, or when used aggressively.
The solution to this problem is usually just to replace the clutch pedal assembly. Sometimes the firewall may need to be reinforced if there is damage where the clutch pedal assembly mounts to the firewall.
6) Aftermarket Clutch
Aftermarket clutches are often designed to hold more torque than the clutch that the car was originally sold with.
If you’ve recently changed your clutch but replaced an OEM unit with an aftermarket one, this could be normal behavior. Check forums for your vehicle and reviews for the clutch you bought to see if this is a common experience.
If you’re looking at a used vehicle with a heavy clutch, this may be one thing to ask the owner about before you decide to purchase the vehicle.
7) Obstructed Clutch Lines
Most clutches are hydraulic, much like the braking system. If there were an obstruction in the clutch lines such as a collapsed hose or a blockage from debris, the clutch pedal may be much harder to press.
One way to check for this is to try bleeding the slave cylinder. You should see fluid drop in the clutch fluid reservoir. If you don’t see the fluid level drop, or you notice excessive debris in the clutch fluid, you might have a problem.
8) Missing Clutch Assist Spring
Newer vehicles with manual transmissions often come with a clutch assist spring to make it easier for the driver to depress the clutch pedal. These assist springs also remove play at the top of the clutch pedal travel.
However, clutch assist springs have a distinct breakover point in the middle which could make the clutch feel vague. Some drivers don’t like this and will remove the spring for a more old-school clutch pedal feel, at the expense of a stiffer pedal.
9) Bad Clutch Release Bearing
When you depress the clutch pedal, the clutch release bearing or “throwout” bearing pushes on the fingers of the pressure plate to separate the pressure plate from the clutch. This allows the pressure plate and clutch to spin at different speeds.
The clutch release bearing will lose lubrication over time, which will wear out the bearing and make it more difficult for the bearing to spin. As this happens, it may become more difficult to depress the clutch pedal. If your clutch release bearing is going out, you may also notice a whirring or chirping sound that goes away when you release the clutch pedal.
10) Bent Push Rod
The push rod connects the top of the clutch pedal to the piston inside the master cylinder. If this rod were to bend, it may not travel smoothly through the clutch master cylinder.
While this is not a common issue, it’s possible for the push rod to bend while replacing another component, such as the clutch pedal assembly or master cylinder.
11) Bad Clutch Booster
Some clutches use a vacuum assist, much like the brake booster for the brakes. If these vacuum lines were to leak, it would lead to a much firmer clutch pedal feel.
These are not terribly common, and you should be able to pop the hood and identify a clutch booster pretty easily if you have one. They’re usually round and should look a bit like a smaller version of the brake booster.
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i have a L-300 kia karga, i changed a complete assembly of clutch lining, hose and i replaced fluid but when the engine becomes hot, its hard to pushed and stop running until become cold again for 1 hour.
Did you bleed the clutch? Is the clutch fluid near any hot engine components?
I have ignis car and Odo is 50k, my car clutch become hard when it depress more than half.I have changed clutch cable one week before and it runes smoothly for week.after that it started giving same problem.what could be the reason?
Sometimes a bad clutch fork will cause issues like this. If that is the problem in your case, you would have to drop the transmission and replace the clutch fork to fix the issue.
so, I got a 370z and just upgraded my flywheel, clutch, and pressure plate, I also put a CSC elimination kit from z1motorsports. After installing everything and starting bleeding, my clutch pedal got so hard. does anyone know what could be the problem?
Will the clutch pedal move at all? What clutch did you put in the car?
I am also faced same problem with i20 2020 jan model.after running continuous 2 hrs . By seeing this problem I got tensioned and by applying more pressure on clutch pedal attachment liver on master cylinder broken. On sight mechanic replaced master cylinder and oil bleed out problem is rectified.
hi,
I got my car serviced. 4 years old mazda 6 and 15k miles. i bought it brand new. When car returned the clutch pedal was super hard to press. There was absolute no problem before the service. drove like a brand new car. I feel like the mechanics have replaced my car parts for the drastic result.
They have no camera nothing to check for foul play.
its been 6 months now.
What could be the issue with my clutch?
What work was done in that service 6 months ago?
I’m driving a hyundai verna fluidic 1.6 vtvt sx Petrol 2012, I had the same problem with clutch after driving for 20-30mins the clutch gets hard and doesn’t work until fully released. At some point it got really hard that I can’t even press it so I had to stop the car and wait for it to cool down. A mechanic replaced the valve with a new one and It was working fine but again I feel like that thing is happening again. Had an 6-7 hour drive and I was just parking the car but when I slightly released the clutch, engine turned off! It happened twice then I had to use the accelerator to give it some power. Can anyone help me out here with some suggestions please?
I replaced thw clutch and slave cylinder and now when i pump it it gets hard anf it wont go into gear.
Make sure the clutch has been bled and the clutch pedal is properly adjusted.
We have same problem of my isuzu highlander. Any solution?
Hi Sir,
What valve they replaced
Same happened to me around June of this year in my i20 petrol 2011 ..turns out slave cylinder is the reason for hard clutch… After replacing it the hard problem is gone but it does become sticky after driving in hot weather for 60-70 kms … So will get the master cylinder also changed…they say to get the whole clutch assembly change if u have driven above l/80-90 k kms.
I changed the master cylinder on my 98 Ford Ranger and bled the system. Now when I engage my clutch pedal, the brake pedal goes down enough to noticeably slow my truck. any suggestions as to what might cause this?
On my cars the clutch and brake hydraulic systems are completely decoupled where a failure in one cannot affect the other. I don’t think Rangers were designed this way. I would bleed the brakes and the clutch, then see if the issue persists.
As a sanity check, look up the proper bleeding procedure for your truck in case it calls for anything unconventional.
My Mazda BT 50 ..4WD from 2011 the clutch pedal has always been relatively hard to push down ( I didn’t realise as had old Landriver Defender prior). It’s leaking some oil and mechanic has been saying for past 18 months that the clutch is on way out. Have driven 100000km in past 2 years..
Do I have to do new clutch ..and change from dual to single flywheel..at cost of $2000 ????
If your clutch is starting to slip, you’ll need a new one.
I recently replaced both the clutch and the pressure plate on my land cruiser vx but the clutch padel is too hard to press
Some aftermarket clutch kits will stiffen the clutch pedal quite a bit, especially ones that hold more torque.
Hi,
After i drive my Hyundai i20 for one hour, all of a sudden clutch starts becoming stiff and eventually, it will become so stiff that i cannot change the gear at all. If i leave the vehicle in that state for half an hour to one hour, again the clutch becomes normal and i can drive as if nothing has happened. Because of this problem, unable to use the car for long journeys. what may be the problem. Already got the gear plates replaced from Hyundai service centre. When i go to service station, unable to show the problem, and when the problem comes, unable to show to service person. horrible situation.
Thanks in Advance.
I would start by inspecting the clutch pedal assembly, clutch master cylinder, and slave cylinder for damage. See if there’s anything wrong with those parts that could be mechanically limiting the clutch pedal travel.
This is a very common problem in Hyundai models. Clutch pedal cylinder needs to be replaced
Replace the clutch release cylinder and it will be ok.
Hi,
I just bought an 2012 accord coupe. After driving in heavy traffic a few times I noticed I really have to put in a lot of effort to push the clutch down. Took it to my mechanic and he said it seems OK to him and to check further he would have to take out the whole transmission.
I plan on having this car for a long time and my knee hurts just thinking about it.
Any advice?
Are you sure it’s the stock clutch or did the previous owner upgrade to a heavier duty clutch do to mods? Either way, unless your mechanic actually checked the cable and linkage, you might want to have another mechanic check it out.
94 Jeep Wrangler. For all practical purposes my clutch works fine. But on occasion, the clutch seems to lock up and I can not press down on it at all…like a rock when I push on it. It will then loosen up on its own and the clutch works perfectly again. This just started happening and does it periodically. Any ideas here?
Is there fluid leaking underneath? If so, either a bad master cylinder, bad slave cylinder, or hydraulic line blew off. If no leak, I’d guess the throwout bearing. Many Jeeps also have an issue with a failed return spring in the clutch master cylinder.
Get slave cylinder replaced
Why would the push rod on my VW caddy go through the clutch plate….?
I’ve got a Suzuki GV -2006 – 2.0TD 5 Fwd manual .
I’ve replaced release bearing, clutch plate, pressure plate, pilot bearing lube pivot ball. Release bearing inner surface was also lubed. All service parts are OEM.(Clutch Kit manufactured by Valeo for Suzuki).
Clutch slave was also replaced and brake fluid flows unrestricted when system was bleeded. Clutch pedal was hard before i replaced parts and still the pedal is hard.
Firstly, what can i further check? And secondly, is there any device / system that i can add on to get a softer clutch pedal?
Hi I have just purchased a 2017 ford focus st3 when I drive I find the clutch a bit harder than normal to operate. Should I have this checked out by the local ford dealer
It depends what you are comparing it to. Since you have the high performance version of a normal Focus, you likely have a stronger clutch plate to handle the extra horsepower. This often means your clutch pedal will take more effort to push down. But if you’re concerned, I’m sure a Ford sales rep would be able to tell you if it’s normal or not.
If it’s got more than 20,000 miles on it I would recommend changing the manual transmission fluid (DCTF). It uses dual clutch transmission fluid and the only fluids I’ve found so far that meet Ford’s specs are Motorcraft DCTF and Motul DCTF. There’s a few good YouTube videos online that cover how to do it. Medium difficulty.