nwfanatic

So I think I discovered that my car has The Clutch Issue and want to confirm with others who have had it.

I just discovered today that if I depress the clutch super fast, that it is nearly impossible to push in. If I wait a bit and push it in its easy as pie. In normal driving, even slightly aggressive driving, I never really slam the clutch to the floor and thus never have an issue. Clutch operates with ease. But slam it to the floor, or "pump" it and the pedal gets super super heavy.

Is this The Clutch Issue fixed by the new vaccuum line?

Sounds like others have had their cars totally immobilized so maybe this isn't it.. maybe you just can't slam the clutch pedal to the floor on this car...

...NW

S4gasbord

I have a 2007b also and do not have the clutch issue. Admittedly, I only have 800+ miles on the car so that may not be saying much.

How fast are you depressing the clutch pedal? I can depress mine from undepressed to firewall in approximately half a second.

To answer your question, yes this is the issue the vacuum hose replacement is supposed to fix.

RI A6

That is the problem. It really becomes a problem if you heal-and-toe shift, and can be quite disconcerting. Just when you need to shift fast, you can't.

I still can't believe it doesn't have a TSB yet. My service advisor had to go to AoA and ask for the correct repair information, even after all these months.

nwfanatic

I have about 1450. Was just opening it up and testing redline - and of course attempting some quick shifts and discovered the problem.

I can't figure out if I have simply never tried to shift so aggressively before, of whether something broke or changed with the car.

Ironically, I noticed it driving home from the dealer having done the precautionary oil change recommended by folks here... Guess I'll be going back

dxben

I have noticed that if you try to press the clutch in from the top down, as opposed to more inward, towards the front of the car (subtle to describe), there is much more resistance.

Meaning, put your foot all the way as far on the clutch pedal, almost where you're pressing not the the pedal portion but its arm. Then try to press down. Notice how hard it is?

Then slide your foot back and press on the frontmost (nearest you) half of the pedal surface, more inwards (away from you, rather than down to the floor).. Notice less resistance?

Could it be some of us are confusing the clutch "issue" with this subtle behavior?

ELEVENS

You seem to be describing mechanical advantage where less leverage requires more effort. Sorry if I'm missing something here.

RI A6

nope, just double clutch rapidly and it will stiffen like a rock

RI A6

Sometimes it will happen during full throttle acceleration, too. I think this might have something to do with increased vacuum colapsing the line more readily.

nwfanatic

Thanks gang. Scheduled appt with dealer tomorrow - Barrier in Bellevue, WA. The person I spoke with hadn't heard boo about "the RS4 clutch issue".

"It's all over the internet" says I.

"Well, we don't use the internet".

hehe

I told them that that they'll need to call AoA and figure out the part #'s, and that it should be, but is not yet, a TSB. Still making me come in to "take a look at it".

That's kind of a bummer about it not being a TSB - costing this customer an extra trip to the dealer.... when they know damn well about the issue.

No big deal... at least all other barrier RS4 folks will have an easier time of it after me.

dxben

I think I was probably describing some kind of maxim of such a mechanical setup, I am not a mechanical engineer, rather a software engineer, so forgive