The second generation Ford Focus has quite simple design, despite the fact that all systems are modern and reliable. This means that if any malfunction occurs, you can fix it on your own. Of course, for this you need to have minimum set tools, knowledge and experience. If you are not confident in yourself, then it is better to seek help from specialists. In our article we will talk about in what situations you will have to bleed the clutch, how to do it and what you need for this.
When is it necessary to bleed the clutch?
There are several signs that can indicate that the clutch on your second generation Ford Focus needs bleeding. Firstly, if when you press the pedal all the way, the clutch does not disengage 100% (people say that it is driven), and a grinding noise is observed when reverse gear is engaged. This could mean air is getting into the hydraulic drive. Secondly, if you are changing the hydraulic fluid or repairing the system due to its depressurization, then you will also need to work on the clutch.
The main reason why the clutch is pumped is to remove air from the cylinders, or more precisely from the brake fluid. The fact is that if there is air in the system, the clutch will not work correctly - it will not disengage completely, and the pedal itself will be very light. Therefore, if you find problems with the clutch system, you need to fix them as quickly as possible, since operating a Ford Focus with any damage is simply dangerous.
It should be noted that bleeding will be most effective if you adjust the clutch itself in advance. This is explained by the fact that there must be a complete absence of free play of the cylinder piston pusher, which acts as a locking valve.
Features of clutch bleeding
So, we figured out the reasons! Now we move on directly to performing work on the second generation Ford Focus. To bleed the clutch, you will need the following tools:
- A set of screwdrivers and wrenches (required for 11 and 17).
- Brake fluid to replace.
- Reservoir for draining old fluid.
- A tube or hose for bleeding (it is important that its diameter matches the diameter of the drain fitting).
It is also advisable to ask someone to help, since it will not be very convenient to work on your own. So, on the second generation Ford Focus, pumping is performed as follows:
- To remove air from the working cylinder, remove the valve cap.
- We put one end of the tube on the valve, and lower the other into a container with brake fluid. Next, you need to depress the clutch 3-5 times and hold the pedal for a few seconds, after which we keep it in the depressed position.
- We unscrew the valve a little (not a full turn), holding the adapter fitting from the main cylinder of the shutdown drive with a wrench. When you do this, old brake fluid will begin to pour into the reservoir (it will have air bubbles).
- Next, unscrew the bleeder fitting approximately another half turn and tighten the valve, while releasing the clutch pedal. This must be done until the liquid is completely free of bubbles.
- Screw the valve, put the cap on, add the required amount of brake fluid.
Note: when performing work, it is necessary to constantly monitor the liquid level and it is unacceptable for it to fall below the minimum limit. Also, fill in new brake fluid in time, otherwise the system will take in air, and bleeding will be done in vain, since everything will have to be redone.
After pumping is completed, it will be necessary to check the operation of the system. To do this, you need to depress the clutch pedal on the second generation FordFocus and look at the position of the piston pusher. Its stroke should be within 28 mm. If this indicator does not coincide with the normal one, then the clutch needs to be adjusted.
Also remember that you should only use the fluid recommended by the manufacturer. If you ignore this and use another product, then the rubber parts may increase, and this can already cause clutch failure.
Summarizing
High quality and professional repair– the key to long-term operation of your car. However, service specialists do not always take their work seriously, and therefore the effectiveness of their actions is low. If you think that you are capable of pumping the clutch yourself, do it, taking into account the recommendations of our article. Armed with the tools and help, you can fix your second generation FordFocus and save yourself the trouble of serious problems further.
When developing the second generation Focus, engineers probably sought not only to simplify the design, but also to make the car as convenient as possible for maintenance. They succeeded, since even such operations as pumping the clutch on a Ford Focus 2 can easily be done with your own hands in a few minutes.
Bleeding the clutch on the second Focus is necessary in cases where we decide to replace the brake fluid due to wear or after repairing the working or master cylinder of the clutch hydraulic drive. In addition, bleeding cannot be avoided if air gets into the hydraulic drive system. This can happen due to our oversight when the fluid level in the tank drops below the minimum and when trying to disengage the clutch, air was sucked into the system along with the fluid.
Ford Focus 2 clutch parts
Bleeding will get rid of air in the line, and it is easy to find out that there is air in the system - if the clutch does not disengage completely after the first press of the pedal, but after several repeated presses it still separates the flywheel and the basket, you can guarantee that the system air got in. Before bleeding the system, you need to determine whether everything is in order with the tightness of the line, Are there any leaks on the housing of the main and working cylinders, is the fluid leaking into the passenger compartment along the engine shield. Once you have verified that the system is working properly or the leak has been eliminated, you can begin pumping.
For work, we will need a 17mm wrench and a special 11mm split wrench for the brake system fittings, as well as new, clean brake fluid.
In addition, you will need a tube that can be put on the fitting and a clean container with a small amount of brake fluid. And an assistant, since it’s possible to work alone, but it’s extremely inconvenient. Let's start pumping.
Bleeding the clutch
After pumping, add fluid to the nominal level and check the operation of the clutch hydraulic drive. The full stroke of the thrust pusher of the working cylinder piston should not be more than 25-27 mm. Otherwise, the clutch needs adjustment. Good work to everyone and cloudless roads!
Video about quickly bleeding the clutch without an assistant
A car's clutch is one of the main components of the transmission. It is this that takes the brunt of the impact when changing gears, protects the car from overloads and dampens vibrations. Especially high voltage The devices are tested on vehicles with manual transmissions.
Simple procedures for setting up this unit will significantly reduce the risk of wear of parts. Skills in bleeding the hydraulic drive will not be superfluous, because any intervention in the system, be it replacing the working cylinder or a drop in the fluid level in the drive reservoir, leads to airing of the system.
| The content of the article: |
How to bleed a car's clutch (general guide)
Preparing for pumping . The clutch pumping procedure itself is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance. First of all, here you need to make sure that the brake fluid level has not decreased. It should be normal and if it is missing, you will need to add it.
For those who don’t know what a slave cylinder is, I’ll briefly explain. The slave cylinder is a device that includes a rod from the clutch accelerator (pedals in the cabin). Depending on the car model, its location may vary. But on most models it is located in the engine compartment partition under the brake fluid expansion tank. Usually on the driver's side, not far from the brake cylinder.
After the cap is cleaned of dirt and dust, it will need to be removed, after which we put a rubber pipe of the appropriate diameter on the valve stem.
After this, take a small container and pour some brake fluid into it. Just remember, you need to use the same fluid that is used in the car. We also draw attention to the fact that there should be enough liquid so that the free end of the pipe can be completely submerged by at least two to three centimeters.
Swap process . So, now you can start pumping the clutch directly. I would also like to note that it is much easier to do this work with an assistant.
1). We ask the assistant to sit behind the wheel and squeeze the clutch 2-3 times, after which he must fix the pedal in the lower position. At this time, you unscrew the valve to release the air. At the same time, we also make sure that one end of the pipe is constantly immersed in a container with brake fluid.
2) . When the bleeder valve is unscrewed, the brake fluid will leave the system under the force of the depressed accelerator.
3) . In particular, liquid flows through the pipe into the container. Accordingly, air will come out along with it. The bubbles appearing in the bottle will tell us about it.
4) . After the air has completely left the system, give the assistant a command to lower the pedal. And you screw the valve back.
5) . The procedure must be repeated several times, that is, we repeat until air stops flowing from the pipe into the container. As a rule, 2-3 approaches are enough.
6) . In this case, it is also necessary to monitor the level of brake fluid in the reservoir. And if necessary, add it to the MAX mark.
7). If you don’t have an assistant nearby, you shouldn’t be too upset, since you can do this work yourself. The only thing is that you will need to use some kind of stop to fix the clutch pedal.
Video
How to bleed the clutch on a VAZ 2110, 2111, 2112
1) . We drive the car to inspection hole after which we open the hood and find the brake fluid reservoir (see photo). Unscrew the cap from the barrel and add brake fluid to the MAX mark.
2) . After topping up, we close the tank lid so that no air gets into it, or we simply put it on top and then move under the bottom of the car.
3) . The assistant gets behind the wheel at this time. By the way, during the bleeding process it is necessary to monitor the level in the brake reservoir. Namely, it should not fall lower than 15 mm. It’s better to add brake fluid to the reservoir more often, otherwise you never know.
5) . At this time (depending on which wheel you are bleeding) remove the protective cap from the pumped fitting. For example, on the rear wheel the bleeder fitting is located where shown by the arrow in the right photo, and on the front wheel this part and its protective cap are located where indicated in the left photo:
6) . We remove this cap and put a hose on the bleeder fitting, and lower the other end of this hose into a small container, which we fill in advance with a little new brake fluid. After completing all the operations, carefully loosen the fitting 2-3 turns and the waste liquid, which will contain air bubbles, will begin to drain into the container. After the liquid stops flowing, tighten the fitting, after which we give a command to the assistant to remove his foot from the pedal. We continue this operation until the liquid begins to come out without air bubbles.
(The photo below shows an example on the front wheel; on the rear, everything is done identically)
How to bleed the clutch of a Niva Chevrolet?
1) . Open the reservoir and fill it with liquid up to the neck. It is located in the engine compartment.
2) . We put a hose on the fitting of the system cylinder, and immerse its other end in a container.
4) . With the clutch pedal depressed, unscrew the valve and bleed the fluid in the system. After this, we close the valve and pressure is created in the system again.
5) . We repeat this procedure until clean liquid comes out of the system, without air bubbles.
6) . During the process, you should also periodically check the fluid level. And if necessary, you will need to top it up.
7) . After pumping, add brake fluid to the reservoir to the MAX mark.
How to bleed the clutch on a Lada Largus?
1) . We add fluid to the brake reservoir to the MAX mark and begin pumping the brake system from the far longer circuit.
2) . WITH reverse side drum we find a drain fitting with a rubber cap on. Remove the cap.
3) . We put an “8” spanner on the fitting, and then a hose. We lower the second end of the hose into the drain container.
5) . Unscrew the drain fitting slightly by turning it counterclockwise 1/3 of a turn. At the same time, brake fluid will begin to flow out of the hose, and the clutch pedal will sink to the floor. Then we tighten the fitting, and the partner repeats the pumping procedure. Repeat until the liquid flows without bubbles.
6) . We move to the front left wheel and repeat the same steps.
7) . In order not to air the system, we periodically check the fluid in the tank and add it if necessary.
8) . Then we repeat everything with the rear left and then the front right wheels, do not forget to put rubber caps on the fittings.
How to bleed the clutch on a Gazelle (Video)
How to bleed the clutch on an Opel Astra?
1) . We check the level of working fluid in the reservoir of the main brake cylinder (the reservoir is common for both main cylinders), and if necessary, bring it to normal.
2) . Remove the protective cap from the clutch slave cylinder bleeder valve.
3) . We put a hose on the valve and lower its end into a container with a small amount of brake fluid.
4) . We ask the assistant to press the clutch pedal 5-6 times at intervals of 2-3 seconds, and then hold it pressed. While holding the hose adapter from turning, turn the valve 3/4 of a turn. Liquid with air bubbles will come out of the hose into the container.
5) . We close the valve and ask an assistant to lower the clutch pedal.
6) . We repeat this operation until liquid without bubbles flows from the hose, approximately 2-4 times.
How to bleed the clutch on a Ford Focus 2
1) . Unscrew the valve cap to remove air from the working cylinder.
2) . We put a hose on the valve, the other end of which is lowered into a canister of brake fluid. If you are working with a partner, then let him squeeze the clutch 4-5 times, with a delay of a few seconds, and then let him hold it depressed.
3) . We unscrew the valve approximately ¾ of a turn, while using the second key we hold the adapter fitting of the main shutdown cylinder. Liquid with air bubbles will begin to flow from the tube into the prepared container.
4) . We close the valve and instruct the assistant to depress the pedal. We do this until liquid comes out of the tube without bubbles.
5) . When pumping, it is also necessary to continuously monitor the liquid level, otherwise, if the level drops very low, there may be air in the system and all operations will need to be repeated again.
6) . We tighten the valve and cap, if necessary, bring the liquid in the tank to the required level.
How to bleed the clutch of Renault Megane 2
1) . In the photo, the arrow indicates the Renault Megane 2 fitting, intended for bleeding the clutch system (working cylinder).
2) . To make the work easier, remove the battery and dismantle the platform underneath it.
3) . Remove the cap from the brake fluid reservoir and top it up to the maximum mark.
4) . We clean the plug on the fitting from dirt and remove it.
5) . We put a pre-prepared hose on it.
6) . Attach the syringe to the reverse side.
7) . The next step is distribution spring clamps on the fitting.
8) . First of all, lower the lock on the right all the way down.
10) . We extend the black tube located on the right side approximately 5 mm in the direction of the battery, i.e. to the right.
11) . After completing these procedures, use a syringe to draw the liquid out of the system.
Next, when your syringe is full, you must first push the black tube back into place (to prevent air from getting in), and only then disconnect the syringe from the hose and pour out the pumped out liquid. Then we put everything back in place and continue working.
12) . We repeat this procedure until all the bubbles have completely left the system. As a rule, 2-3 repetitions are enough.
13) . Don’t forget to also monitor the brake fluid level and top it up if necessary.
14) . Once air bubbles have stopped flowing into the syringe, this will mean that your system is bleed.
15) . We push the black pipe into place, put all the metal fasteners in place and attach the rubber plug.
How to bleed the clutch of a Chevrolet Lacetti?
1). Fill the brake reservoir with fluid up to the “MAX” mark.
2) . Next, we try to carefully “rip off” the fitting. To do this, apply WD-40 to the threads and leave for 5-10 minutes. After this, use the “19” key (as shown by the arrow in the photo) to put it on the head of the fitting (circled in an oval) and, holding the plastic with the key, carefully unscrew the fitting.
3) . When the fitting has “broken off,” we pull it back a little and put a transparent tube on it. We lower the second end of the tube into a container with a small amount of brake fluid.
4) . We ask the assistant to depress the clutch pedal 3-4 times and to keep the pedal pressed after the last press.
5) . Slowly unscrew the bleeder fitting so that the liquid begins to come out of the tube, while the assistant continues to press the pedal.
6) . After the brake fluid stops coming out of the tube, tighten the fitting.
7) . These steps must be repeated until liquid with bubbles stops coming out of the pumped fitting. And only after this do we finally tighten the fitting.
8) . During the pumping process, you also need to monitor the level of liquid in the tank and, if necessary, add it.
9) . If everything is normal and there are no more bubbles, then remove the vinyl tube and key from the fitting, put a protective cap on the fitting, add liquid to the level and screw on the tank cap.
How to bleed the clutch on a Mercedes Sprinter?
1) . We lift the car from the front and place its front part on stands.
2) . Remove the lower engine protection.
3) . Fill the brake fluid into the reservoir up to the “MAX” mark.
4) . We remove the dust caps from the fittings to remove air on the working cylinder and on the front caliper of the disc wheel brake mechanism. Carefully loosen the fittings to remove air. We put a hose on the fitting, which is located on the front disc brake caliper.
5) . We fill the hose with brake fluid, and therefore the fitting on the caliper must be carefully opened. An assistant slowly depresses the clutch pedal and holds it pressed. Close the air bleeder and lower the brake pedal. We repeat the operation until the hose is completely filled with brake fluid.
How to bleed the clutch on a Volkswagen Passat?
1) . We install the front of the car on the sawhorses.
2) . Check the brake fluid level in the reservoir. If necessary, top up to the maximum level.
3) . We remove the anthers from the working cylinder bleeding valves.
4) . We put a transparent hose on the brake bleeder valve.
5) . Fill the hose with brake fluid. To do this, unscrew the bleeder valve a little. Slowly release the clutch pedal (an assistant should do it) and hold it in this position. Close the valve and lower the brake pedal. We open the valve again and press the pedal again. We repeat this operation until the hose is completely filled with brake fluid. Close the hose with your finger to prevent brake fluid from leaking out.
Attention! When performing this operation, we also monitor the fluid level in the reservoirs, and if necessary, add brake fluid.
6) . We lower the free end of the hose into a container with brake fluid.
7) . We release the clutch pedal, close the valve, lower the clutch pedal. We repeat this operation until the formation of bubbles in the brake fluid container stops. If the brake fluid level drops, add new one.
8) . Close the bleeder valve on the receiving cylinder. Remove the hose and put on the boots.
9) . We remove the car from the box.
10) . With the clutch depressed, open the vent screw of the feed cylinder and, as soon as brake fluid appears, close it again.
11) . We check the functioning of the brake system and clutch.
Attention! IN hydraulic system There may be some air left. This can be determined by a grinding noise when changing gears and insufficiently clear release of the clutch. In such a case, the release of air from the hydraulic system must be carried out without delay in the factory. There, the release of air from the clutch hydraulic system is usually carried out by an air release device. This device creates pressure in the brake fluid (max. 2.5 bar). When using this device, you must first bleed the air from the supply cylinder, then the receiving cylinder.
3) . We put a hose on the valve and lower its end into a container with a small amount of brake fluid. We ask an assistant to press the clutch pedal 4-5 times and then keep it pressed.
4) . Turn the valve ¾ of a turn. Liquid with air bubbles will flow out of the hose into the container.
5) . During pumping, do not forget to monitor the level of brake fluid in the reservoir. And if necessary, add it to the maximum mark.
6) . We wrap the valve, put on the protective cap and, if necessary, add fluid to the hydraulic brake and clutch release reservoir.
How to bleed the clutch on a Chevrolet Cruze?
1). Add liquid to the tank to the maximum level.
2) . As a rule, the bleeder fitting gets very stuck, so you will first need to treat it with a penetrating aerosol lubricant (WD-40 or any other) and wait 5-10 minutes. Using an adjustable wrench (or a 19 wrench) we hold the plastic housing of the adapter at the fitting itself, and spanner wrench at 10, carefully and with increasing force, and not sharply, we try to rip off the head of the fitting. As soon as the fitting gives in, tighten it.
3) . We put a hose on the fitting, the second end of which is lowered into the vessel. There should be some brake fluid in there.
4) . We ask an assistant to actively depress the clutch pedal 4-5 times and then keep it pressed.
5) . At this moment, we need to release the fitting half a turn, which will allow air bubbles to descend into the container. Don't forget to check the fluid level in the tank.
6) . Tighten the fitting.
7) . We ask the assistant to press the clutch pedal a couple of times and hold it again. And at this time we lower the fitting and wait until the liquid with air goes into the container. We clamp the fitting.
8) . We repeat this procedure until liquid comes out of the hose without bubbles.
9) . Upon completion of the work, remove the hose from the fitting, gently tighten it until it stops and put on the protective cap. Add liquid to the maximum level.
Clutch failure is an unpleasant situation for many motorists; signs of such a malfunction are the inability to shift gears normally, and in many cases the gearbox must be removed to replace parts. But if parts of the hydraulic drive fail, or air gets into the system, repairs are much simpler; sometimes it is enough to just bleed the clutch.
Bleeding the hydraulic clutch drive (HC) on a Ford Focus 2 is not difficult to do, the work takes very little time. This standard operation on Focus is performed in exactly the same way as on other passenger cars with a manual transmission, it is only necessary that all parts of the hydraulic system are in full working order.
Malfunctions of the hydraulic clutch drive
If the clutch disappears or is poorly pressed, the problem is often caused by air in the hydraulic system; air can enter the system as a result of:
- brake fluid leaks;
- master cylinder malfunction;
- leaks in connections.
It is necessary to pump the clutch only if all defects have been identified and eliminated, otherwise air will still be added to the fluid, and there will be no effect from pumping. If the system “airs”, signs of malfunction appear such as increased free play of the clutch pedal (PS), its too easy release (“cotton pedal”), and leaks of brake fluid.
Clutch bleeding procedure
On a Ford Focus 2 restyling 1.8, bleeding is carried out by bleeding air through the fitting of the clutch slave cylinder (CLC), this procedure is usually performed by two participants. An assistant is needed here in order to periodically click on the PS, and very important condition When pumping, do not forget about topping up the brake fluid (BF) into the filler tank. In order to bleed the clutch on a Focus, you should prepare the following tools and materials:
- keys for eleven (especially for bleeding the brakes) and seventeen;
- a piece of transparent polyethylene tube;
- container for draining the liquid (you can take plastic bottle, make a hole in the lid for the tube);
- bottle of brake fluid (DOT-4 recommended).
We pump the GPS as follows:
All this time you need to monitor the level in the tank, and when it drops closer to the minimum, periodically add fuel fluid to the top. At the end of pumping, we check the fluid level again (it should be between the min and max marks), screw on the reservoir cap, and check the operation of the car while driving. In this case, the pedal should be sufficiently elastic; if necessary, we pump it again. For the Ford Focus 2 restyling 1.6 version, the clutch is pumped in exactly the same way, the procedure does not change here.
Some features of the Ford Focus 2 hydraulic clutch
Focus car owners often ask how to adjust the clutch if the pedal “snaps” late. It should be noted that on this model the Ford GPS is not adjustable; somehow changing the operation of the unit can only be done by pumping the hydraulics.
Another interesting solution Ford concern, used in the design of the car, combines the RCS with a release bearing, so to replace the working cylinder you have to remove the gearbox. Also, extra work is added when changing the clutch release, because in any case you need to pump the clutch.
When the PS is easily pressed, “pushed” to the end almost with your fingers, most likely the clutch master cylinder (MCC) is faulty. If the standard location of this part on many passenger cars- under the hood, next to the wiper panel, then on the Focus the GCS is located much lower, in close proximity to the clutch pedal, and is connected to it mechanically.
The clutch basket and disc on these cars usually last for 100-150 thousand km, much depends on operating conditions. But the release bearing may fail much earlier, and in this case you will still have to remove the gearbox and do quite serious repairs.
We pump the hydraulic clutch release drive to remove air from it after depressurization, which is possible when replacing parts of the clutch release drive, when removing the gearbox, master cylinder or brake fluid reservoir, as well as during routine replacement of brake fluid.
We work with an assistant.
Before pumping, check the level of brake fluid in the service tank, which is installed on the master brake cylinder and serves to supply fluid to the brake system and the clutch release drive. If necessary, add liquid.
The bleeder fitting is located on the clutch housing under the cooling system hoses on the left side of the car.
Remove the protective cap from the fitting.
We put a transparent hose on the tip of the fitting.
Place the other end of the hose in a bottle or other container filled with brake fluid so that the free end of the hose is immersed in the liquid. It is advisable to install the container under the car below the level of the fitting.
An assistant presses the clutch pedal several times and holds it down. With the pedal pressed...
...turn the bleeder fitting by hand, past the knurled edges, about half a turn.
In this case, part of the brake fluid and air bubbles that have entered the system are forced out into a container standing under the car. The transparent hose allows you to control the process.
We wrap the fitting and repeat the procedure until air stops coming out of the fitting.
If necessary, add brake fluid to the reservoir.