On monday, my trusty dealer will install the 3rd Master cylinder on my MY02 in 3 years. It's covered under factory warranty but has anybody else had this issue? Dealer mentioned a Honda Service Bulletin on this issue.

I did a search and found a few incidents where owners were in the middle of a nasty traffic jam and the hydraulic sys just gave up the ghost right there on the spot. Time for a tow truck. I take it this is a weak point of our otherwise beautiful machine.

I do mostly city/commuter driving but I'm absolutely anal about not riding the clutch. I also am careful with high-rev launches...I don't do em!

Anybody have any info on this?


thanks in adv

 

There isn't a TSB for the clutch master cylinder, or slave cylinder.
I've had a slave cylinder fail on my car, from a mis-alignment with the clutch fork. (this was an installation issue, not a part problem.)

What is failing on the cylinders? Are they leaking fluid from the back of the cylinder where the pushrod attaches?

Are you using an OEM clutch, or an aftermarket unit?

 

^^^OEM clutch.

When this happened at 16K miles, my dealer told me the snow-packed traffic jam i was stuck in "overheated the master cyl to the point of rupture". I did have to work the clutch that day quite a bit but no more than i did in snowy traffic w/my 99 Lude or 97CivicSi 5-spd. The Civic was my college commute car and never saw maintenance except for what I could do in my parents garage. At trade-in (75K miles) it had orig clutch and hydr fluid!

I cannot think of any lengthy traffic jams or heavy clutch work since the last replacement.

I'll know more tomorrow when dealer changes it out. I will ask to see bad parts.

 

considering how many times the clutch is engauged in it's lifetime, I'm going to have to call BS on the dealer's explanation. It sounds like the service writer made up an reason to tell you, not based in fact or technical knowledge.

Overheating the master cyl? =Not going to happen. Repeatedly pushing the clutch in is not a signifigant source of heat.

This is not a standard problem to have 3 cylinders fail.

 

I haven't ever heard of anything like this. Do you know what kind of fluid was used when the dealer replaced them? Maybe they used some sort of ATF instead of DOT 3 brake fluid ...

The only other suggestion I have is to check your pedal adjustment. When the pedal is fully released, is there any free play in the pushrod?

 

I doubt the clutch fluid reaches much more than a couple degrees more than the engine compartment. The master cylinder for the brakes is going to get MUCH hotter.

 

If any pertroleum product is mixed with brake fluid, the seals in the cylinders swell and deteriate almost instantly.

If the contamination is in the brake system, the brakes can/will lock up very quickly. The slave clyinder would not return if the clutch hydraulics were contaminated.

I doubt the clutch hydraulics would have worked a week with contaminated fluid.

 

I have a small leak in my clutch master cylinder that prompted me to buy a replacement.. but the leak (seen in the cockpit on the shaft) has since stabilized so I have not installed it.

 

dealer replaced master & slave cyl no charge. I was told there was a leak in the master. I didnt ask for details.

While there began negotiations on an '05 Rio to be delivered in January.
The '02 Suzuka's hydraulic issue will be AH's problem soon. Gotta love them 36mo leases

 

It's such a shame that you have to let go of that beloved F20C and settle for the F22C.