What causes the clutch pedal of the Roewe 350 to not return when pressed down?
2 Answers
There are several reasons why the clutch pedal of the Roewe 350 may not return when pressed down: 1. Air in the clutch hydraulic system, causing excessive clutch travel and poor return: This issue can be self-diagnosed: If the first press of the clutch pedal feels without resistance and has excessive travel, and the pedal rises after repeated pressing, it is likely due to air entering the hydraulic system. In this case, the cause of the air entry should be identified promptly, and the air in the hydraulic system should be bled. 2. Contaminated clutch fluid with impurities: This can cause severe wear inside the clutch master cylinder (piston) or clog the return oil hole, preventing the clutch from returning. Open the engine hood to check if the fluid in the clutch fluid reservoir appears black or gray. If discolored, the clutch fluid should be replaced immediately. 3. As the vehicle mileage increases, the clutch return spring may lose tension or break, causing the clutch pedal to not return: The symptom is a lowered clutch pedal height with reduced or no free play. 4. Excessive wear gap in the clutch linkage pushrod causing poor return: This type of fault requires replacement of the clutch master cylinder or linkage mechanism.
Last time I worked on cars, I encountered several Roewe 350s with this issue. The most common problem is the aging of the clutch master or slave cylinder seals. The plastic pump body tends to crack and leak oil after prolonged use, and insufficient hydraulic fluid naturally causes the pedal to not spring back. Another easily overlooked point is the bushing at the clutch pedal shaft. If it lacks lubrication or gets sand in it, the pedal can get stuck when pressed. I usually start by checking the fluid level in the reservoir, then have someone press the pedal to see if the slave cylinder pushrod moves. If there are signs of oil leakage, it's almost certainly a pump issue, and replacing it with an OEM part takes at most half a day's labor. If the pushrod doesn't move but there's no oil leakage, it's likely the pedal shaft is rusted stuck. Just disassemble it and apply some specialized grease to fix it.
