Hi, I have a 1997 Volvo 940 st.car with manual 5 gear transmission. I love the car! Last week the clutch pedal started acting funny. The following thing happens: Being in town traffic I press down the clutch pedal and put the car in neutral, I suddenly get a strange feeling in my left leg (the one that is holding down the clutch pedal) because the pressure of it coming back is gone. I remove my foot and the pedal is NOT coming back. I try to put in a gear and press the pedal but can't get the first and second gear in place, only the third one takes it and when I have switched into the third gear the pedal will SLOWLY come back and all returns to normal.

This happens only when I am on a shopping tour: driving through town, parking, driving, parking. It happens about ones or twice a week. But I have a weird feeling that it is getting a little worse.

The transmission and clutch are otherwise working like a dream. I just can't imagine it is the clutch, it just doesn't slip, rattle or do anything else it shouldn't.

I did think that it might be the cylinder that pushes the pedal back, but why would I then have problems with shifting into the first 2 gears?

Anyone out there with some knowledge?