Soft Clutch
 

Hey Folks

Just bought a volvo v50 6mt awd about 1 year ago.

really like the car. However the clutch is killing my knee.

Ive tried obvious stuff like driver position.

But Ive also noticed the clutch in this car is unusually soft compared to anything else ive driven (ive driven quite a few cars).

I am thinking that a stiffer clutch may solve the issue. So my question is do you think I have an issue specific to my car OR is this just something inherent in these vehicles.

Thanks!

most cars have hydraulic clutches - what that means is there's a master cylinder that the pedal activates and there an oil line that feeds to a slave cylinder that moves the clutch lever. A soft clutch could be air in the slave cylinder (there's a bleeder valve like on the brakes) or could simply be a soft pedal return spring. There will be differences model to model since clutch plate tensions / size varies. Best to check for any leaks at the slave cylinder or master, check fluid levels (note some cars share the brake reservoir others have a reservoir for the clutch).