Slow Clutch in Cold Weather

About 30 degrees this morning and I noticed the clutch pedal doesn't return as quickly as normal, it feels a bit dampened. It seems like it may be the fluid is more viscous in the cold but this hasn't been something I've experienced with a clutch pedal before. The truck shifts fine and the engagement is extra smooth due to the slower pedal uptake. It did start to get more normal feeling the more I drove. But my destination was not far enough for a thorough heating of everything.

The truck is a 2013 2.7 with 38k miles. I bought it 1 year ago and the dealer replaced the clutch before the purchase as it was slipping. I've driven about 5k miles since then. I don't recall this issue from last year and in much colder temps.

Anyone else experience this? Normal for these trucks? Is it the fluid? If I remember correctly from the last time I was under the hood, the brake and clutch master cylinders share a reservoir. Should I replace the fluid by bleeding at each wheel and the clutch slave cylinder? Do we use DOT 3? (My truck didn't come with an owners manual).

 

When I had the 6 speed the clutch was did the same thing when cold.

 

My 2013 V6 6 speed does the same thing. A little spooky to drive it that way but mine warms up relatively quickly.

 

My 5spd does the same thing

 

Mine is really touchy/grabby when cold, after it warms up it acts more like a "normal" clutch. 13' DCSB 6 speed 62k.

 

At least I'm not alone!

Last winter I started the truck up in temps as cold as single digits and didn't notice this - so something has changed. I'm going to bleed and flush the brakes and clutch slave when I change my oil next month. I'm betting it's the fluid showing it's age and since brake fluid is hygroscopic and a few years old I'm sure can have significant water. Hopefully that takes care of it! It's an annoyance more than anything but I want my taco to perform under all conditions!

 

X2 on this, mine is a little harder to get into gear before its warmed up. Mainly first and reverse are the ones i have trouble getting into. 206k and just had my clutch changed at 201k.

 

I had that issue on my 2014 2.7 when it had 5,000 miles on it. Mine would take almost 6-7 seconds to return from the floor in sub-freezing temperatures. One dealer told me it was normal, another dealer agreed that it was not normal, as the clutch wouldn't engage quickly when cold. They ended up replacing the clutch assembly, the clutch master cylinder, the clutch pedal, and the reservoir hose. Made a big difference when driving in the cold. The pedal is still slightly sluggish, but I don't worry about slipping the clutch unnecessarily. The clutches in these trucks will always be slightly sluggish if it's cold enough since they are hydraulic.

 

Clutch pedal sticks to floor when cold http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2n...utch-pedal-sticks-floor-when-really-cold.html

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/slow-clutch-pedal-operation-in-cold-weather.671/

 

you guys are funny.....yes, the clutch will stick. try using the toe of your boot to pull it back up........

 

Mine was very slow to return when cold too, before and after the URD release bearing kit was installed. It doesn't typically get to cold around these parts (-25C, or about -5f at the coldest), so was never a huge deal since I'd let it warm up a bit, or use the block heater. I've driven many vehicles with hydraulic clutches that did not have this issue in cold weather, and always thought that the accumulator just above the slave cylinder may be the culprit. Most hydraulic clutch systems do not use an accumulator, I suspect Toyota added it to try to smooth out the clutch pedal operation, and I suspect that there might be a restricted orifice in the port(s) of the accumulator. This is all hypothetical, since I never did disassemble mine to prove or disprove that theory, but restricted orifice would cause the symptoms we experience as the viscosity of the DOT3 fluid increases in cold temps.

 

My 6 speed is slow to return when it gets cold out as well. Ive never had to physically pull it up from the floor though.

I bled my clutch this fall and I noticed slightly smoother operation. I would start there and see what happens.