Hard to Depress / Sluggish Clutch in Cold Weather - Solutions?

Simply put, when it's about -20 or colder, the clutch on my truck gets progressively harder to push the more the temperature drops. The shifting is really sluggish even after driving for awhile.

When it's really cold, I'm worried that in an emergency situation I might not be able to make a fast shift. This was a problem also in my 2010 (I currently have a 2018). I have driven manual vehicles all my life and never had an issue this severe with any other vehicle I've owned besides Tacoma's.

I believe that I changed my 2010 over to synthetic clutch fluid, but it didn't help much (but my memory might be wrong on that, so don't hold me to that statement).

Does anyone have any solutions for this that worked?

 

Unfortunately is a Toyota thing, going back many many years.

 

Somehow I feel this is because of the seals in the slave cylinder. Whatever type of material they are made of seems to really drag in the colder weather. Keep an eye on the colour of you fluid, I had perfect clear fluid a year ago, and found it was a darkish green colour a few months ago. I bled it with fresh fluid, and it did feel slightly better.

 

I almost always start my truck with the trans in neutral and then use the Clutch Cancel button to start. In really cold weather I pump the pedal a bunch of times. I also find that it takes very little clutch pedal travel to engage the clutch, so the only time that I ever depress the clutch pedal all the way to the floor is when shifting to low range.

 

You delete the clutch accumulator? Pretty much instantly solved my cold weather clutch issues.

 

i’m in Alabama so I can’t speak to the cold weather clutch problem, but I will vouch for the accumulator delete. Best and cheapest mod I’ve done.

 

No, but I might consider it, if after further research, I can confirm it's reversible. I noticed you're from Florida though, have you tested it in -20 C (-4 F) or colder weather?

 

It is a free mod if you use the dremel method, but only reversible if you buy a new accumulator. I’m betting you won’t want to reverse it.