There may be some that have never heard of a clutch slave cylinder, but it is an important part of your Porsche’s manual transmission operation and vital to shifting gears. While the pressing of the clutch by the driver causes the clutch to disengage from the flywheel, the clutch slave cylinder is always trying to keep it there. This way, when you release the clutch the slave cylinder forces the transmission into whatever gear you told your transmission to go to. What this means is that your Porsche’s clutch slave cylinder always has hydraulic pressure and is using it to constantly find a gear without human intervention.
Now that we know what the function of the clutch slave cylinder is, let’s take a look at some of the symptoms that you will find if your clutch slave cylinder needs repair.
Signs Your Clutch Slave Cylinder Needs Repair
Knowing what to do if your clutch slave cylinder goes out is important, but how do you know it is going bad? Here are a few of those signs:
- Transmission Will Not Shift: As stated, the clutch slave cylinder in your Porsche forces the clutch into gear after you take pressure off of the clutch pedal. If you move the gear shift into position and let off of the clutch pedal, it should slide into gear, if not it could mean your Porsche has a clutch slave cylinder issue.
- Hydraulic Leak: Since your Porsche’s clutch slave cylinder works hydraulically it needs fluid to work. If you find a puddled hydraulic fluid under your car, it could mean your slave cylinder is not getting the pressure it needs to press the clutch back into gear.
- Noises When Shifting: The change of gears in your Porsche should be smooth and silent. If you hear grinding or metal squealing sounds when changing gears, you may have an issue with the clutch slave cylinder.
- No Pressure on Clutch Pedal: When pressing down your clutch pedal there should consist of some resistance. This is the pressure the clutch slave cylinder uses to push the clutch back into gear. If the pedal does not back pressure then your slave cylinder probably does not either.
- Burning Smell: Since your Porsche’s clutch slave cylinder is controlled with hydraulic fluid two things can happen. One you could be losing extra fluid if there is a leak in the system. If this fluid is getting on any hot engine parts, you will begin to smell the burning oil inside the car. This is also true when the system heats up due to low oil level. Your clutch system could heat up with any extra friction and a burning smell be present.
At Motor City Euro Repair, we know how to identify when we have issues with a Porsche’s clutch slave cylinder and we can discuss how we can prevent it.
Preventing Clutch Slave Cylinder Failure
Finding yourself stuck in the middle of nowhere, or even worse on the highway in a car that will not move due to a bad clutch slave cylinder is terrible to think about. There are things you can do, however, to give yourself a chance to not find you and your Porsche in this situation.
For decades Porsche has been gathering data on how long most of its components last before needing to be changed and how often they should be inspected during servicing. Due to this Porsche has developed manufacturer service plans to help predict the best time to inspect and change parts, including the clutch slave cylinder. This only works however, if the Porsche owner follows the standard plan put in place by the manufacturer. Without this important service you are taking a chance on having a major breakdown that will cost extra money and time.
Expert Porsche Clutch Slave Cylinder Repair
If you have a clutch slave cylinder, 
or any other issue with your Porsche, bring it to Motor City Euro Repair for fast diagnostics and repair. Our team of factory trained technicians serve the Ann Arbor, Brighton, Detroit, and Farmington, Michigan areas with quality customer service and expertise in European cars. Contact us today to have your Porsche serviced or repaired with excellent service.
