For those confused by the location of this - the slave cylinder shown in this video is mounted on top of the gearbox "bell" housing, facing the engine with the bonnet open, it's on the right hand side between the engine block and the air intake housing (mine is a Peugeot Boxer 2002 - exactly the same set up). The reservoir for the fluid is the same one used for the braking system, it shares the fluid. Whilst the brake fluid is changed periodically during services the clutch fluid is often not touched so over time the water content of the fluid in the short length of tubing for the clutch builds up and when the master cylinder (connected to the clutch pedal) gets warm, ie when the heater is on full during cold weather, this absorbed moisture can expand causing the piston to stick in the master cylinder - made of plastic unfortunately! This is why some folk have had a sticking clutch pedal after driving with the heater on for a while that returns to normal use when it's had time to cool down. This video was very helpful for me. Many thanks.
I have a Fiat Doblo camper which I really love. I broke down recently due to the PLASTIC linkage connecting the clutch pedal to the master cylinder snapping (I still find it hard to believe that any vehicle manufacturer would decide to make that out of plastic to save money). I was forced to use a garage which was near because the car was undriveable. I get a call after a few days telling me the car was ready to collect and they'd replaced the master cylinder (and obviously bled it too). I turn up to collect the car and found that I couldn't get it into gear and there was obviously air still in the system. I went back in to tell them and they bled it again, tried to sell me a new slave cylinder (which was and still is fine) and told me the reason the labour costs are so high was because of how difficult it was to bleed the clutch. I left and as I am driving home it was getting harder and harder to get it into gear as well as my clutch biting point sinking lower and lower to the floor. I did some Googling and found out about the strange design Fiat used for this clutch system. I got a lift home to collect my vacuum bleeder and on the side of the road I did in 20 minutes what the garage had spent hours doing and still failing: bleeding the clutch! Sorry for the long comment but I just thought I'd add some pointers which I found useful. If you use a vacuum bleeder and leave the hose in the full in position. Build up vacuum with the pump and then pull out the clip and pull the hose to the bleeding 'position'. Keep on going while making sure the reservoir doesn't run out of brake/clutch fluid. Doing this a few times if necessary before finally pushing the hose in tight and locking it should leave you with a perfect clutch. I have done 10,000 miles since bleeding it compared with about five miles after whatever method the garage tried to use. I honestly think a vacuum pump is the best way/method/tool and you don't need someone to pump the pedal as you bleed the system either. If all else fails there are slave cylinders for these cars for sale which have a normal 'traditional' bleed nipple so you can bleed it in the same way you'd bleed practically all other cars and vans. I have a diploma and NVQ L3 in vehicle repair but none of that matters and the most important thing is just to understand the way this system is designed to be bled.
Great video. My pedal is low near the floor and gear change is stiff. Will this fix it ? Is the reservoir on the bulkhead just above this and what kind of fluid please?
Quite right. The clutch is pretty low, but that's how I got it. Some time you gotta pump twice, but it's minor. Sometimes she jumps out of gear, but you just reengage the gear and off she goes
