Hay guys I just came off a long trip and in the last 5 miles thankfully my clutch lever got really soft. Usally your hand would get sore holding it in to long but now its sloppy and feels like theres no pressure at all. Can something be adjusted or is that a sign its on its last leg?Oh the bike is an 01 S4. Any input would be great. Eichh

Sounds like a hydraulic problem.

Is the reservoir full?

It is just above the min. level and I would say its not black but dark.

'01?  You are statistically overdue for a slave, but that doesn't mean you need one.  Try a flush and bleed first.  You might want to remove the slave and look for fluid coming out of the weep hole.  While the slave is off make sure the pushrod turns free.  If there is minor leakage at the slave the bleed may hold you over until you get a new one.

I was looking at the fluid level from the outside, I took off the cap and what I was seeing was the rubber boot sucked down into the resevoir, there was probably a teaspoon of fluid there. It sounds like I need to put a few hours aside to investigate what howie is saying. I am totaly unfamiliar with this set up but I am going to guess if the fluid is missing there is an issue,this is a sealed system correct to create hydrolic pressure similiar to a brake system right? What would a weep hole do in a system like that?

Quote from: eichh on August 24, 2008, 10:31:47 AM
I was looking at the fluid level from the outside, I took off the cap and what I was seeing was the rubber boot sucked down into the resevoir, there was probably a teaspoon of fluid there. It sounds like I need to put a few hours aside to investigate what howie is saying. I am totaly unfamiliar with this set up but I am going to guess if the fluid is missing there is an issue,this is a sealed system correct to create hydrolic pressure similiar to a brake system right? What would a weep hole do in a system like that?

I'm not sure why they put it there. It's outside the sealed system.

If the fluid is low it's going somewhere...meaning leaking.

I'd try flushing and bleeding too, but it's looking like your slave has failed.

In the early part of '01 there was no weep hole.  When the slave would start to leak the fluid would be trapped in between the piston and the back of the cylinder.  This trapped fluid would disengagement of the clutch.