Clutch suddenly feels 'softer'?

[Q]

I was driving in stop and go traffic yesterday, and my foot started going numb (this happens if I use the clutch a lot, I'm a newbie manual car owner), so I moved my foot from resting (not pressing) on the clutch, shook it around to get blood flowing. Then when I starting moving forward again, I felt like the clutch suddenly got what I can only describe as a bit softer.

Now I've been monitoring it since, and I am convinced it feels ever so slightly easier to press and it is driving me nuts. If this is, in fact, NOT my imagination (which I'm convinced it is softer), what could the issue be? Brake fluid in the master cylinder?

2001 Mustang GT Bullitt
61k miles.
No heavy mods

Thanks,

 

[Sheep221]

Your feeling has changed due to numbness in legs, that's all.
Either way, the more softer clutch is, the better it works and earlier starts to react. It's a good sign that you don't have vehicle with worn out clutch. When clutch pedal feels very hard and needs high lift to engage it means that it has extensive wear.

 

[michal1980]

your foot should never rest against the clutch pedal.

 

[Q]

your foot should never rest against the clutch pedal.

Why?

EDIT: Nevermind, Googled. Throwout bearing wear. Interesting. I'll stop this habit immediately. Luckily I've had the car less than 1000 miles so I don't think it put too much strain (I hope)

 

[michal1980]

Why?

EDIT: Nevermind, Googled. Throwout bearing wear. Interesting. I'll stop this habit immediately. Luckily I've had the car less than 1000 miles so I don't think it put too much strain (I hope)

should be ok.

I know the feeling of learning to drive a stick. I bought a car barely knowing how to do it. First few weeks really questioned the decision. I still don't know if I'd ever get another stick... I geuss it would really depend on the car, but in day to day driving it wasn't something that I got hooked on.

 

[Sheep221]

should be ok.

I know the feeling of learning to drive a stick. I bought a car barely knowing how to do it. First few weeks really questioned the decision. I still don't know if I'd ever get another stick... I geuss it would really depend on the car, but in day to day driving it wasn't something that I got hooked on.

Once it becomes a habit you won't notice it anymore.

 

[michal1980]

Once it becomes a habit you won't notice it anymore.

I didn't notice it. But that's part of what made it so idk, 'blah' I kept reading all this hype about MT, and how your a true car guy if you work a 34rd pedal, and it was really kind of whatever.

I did autocross with the car once, and even then its not like there was a huge difference. Stuck it in 3rd all the way around.

I will say that a bad auto will drive me mad far worse then the stick did.

 

[DougoMan]

Is it a hydraulic clutch? Could be the master or slave cylinder going bad. That happened before mine failed.

 

[MongGrel]

Why?

EDIT: Nevermind, Googled. Throwout bearing wear. Interesting. I'll stop this habit immediately. Luckily I've had the car less than 1000 miles so I don't think it put too much strain (I hope)

Yeah, it's called riding the clutch.

Bad idea for long term.