[Prairie3]

I have noticed that up here in our Canadian winters, the clutch gets very stiff, and will not loosen up even after a lot of driving. Particularly when it's below -20C/-4F, during even really easy granny driving, releasing the clutch my foot comes completely off the pedal and it can take up to a full second for the clutch to catch up to my foot (if that makes sense). In milder temperatures, like -10C or so, it'll be like that at first but fairly quickly warm up and operate normally, but the colder it gets the longer it takes and at -20C, it seems like it just doesn't loosen up.

Has anybody living in a northern climate tried alternative fluids for the clutch to smooth this out? I drive mostly Subaru's (the Mazda3 is my GF's car) and they all loosen up just with a couple of pumps of the clutch pedal.

 

[rpn453]

Mine gets pretty stiff. Using a winterfront makes a difference. I blocked off my lower grille with a piece of black Crazy Carpet, cut to fit. It's a pretty light clutch. Maybe they should have a stiffer spring on it.

The clutch fluid is DOT3 brake fluid. I don't think you'll find anything that will work better there.

 

[pankayk]

i live in alaska, and i just bought a 09 mazda 3 back in october, i havent really felt my clutch getting stiff when i go out in the morning, seems perfectly fine to me

 

[chrisb2e9]

My 2009 3gt would have a really stiff clutch at -30 as well. It would stay stiff the entire day of driving. It just doesn't get warm enough to become nice and loose at that temp.
I could drive the car and get the engine hot, then park it with the engine running for a bit and it would loosen then. But as soon as I start driving the cold air hits it and it gets stiff again. Just a joy of living in the colder parts of Canada.

 

[boatman]

I've experienced the same thing on my 2007. The clutch seems to get really stiff and springs back slowly when highway driving and I'm not doing a lot of shifting. Once in the city (shifting more), the clutch is still a little stiff, but springs back much better.

The clutch on never really seems to warm up when it's around -30. ...Ah yes.... the joys of living in Winnipeg.