I purchased a 2004 Saturn Ion 2 weeks ago and after driving it through half a tank of fuel, the clutch pedal went straight to the floor and I couldn’t get it into any gears. I bled the system using my mightyvac and manually. I got pedal pressure back, but once I got on the road I lost the pedal again, straight to the floor. The previous owner installed a new clutch master cylinder. I know the hoses for these things are impossible to find, but could it be the clutch actuator that is causing this issue? I see you can’t buy just the actuator? And of course I can’t find any junk manual Saturns near me! All help is appreciated. By the way, there is quite a bit of fluid all over that actuator.

 

User @DropDead can tell you exactly how badly screwed you are.

Sounds like somebody intentionally band aided that in order for it to last long enough for you to drive away. They replaced the master cylinder and found it was not the issue, then rebled it like you did, couldn't find the parts like you can't, and put it up for sale.

See if you can find any evidence of them messing with the rest of the clutch system. If they flat out lied to you about the true issues with the clutch, I believe you can sue them but I don't know the details of the law. While they are not required to disclose anything you do not ask about, they are required to tell the truth about things you do ask about so it will come down to whether you asked or not.

Human beings are mutating more and more into ******** everyday.

 

That’s what it seems like. I bled it again by hand vs mityvac and it’s holding pressure. Drove down the street and back, but letting it sit now and seeing if it keeps pressure. Suing would cost more than the car. Lol

 

If by actuator you mean the slave cylinder, it is available from RockAuto starting at just over $100. But you have to remove the transmission to replace it. And if you're going to do that, you may as well replace the clutch. Buying a clutch kit which includes the slave cylinder costs about $100 more than just the slave cylinder.

If you don't see any evidence of leakage at the master cylinder or the clutch hydraulic line, that's a good thing. Getting a replacement line is becoming harder and harder. But if you do decide to do this job, be very careful removing the line from the slave cylinder because that is how the line gets damaged (ask me how I know). Use a lot of penetrant and a lot of patience. (The connector for the slave cylinder is the only part of the slave cylinder visible outside the transmission housing.)

I'm impressed that you have been able to bleed the clutch twice! That turned out to be the most frustrating part of the job for me.

 

I took her out again. Solid clutch then I lost it again after a few miles. I’m losing fluid at the junction of the clutch master cylinder and whatever that piece is called that the “impossible to find hydraulic hose” is attached to. Everything is good at the slave cylinder.

 

If the line itself is intact, you should be able to remove it from that piece. There is a metal spring clip at the junction. Using a pocket screwdriver, pry gently up at the top band of the clip, and it should lift about 1/2 inch or so -- not enough to remove it, just enough to unlock it from the groove in the hydraulic line. Now try to carefully work the hydraulic line out. When removed, you will find a small rubber o ring at the tip that is supposed to seal that connection. Replace the o ring, and hopefully it will solve the leak. If the leak is where that piece connects to the master cylinder, there is another clip there and an o ring on the tip of the pipe going up to the master cylinder.

 

I will try this tomorrow. I had to stop before I set this thing on fire.