question about my clutch
 

ok.... so as some of may have already known.... i learned how to drive stick about a year ago
anyways.... today for the first time ever.... my car was left outside all day, as i was visiting friends/family in richmond hill
anyways, tonight as i got in to the car ... i went to start it up and the clutch was really mushy ( i can't think of a better description right now)
it's never been like that, normally there is a fair bit of resistance, and i can "feel" the pressure as i press down my clutch.... but after driving for about 10 minutes, it was back up to the way it's felt since i had the swap done
the engagement point didn't change, so i know i don't need a new clutch, BUT is it possible that this happened because of the sub zero weather and it wasn't all that warm when I started driving?

Thanks
:cheers:

could be because the temperature changed the "level" of the hydrolic fluid in your clutch, when its colder they compress right?

or maybe the cold weather caused the seals in the slave cyl to tighten up a little causing the clutch to feel a little mushy until the fluid warmed up a little.

to my knowledge the "feel" of the clutch pedal is determined by the pressure plate and the hydraulic fluid.

I don't think liquids compress under colder temperature, only gaseous states do that right? e.g. air becoming more dense as temps decrease. So it might not be the problem of the fluid, but do check your fluid levels just to be on the safe side.

As for the pressure plate, maybe you've never experienced (like you said) such cold weather exposed to the pressure plate and it might've felt different, I'm lost for ideas. I know when my pedal is mushy it means that I've got low fluid :p

you should bleed your slave cylinder and be sure that you are using BRAKE fluid, not something else. The seals in the clutch master cylinder may be getting worn and old, and shrunk in the cold weather... wait and see if it happens again.

how often should clutch fluid be changed?

same as brake fluid as a general guideline - it gets water in it and air bubbles - granted it's not exposed to heat as much as brake fluid though. most cars go through their entire service life with the original fluid.

Every two years.

actually Liquids (and even solids) do change density and therefore size by small amounts based on temperature.... gases (such as helium) do not since they just move to fill what ever container they are in at the time.