Spongy Clutch, master cylinder, slave cylinder, or diagnosis?

I have a 2000 Subaru Outback with manual transmission. Owned it for about 3 years now and I ve had a recurring issue with the clutch getting a spongy feel. It works fine for my normal commute which is mostly freeway, but acts up in situations where I have to do more shifting such as stop & go traffic or slow curvy roads.

Basically, the clutch starts to feel spongy, and the engagement point gets lower on the pedal s range of movement. The

thebax20062016-07-16T04:08:52Z

You need to inspect the clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder to see if the dust boots are leaking fluid. That lets air get into the hydraulic system which causes your problem.

ELECTRIC LES2016-07-15T17:18:06Z

As Barnes has posted. If there is no sign of any fluid leakage the most likely culprit is a worn / faulty master cylinder.

tims2017-03-01T17:07:41Z

Master Cylinder Diagnosis

Anonymous2016-07-15T11:28:45Z

Inspect both for weeping fluid. If fluid escapes air gets in.