I have had an '81 240D for a couple of months. Approximately 175K. My power brakes seem to have pretty much gone away, although I am able to stop with no problem. It has always had quite a bit of travel on the clutch pedal. A couple of days ago, the brake light on the dash started flickering. At the same time, I noticed the clutch going almost to the floor before it disengages. By this afternoon, it was almost impossible to shift because the clutch pedal was going to the floor with virtually no effect. Is there some relationship between the brake master cylinder and the clutch?

Thanks in advance.

Bud

 

not that i know of. you must have a different fluid reservoir for both.

if the fluid is fine and the plunger on the slave cylinder is moving...then you will need a clutch pressure plate, release bearing and disk.

 

The brake system and the clutch share the fluid in the master cylinder on a 81 240D. Check your brake fluid level. Your brake and clutch will probably need bleeding, but also make sure you check for a leak.

The other question is, does your engine switch off quickly when the key is turned off? If it doesn't, you may have a vacuum problem causing the brake booster to not give you full power assistance. Have a good look at the clear line between the booster and the vacuum pump on the front of the engine and make sure it does not have oil, or any other fluid contaminating the line.

 

so that must be the reason why his brake light on the dash is flickering.