Well, well well! Now my Cabrio has got the same symptom...clutch works fine but the pedal only returns enough for the clutch to disengage, leaving the pedal still down about one inch. Easy to flick up with ones toe, but obviously not quite right. :nonod:

Above thread seems to indicate a clutch master cylinder as the culprit.....any other suggestions before I jump into buying a new GSF unit? :idea:

the cylinder failing results in increasing reluctance to return, until one day, it doesn't with sticking your foot under it. I learned the hard way that you wait too long, replace the dodgy cylinder, but now the other cylinder is suffering because it may have picked up some debris from failing seals.

That said. Brake circuits ought to be purged with new fluid every couple of years,, but often aren't. Clutch circuits are less likely to get the right attention, so after 15 years or so, there's a good chance that problems are starting because of a missed lube! Give it a try.

Personally, If I was going to replace a cylinder now, I'd probably purge the system before and after, to get as much crap out as possible. Is it necessary? I don't know. But if the fluid reservoir can turn black with floating debris, which they do, it can hardly be doing anything good to the components that are still working.

Great advice as always....have tried replacing the fluid in the reservoir with no improvement so going on what you say, best idea is to replace the master and slave cylinder? They are not crazily expensive and hopefully , once done, that will sort out that side of the car for a few years ?

on the UR, and presumably others, there is also an over centre spring, which fails. its a white plastic cylinder with a tough coil inside. I've no idea if this relevant, though. (i would check VagCat, but I think someone didn't pay their bill)
Does the pedal squeak?

No squeak from the pedal, only the wife when she sees how much I spend on these "toys" :tup:

Might I suggest adding more blue stuff to your shopping list; more squeeking where its needed and less where its not needed :ihih:

So it seems you are going to be right again Mark. Today, the car had a new clutch master and slave cylinder fitted but it has not resolved the problem.

Have now managed to hopefully find a supplier in Germany for that dreaded spring inside its white plastic cylinder.

Lets hope that it will be the cure to the problem.