Hi,
Thanks for all the input. Bled the clutch today. Fluid that came out was dark gray, nearly black. Clutch is hard again.
Let me answer each of the contributions as best as I can:
I do not know what kind of slave cylinder I have; there is no identification on it.
I doubt it can be overheated, since I have had the car for 10 years and this issue only started last year. (I thought I would start by bleeding, before moving on to replacement, etc.) But I will look up Firesleeve.
There does not seem to be any leakage. The fluid level stays where it is and the slave cylinder is dry.
As for air, where would it come in?
And last year, when the clutch first went soft, and I had problems getting the car into gear, it helped to shut things down and then start up again with everything working (at least while I parked it).
First time, I bled it, the fluid was all black; the second time it was only a little discolored; the third time it was clear; and now it is dark again.
And finally, I have no clue what "putting a cable on it" means.
I am hoping to fix this myself but will go to a shop if I cannot.
