i have a 1999 mazda 2500 4 cyl pickup manual. whenever i gently tap the gas and brake, they do their thing, but for the clutch, i have to push all the way down. Does anyone know how i can change that. Please hurry. thanks.

 

Is this your first stick? Does the clutch engage? Can you get it in/out of gear without grinding?

I've never driven a stick where the clutch doesn't go to the floor. Trucks especially.

You are physically disengaging/engaging the engine/transmission interface through the clutch, that takes some pedal travel to do.

 

You need to have a mechanic or compare to a different manual transmission vehicle. As the poster stated, your Mazda (Ford Ranger) clutch pedal should go to the floor, with about one inch free play then some resistance. If there's too little resistance, then you have air in your hydraulics most likely, which means you have a leak due to some fluid getting out. The clutch master and slave cylinder are usually readily replaceable, then the system gets bled of entrapped air (air is compressible, fluid is not). Very rarely is there a problem with the clutch pressure plate springs in the bell housing, or anything with the clutch release fork.