Volkswagen: 2001 Volkwagon GTI VR6 Transmission, clutch pedal, clutch slave

Question
Understand your expertise is with air-cooled earlier VW models, BUT I need to ask someone about what could be wrong with my 2001 GTI VR6.  By the way... I love the car. We have driven the car 48,000 pleasurable miles. Two weeks ago, while driving on a very cold morning to work, the clutch pedal went to the floor and never returned. We were in second gear. Pulled off the road, shut engine off. With engine off, we could shift to neutral. Started the engine again and luckily we could roll down hill, and get it into second gear again.  We immediately drove  back home (~ 3 miles). Two days later, just before calling to have it towed to the local dealer, we opened the fluid reservoir to just look in. Now this is the bizzare part.... with the reservoir open, we then were able to pull the clutch pedal up off the floor (by hand).  We started the car and all was working well.  With no explanation for what could have happened, I felt we needed to have the dealer look at it...  We drove it to the dealer, 30 miles away with NO problem.  The dealer looked at (Clutch, slave, master cylinder, etc... and  said they could find nothing wrong).  All this for ~ $400.00.  We picked the car up after hours... another mistake.  I cannot imagine what they could have done when putting everything back together.  The clutch pedal is just fine. Now I have a truly unacceptable "feel" to the way the car is shifting into gear.  This is very hard to describe, but it in no way feels like the crisp, fluid, precise shifting I was used to in this car.  When I shift now(it is harder to actually move the lever), the gear shift lever feels like it travels much "shorter" than before.  When it engages it feels soft and mushy.  This happens in every gear.  I am most unhappy right now and trust me, it will go back to the dealer so they can right whatever is now wrong. Can you offer any explanation as to what could be happening here. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.

Answer
Hi Karen,

They probably bled the hydraulic clutch slave cylinder.

a) It shouldn't have leaked out.
b) Did they use the correct hydraulic fluid?
c) Clutch must be adjusted properly for smooth shifting.

Make them do the job they were supposed to.  If you need any assistance, I'll even call the dang dealer for you!

Let me know.

Good Luck

Ron