Clutch Smell???

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MidnightInGotham
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Clutch Smell???

Post by MidnightInGotham »

I was just driving home on a warmish day (85 Fahrenheit) and accelerated hard in second into 3 and casual into 4 (I don't think I was slipping the clutch at all between gears, actually I was really quick off the clutch as I believe you should be). It seemed like I was smelling something that could have been clutch but smelled like hot tar maybe? but I had the windows down and the smell seemed to go away after a few seconds or so. I went back out to move my car into the garage and it seemed to smell still, not sure if it was the same smell though and I couldn't smell it outside the car. Can you usually smell clutch outside the vehicle when it's sitting?

Well I forgot that I had Mexican food in the back seat that had been out there for about an hour. So honestly could have been that smell in the car after an hour of sitting.

I'm sure I'm super paranoid but I'm also new to this and want to know if I'm smelling clutch?!?

Help please!

Thanks
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MidnightInGotham
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Re: Clutch Smell???

Post by MidnightInGotham »

Admins if this is the wrong subforum let me know
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Re: Clutch Smell???

Post by Rope-Pusher »

MidnightInGotham wrote:I was just driving home on a warmish day (85 Fahrenheit) and accelerated hard in second into 3 and casual into 4 (I don't think I was slipping the clutch at all between gears, actually I was really quick off the clutch as I believe you should be). It seemed like I was smelling something that could have been clutch but smelled like hot tar maybe? but I had the windows down and the smell seemed to go away after a few seconds or so. I went back out to move my car into the garage and it seemed to smell still, not sure if it was the same smell though and I couldn't smell it outside the car. Can you usually smell clutch outside the vehicle when it's sitting?

Well I forgot that I had Mexican food in the back seat that had been out there for about an hour. So honestly could have been that smell in the car after an hour of sitting.

I'm sure I'm super paranoid but I'm also new to this and want to know if I'm smelling clutch?!?

Help please!

Thanks
I don't know of a way to describe the smell from an overheated clutch.

To me, they smell a lot like overheated brakes.

Yes, I agree that the life of a clutch can be easy once the vehicle is in motion - almost no heat is generated during engagement after gearshifting. Launching from a standing start is the prime opportunity to heat-up the clutch disk.

If you want to see if it is incapable of transmitting the full engine torque with out slipping, drive in 1st gear, at peak torque rpm, and as you roll into the acccelerator pedal, start applying the foundation brakes with your other foot. You should be able to drag the engine rpm down, even at full throttle opening. If the engine rpm continues to climb as you apply the brake hard enough to slow the vehicle speed, then your clutch is slipping.
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Re: Clutch Smell???

Post by MidnightInGotham »

Rope-Pusher wrote:
MidnightInGotham wrote:I was just driving home on a warmish day (85 Fahrenheit) and accelerated hard in second into 3 and casual into 4 (I don't think I was slipping the clutch at all between gears, actually I was really quick off the clutch as I believe you should be). It seemed like I was smelling something that could have been clutch but smelled like hot tar maybe? but I had the windows down and the smell seemed to go away after a few seconds or so. I went back out to move my car into the garage and it seemed to smell still, not sure if it was the same smell though and I couldn't smell it outside the car. Can you usually smell clutch outside the vehicle when it's sitting?

Well I forgot that I had Mexican food in the back seat that had been out there for about an hour. So honestly could have been that smell in the car after an hour of sitting.

I'm sure I'm super paranoid but I'm also new to this and want to know if I'm smelling clutch?!?

Help please!

Thanks
I don't know of a way to describe the smell from an overheated clutch.

To me, they smell a lot like overheated brakes.

Yes, I agree that the life of a clutch can be easy once the vehicle is in motion - almost no heat is generated during engagement after gearshifting. Launching from a standing start is the prime opportunity to heat-up the clutch disk.

If you want to see if it is incapable of transmitting the full engine torque with out slipping, drive in 1st gear, at peak torque rpm, and as you roll into the acccelerator pedal, start applying the foundation brakes with your other foot. You should be able to drag the engine rpm down, even at full throttle opening. If the engine rpm continues to climb as you apply the brake hard enough to slow the vehicle speed, then your clutch is slipping.
My car only has 2,500 miles, I sure as hell hope it isn't slipping at this point!
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Re: Clutch Smell???

Post by MidnightInGotham »

Tried the same thing this morning, maybe not quite as much throttle but hard acceleration and no smell today. Not really sure what to think of yesterday.
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Re: Clutch Smell???

Post by theholycow »

Don't worry about it. It's normal paranoia. It was probably leftover smell from a dumptruck that stopped short a few minutes before. You passed through a cloud of stank and smelled it.

Even if it was clutch smell, you did some abnormally hard acceleration in a brand new car...it's bound to smell a little the first few times you do that.
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Re: Clutch Smell???

Post by Squint »

theholycow wrote:Don't worry about it. It's normal paranoia. It was probably leftover smell from a dumptruck that stopped short a few minutes before. You passed through a cloud of stank and smelled it.

Even if it was clutch smell, you did some abnormally hard acceleration in a brand new car...it's bound to smell a little the first few times you do that.
^^ this. If it stuck around a while, I'd be more concerned. But brief smell, normal function, and only 2,500 miles on it? Doubtful you burned the thing to a crispy metal pancake yet.
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Re: Clutch Smell???

Post by Rope-Pusher »

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Re: Clutch Smell???

Post by MidnightInGotham »

OP here again. Drove the car for the first time in the snow. All was good but I got kind of stuck in my driveway (fairly steep but short driveway in town .). I got up for the most part the second time, turned off the TC and got to the top. Anyway, afterwards there was a bit of a smell and idk if it was hot engine and tires or clutch. I'm pretty sure the clutch was fully engaged and I was rolling but I don't recall (may have stopped and started slipping the clutch to get going again).

Really no smell in the car (some initially but went away quickly) but still smelled warm when I was close to the front of the car after.

Long and short of it, clutch smell or engine and tires initially?

Like I said, smell inside the car was quick and then gone, but outside lasted a bit longer though I'm almost positive that is the motor and such just being warm as I had a fair amount of snow on the front.

Help ease my mind please!
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Re: Clutch Smell???

Post by MidnightInGotham »

P.s. 2016 GTI performance pack performed fairly well in the snow. Front end a little light and went sideways starting off a few times but she pulled through. And that is on the all seasons that come on the car
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Re: Clutch Smell???

Post by tankinbeans »

Can you describe the smell? Sometimes the heating system can ick up after the first real use of the season.

We got more rain than anything
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Re: Clutch Smell???

Post by MidnightInGotham »

tankinbeans wrote:Can you describe the smell? Sometimes the heating system can ick up after the first real use of the season.

We got more rain than anything
Hard to say. Warm plastic when in the garage...(intake manifold and a bunch of plastic under the hood). Initial smell was like rubber.
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Re: Clutch Smell???

Post by Rope-Pusher »

MidnightInGotham wrote:
tankinbeans wrote:Can you describe the smell? Sometimes the heating system can ick up after the first real use of the season.

We got more rain than anything
Hard to say. Warm plastic when in the garage...(intake manifold and a bunch of plastic under the hood). Initial smell was like rubber.
You got that Mexican food out from the back seat, right?
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Re: Clutch Smell???

Post by MidnightInGotham »

Rope-Pusher wrote:
MidnightInGotham wrote:
tankinbeans wrote:Can you describe the smell? Sometimes the heating system can ick up after the first real use of the season.

We got more rain than anything
Hard to say. Warm plastic when in the garage...(intake manifold and a bunch of plastic under the hood). Initial smell was like rubber.
You got that Mexican food out from the back seat, right?
:D :lol:
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Re: Clutch Smell???

Post by theholycow »

Sounds like it's not clutchstank but could be...still nothing to worry about.

My steep driveway + snow/ice/mud = clutchstank on a pretty regular basis. Also, driving up onto ramps to work on the car...
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