We were driving out of town and the sat nav took me down a road that was leading to a farm it was really narrow and very long and was quite steep, anyway as it transpired this road/lane just turned into a muddy feild that there was no way my octy would be able to turn round.

The only way was to reverse back up this lane (it was that narrow i couldnt even do a 3 point turn)

Got half way up and loads of smoke came from the engine and this horrid sprout smell coming in the car obviously i knew this was the clutch burning so left it for 10 mins to cool off. (wife was hysterical at this point) thinking the car was about to go up in flames. My previous vectra set on fire on a peterol station a few years back.

By the time i got back up the lane to get the car turned round the smell was dreadful and smoking.

The thing is thankfully i have no gearchange or clutch issues and wanted to ask what damage could i have caused and have i cut my clutches lifespan.

Bloody sat navs dont trust them in the country lanes!!!!!

Just hope i havent nearly destroyed the clutch. Horrid smell of sprouts though

Were you reserving up the lane with your foot on the clutch?

Were you reserving up the lane with your foot on the clutch?

Yes i had no choice to go backwards and it was a steep up hill lane

Just wondered what i may have done to the clutch or should it be ok and have i cut short its life

Cheers.

I did a similar thing a few years ago in an astramax van, I had to stop and get out to check it hadn't actually caught fire, the smell was awful. Still ran alright afterwards, certainly for the next couple of months but it probably did grind the clutch down a fair bit

Nothing worse than a burning clutch smell. I had a new Clutch fitted to my Escort a couple of years back. I noticed the smell when pulling away quickly err slowly from a junction. I contacted Ford and they said the smell was mainly the coating they put on clutches now.

Worst smell ever.

Jon

Yes in principle, but it could still go on for 10s of thousands of miles in practice.

Thats a releif at least it still feels the same, I know what you mean when you have to get out and check the car isnt actually on fire, the smell is awfull.

At

We were driving out of town and the sat nav took me down a road that was leading to a farm it was really narrow and very long and was quite steep, anyway as it transpired this road/lane just turned into a muddy feild that there was no way my octy would be able to turn round.

The only way was to reverse back up this lane (it was that narrow i couldnt even do a 3 point turn)

Got half way up and loads of smoke came from the engine and this horrid sprout smell coming in the car obviously i knew this was the clutch burning so left it for 10 mins to cool off. (wife was hysterical at this point) thinking the car was about to go up in flames. My previous vectra set on fire on a peterol station a few years back.

By the time i got back up the lane to get the car turned round the smell was dreadful and smoking.

The thing is thankfully i have no gearchange or clutch issues and wanted to ask what damage could i have caused and have i cut my clutches lifespan.

Bloody sat navs dont trust them in the country lanes!!!!!

Just hope i havent nearly destroyed the clutch. Horrid smell of sprouts though

Hi, I drive a new Superb TDI 4X4 170, and unfortunately I went through the same "experience" when trying to reverse on snow. I was very worried that something is burning... Trouble is, the smell was very persistent inside the vehicle...and it was one of the most horriblr smells experienced. On the other hand, there was no malfunction at all.

Edited 14 February, 201214 yr by Zerg2905

Hi, I drive a new Superb TDI 4X4 170, and unfortunately I went through the same "experience" when trying to reverse on snow. I was very worried that something is burning... Trouble is, the smell was very persistent inside the vehicle...and it was one of the most horriblr smells experienced. On the other hand, there was no malfunction at all.

i did the same thing!!

hopefully clutch will be okay, smell will fade in time....

Used to do it to the works Sharon all the time during slow maneuvers lasted 80k before it needed changing lol

I had the same thing in my old Mk3 Golf GTI, It used to stink of sprouts as soon as yo started reversing, but never suffered any clutch slip and lasted me a good few years, before some foreign lorry driver wrote it off on the M25!

I had to reverse up a steep hill in glasgow city centre a short distance a while back and my clutch didn't like it, dmf been rattling ever since...