Burnt clutch smell

Last night my car was stuck in the mud whilst reversing. I made the mistake of high revs and trying to slowly release my clutch and before I knew it I could smell the clutch burning. The smell was f****** horrible.

After I had gotten out of the mess I was in I knew I had caused a fair bit of damage to my clutch. The smell lingered on for a while especially when accelerating and I'd get a strong burning smell when the car is idle.

Before this happened, every now and then i would find it difficult to get in to first gear and reverse, and it would take a few attempts to get it into gear.  This has been happening for a while but it doesn't happen often where it gets irritating.

Today, the smell of the burnt clutch came back after around an hour of driving. It wasn't as bad as yesterday but still very strong.

I have took it on the motorway to see if the revs shoot up but the speed stays the same. That doesn't seem to happen and the revs are consistent with the increasing speed.

I have tried to test my clutch by trying to see if it stalls in first. It doesn't stall in first if i gently release the clutch though when i abruptly release it, then the car does stall.

How badly have i damaged my clutch and does it need replacing right away? 


Ps. I drive a Fabia 1.2htp

A burnt clutch may give way soon or last a few more years. The downside is, it will never repair its-self. You may have contaminated it a little and it MIGHT clean but I doubt it. If burnt, the scorch may wear a little but it usually starts to deteriorate. I have just had a quote for a new clutch, 1.4 Diesel but may have the same unit as yours, of £318, from Mr. Clutch, who also have £10 vouchers online and branches nationwide. I just put that, to give you a starting point.

 

As mentioned, you may get another year or so but sooner or later, it will fail. 

P.S. Are you sure it was the clutch? They do tend to stink if overheated, like cabbage thats been boiled dry, but usually will stop smelling too bad if left to cool by either parking up or by driving gently with little clutch usage, for a while, like on a duel carriageway, etc, so cool air will be passed through the engine and under body parts, without working the car. Clutches do seem to be a (Slight) weak spot on these cars, though.

Edited 10 March, 20215 yr by mrgf

Some issues can be also down to the clutch release  system sticking but it seems in your case you have fried the clutch plate a bit, if you had a prior issue with selecting first gear this sometimes points to the pressure plate starting to fail as it's not fully releasing from the plate and not fully putting pressure on the whole of the clutch plate when pedal is released if you drive up a hill in 4th-5th gear and accelerate quite hard the car will either go faster or force the clutch to start to slip so if car  revs increase but car does not go any faster up the hill your clutch is ready for changing, we always tested a clutch by selecting 4th or 5th gear fully apply handbrake increase revs to around 1100 rpm and try and pull off, if car stalls straight away the clutch is pretty good if there is and drag or slip  time before stalling the plate and usually the pressure plate are at fault and at some point will need to be replaced, I would never just replace any one of these parts always as a set 

24 minutes ago, mrgf said:

P.S. Are you sure it was the clutch? They do tend to stink if overheated, like cabbage thats been boiled dry, but usually will stop smelling too bad if left to cool by either parking up or by driving gently with little clutch usage, for a while, like on a duel carriageway, etc, so cool air will be passed through the engine and under body parts, without working the car. Clutches do seem to be a (Slight) weak spot on these cars, though.

It definitely is the clutch. What you've described there is basically my situation. Left the car parked overnight, started it today and couldn't smell anything. But towards the end of my drive when I was pulling up, the smell came back.

5 minutes ago, Murdockman said:

pressure on the whole of the clutch plate when pedal is released if you drive up a hill in 4th-5th gear and accelerate quite hard the car will either go faster or force the clutch to start to slip so if car  revs increase but car does not go any faster up the hill your clutch is ready for changing 

I think the clutch is definitely on its way out as the car struggles to go up fairly steep hills in 3rd gear when accelerating pretty hard.

39 minutes ago, Murdockman said:

we always tested a clutch by selecting 4th or 5th gear fully apply handbrake increase revs to around 1100 rpm and try and pull off, if car stalls straight away the clutch is pretty good if there is and drag or slip  time before stalling the plate and usually the pressure plate are at fault and at some point will need to be replaced 

I have just tried this. Revs at around 1700rpm in gear 5. Handbrake on. It took like a second to stall.

Everyone is dancing around the issue so I'll tell you straight.

You've cooked it properly and now it's ruined.

However it was probably on its last legs anyway and you've just hastened its demise.

Given that the smell seems to be returning when slipping the clutch I would say that Sepulchrave is correct.

 

However in the past circumstances caused me on two occasions to seriously abuse what were good and relatively unworn clutches, once trying to get out of an icey uphill facing car park to get to work, another time reversing a seriously overloaded trailer uphill around a series of jackknifing curves.

 

On both occasions the smell was appalling (the non asbestos linings smell like burning flesh) smoke was pouring out and the clutch slipping, both times I was convinced I had burned out the clutch yet the next day when everything had cooled they gripped like normal and I went on to do many thousands more miles in each car, 150000 miles in the case of the Octavia.

 

There was also a phenomenon where the smell seemed to linger or come back at times, possibly when slipping the clutch again and warming up the linings like reheating a pan of smelly cooking oil.

 

Are the revs rising when the car is struggling in 3rd gear on hills?

19 hours ago, Murdockman said:

14 hours ago, J.R. said:

Are the revs rising when the car is struggling in 3rd gear on hills?

Yes they are. The clutch definitely needs to be replaced

 

20 hours ago, mrgf said:

I have just had a quote for a new clutch, 1.4 Diesel but may have the same unit as yours, of £318, from Mr. Clutch, who also have £10 vouchers online and branches nationwide. 

Thanks for that. Just had a quote for clutch kit supplied and fitted from Mr Clutch- £283.

 

I've asked around a few places and that seems like the best price. Halfords Autocentre- £475. Few other local clutch mechanics-£330-370.

2 hours ago, ifti78 said:

Thanks for that. Just had a quote for clutch kit supplied and fitted from Mr Clutch- £283.

 

I've asked around a few places and that seems like the best price. Halfords Autocentre- £475. Few other local clutch mechanics-£330-370.

 

You're a braver man than me, I don't know anyone who's had a good experience with Mr Clutch but you might get lucky.

9 minutes ago, sepulchrave said:

 

You're a braver man than me, I don't know anyone who's had a good experience with Mr Clutch but you might get lucky.

Oh f***! I've got another quote around the same price from Northwest Clutch in Bury.

 

Mr Clutch really that bad?

 

The cheapest quote I've had is from a local. Around 240 inc VAT

4 minutes ago, ifti78 said:

Oh f***! I've got another quote around the same price from Northwest Clutch in Bury.

 

Mr Clutch really that bad?

 

The cheapest quote I've had is from a local. Around 240 inc VAT

 

I'd rather use local, it's not rocket science after all.

Make sure they know not to turn this engine backwards at any point during the work.  If they look blank when you mention this, don't give them the work.

1 minute ago, Wino said:

Make sure they know not to turn this engine backwards at any point during the work.  If they look blank when you mention this, don't give them the work.

Can you explain what you mean by that mate? Not quite sure what it means. Apolgies 

 

 

See this thread: https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/474566-did-our-fabia-12-clutch-replacers-cause-the-engine-timing-to-go-out/?do=findComment&comment=5325649