smell of burnt rubber when clutch slipping ?
08-30-2010, 03:57 PM
#1
Advanced
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 86
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
smell of burnt rubber when clutch slipping ?
Hi !
when i get the clutch slip ,for example to get on car ramps ,there is a distinctive smell of burnt rubber
No problem whatsoever with the clutch (clutch changed a few years ago ,maybe 15 000 miles now- and just done a 1000 mile trip,including long start and stop periods )
I have never noticed such a smell on any of my other cars
Is this normal?
any idea what is causing that smell
peter
when i get the clutch slip ,for example to get on car ramps ,there is a distinctive smell of burnt rubber
No problem whatsoever with the clutch (clutch changed a few years ago ,maybe 15 000 miles now- and just done a 1000 mile trip,including long start and stop periods )
I have never noticed such a smell on any of my other cars
Is this normal?
any idea what is causing that smell
peter
08-30-2010, 05:00 PM
#3
Advanced
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 86
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
thanks for your response
were that to be an RMS failure ,i suppose it would rapidly destroy the clutch
Clutch is very strong ,no smell in normal driving conditions ,only when slipping for a bit like to get onto car ramps
Last ,it is typically a burnt rubber smell ,not a burnt oil smell(like when a drop of oil falls onto the heat exchanger !!)
why rubber ?
Peter
were that to be an RMS failure ,i suppose it would rapidly destroy the clutch
Clutch is very strong ,no smell in normal driving conditions ,only when slipping for a bit like to get onto car ramps
Last ,it is typically a burnt rubber smell ,not a burnt oil smell(like when a drop of oil falls onto the heat exchanger !!)
why rubber ?
Peter
08-30-2010, 05:32 PM
#4
Rennlist Member
What you are describing sounds normal to me. Taking off up a steep hill, I sometimes get a viff of the clutch, no problem just don't overdo it.
08-30-2010, 08:34 PM
#6
Rennlist Member
That's what $$ smells like when you burn it. I get that now and then with mine... I think it's exacerbated by the airflow around the engine. Its no big deal.
08-30-2010, 11:38 PM
#7
Three Wheelin'
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Helotes, TX
Posts: 1,307
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sorry to hijack your thread, but I'm curious about the RMS failure and destroyed clutch comment. I did a complete rebuild about 8 months ago and the car runs great, but I developed a serious oil leak about 2 months back. It drips from the bottom.of the bell housing onto the crossover and generates a lot of smoke and smell.
I have not been able to locate the leak exactly. I had hoped it was the o.p. sender, but I replaced that and no improvement. The cover gasket and o-rings are new, so I don't think that's it. I am worried that it's the RMS because I can tell there's oil getting into the starter. I thought maybe I damaged the RMS, or it somehow became displaced.However, there's no deterioration of the clutch function. Can it be the RMS and not get the clutch wet?
Any suggestions?
I have not been able to locate the leak exactly. I had hoped it was the o.p. sender, but I replaced that and no improvement. The cover gasket and o-rings are new, so I don't think that's it. I am worried that it's the RMS because I can tell there's oil getting into the starter. I thought maybe I damaged the RMS, or it somehow became displaced.However, there's no deterioration of the clutch function. Can it be the RMS and not get the clutch wet?
Any suggestions?
Trending Topics
08-31-2010, 12:07 AM
#8
Burning Brakes
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 985
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The only rubber near the clutch is the center of the flywheel. The clutch should not slip unless its' worn, oil is on the surface or the center rubber is detaching from the flywheel and spinning, hence the rubber smell. Or there's so much power back there that you're smoking the tires and don't know it 
08-31-2010, 04:01 AM
#9
Advanced
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 86
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Interesting comments received !!
Difficult to reconcile some of the views though ,
Some of you say it is quite normal and others say things like :
"the center rubber is detaching from the flywheel and spinning",
maybe if we could understand exactly what happens when we let the clutch slip ,we would be able to determine if the smell is" normal" or not
Ps : never seen a rubber centre on a clutch on my other cars .Any Idea why the P engineers designed it that way ?
Peter
Difficult to reconcile some of the views though ,
Some of you say it is quite normal and others say things like :
"the center rubber is detaching from the flywheel and spinning",
maybe if we could understand exactly what happens when we let the clutch slip ,we would be able to determine if the smell is" normal" or not
Ps : never seen a rubber centre on a clutch on my other cars .Any Idea why the P engineers designed it that way ?
Peter
08-31-2010, 04:27 PM
#11
Three Wheelin'
Sorry to hijack your thread, but I'm curious about the RMS failure and destroyed clutch comment. I did a complete rebuild about 8 months ago and the car runs great, but I developed a serious oil leak about 2 months back. It drips from the bottom.of the bell housing onto the crossover and generates a lot of smoke and smell.
I have not been able to locate the leak exactly. I had hoped it was the o.p. sender, but I replaced that and no improvement. The cover gasket and o-rings are new, so I don't think that's it. I am worried that it's the RMS because I can tell there's oil getting into the starter. I thought maybe I damaged the RMS, or it somehow became displaced.However, there's no deterioration of the clutch function. Can it be the RMS and not get the clutch wet?
Any suggestions?
I have not been able to locate the leak exactly. I had hoped it was the o.p. sender, but I replaced that and no improvement. The cover gasket and o-rings are new, so I don't think that's it. I am worried that it's the RMS because I can tell there's oil getting into the starter. I thought maybe I damaged the RMS, or it somehow became displaced.However, there's no deterioration of the clutch function. Can it be the RMS and not get the clutch wet?
Any suggestions?
Jeff
08-31-2010, 08:13 PM
#12
Three Wheelin'
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Helotes, TX
Posts: 1,307
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
09-01-2010, 02:05 AM
#13
Instructor
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Beautiful Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 244
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I get this wiff if you slip the clutch a bit. Yes, you aren't really doing anything that you don't do in another car. My theory is that you just get it sucked up in to the cabin through the heating ventilation etc and that is why it hits you so hard. Perhaps in other cars you dont even notice it as the 'smell' is dissipated outside the car. I have had this happen in very minor slips when manouvering up a steep driveway etc. I just pulled my engine out for other reasons recently and the clutch is perfect so i wouldn't worry.
09-01-2010, 05:18 PM
#15
Three Wheelin'
I put a 996TT clutch in my car....only rubber burning now is the tires....lol
Ps. When I had my old clutch in both my 89 c4 and my 91 cab, I sometimes got a burnt rubber smell as well, this was under hard acceleration shifting through the gears or launching a little harder than i should have. I never ever randomly smelt a burnt rubber smell under regular driving. I would attribute it to slipping the clutch.
Jeff
Ps. When I had my old clutch in both my 89 c4 and my 91 cab, I sometimes got a burnt rubber smell as well, this was under hard acceleration shifting through the gears or launching a little harder than i should have. I never ever randomly smelt a burnt rubber smell under regular driving. I would attribute it to slipping the clutch.
Jeff