Ooo-ooh that smell... the smell of clutch around me...

[211]

This is weird and i've never experienced this in any other manual transmission vehicle before.

 

2000 OBW, 76k miles, manual trans:

Whenever I back up on a hill there's this horrible smell, like burning carpet.

I'm 99.9% sure it's the clutch because it happens consistantly at my friends house who has a horribly disfunctional driveway and in order to turnaround to leave you have to point down a hill then backup (3-pt turnaround). That's when I smell that smell- right after backing up the hill.

 

I also have issues in the morning, when the clutch is still cold, when I take off the car shudders. No matter what I do, how I feather the clutch, more gas less clutch, less gass more clutch, nothing helps until the car warms up then it's not as bad. I realize theres a TSB on that "clutch judder" but I'm wondering if this contributes and/or is related to the smell mentioned above.

 

It doesn't even smell like burnt clutch either- like i said, it's like burnt carpet or something...

it's really weird.

[uniberp]

Something to do with the hill-holder clutch, maybe?

 

http://www.drive.subaru.com/Spr03_HillHolder.htm

 

There is a level sensitive sensor involved. If the brakes are somewhat locked, the clutch may smoke a little.

 

Maybe yours is the one particular combination of events that got past the engineers.

 

This is weird and i've never experienced this in any other manual transmission vehicle before.

 

2000 OBW, 76k miles, manual trans:

Whenever I back up on a hill there's this horrible smell, like burning carpet.

I'm 99.9% sure it's the clutch because it happens consistantly at my friends house who has a horribly disfunctional driveway and in order to turnaround to leave you have to point down a hill then backup (3-pt turnaround). That's when I smell that smell- right after backing up the hill.

 

I also have issues in the morning, when the clutch is still cold, when I take off the car shudders. No matter what I do, how I feather the clutch, more gas less clutch, less gass more clutch, nothing helps until the car warms up then it's not as bad. I realize theres a TSB on that "clutch judder" but I'm wondering if this contributes and/or is related to the smell mentioned above.

 

It doesn't even smell like burnt clutch either- like i said, it's like burnt carpet or something...

it's really weird.

[211]

Something to do with the hill-holder clutch, maybe?

 

http://www.drive.subaru.com/Spr03_HillHolder.htm

 

There is a level sensitive sensor involved. If the brakes are somewhat locked, the clutch may smoke a little.

 

Maybe yours is the one particular combination of events that got past the engineers.

 

Well, a couple things about that theory.

First, I don't think my car is equipped with the hill-holder. When I'm stopped on a normal hill (waiting for a green light for instance) I have to use the clutch/Ebrake-and-release method to keep from rolling backwards.

Second, according to the article in the link, and I may be totally wrong here, the way the mechanism works is with a ball in the systems Pressure Hold Valve which activates when the car is pointing UP hill (ball rolls to rear of valve).

In my scenario, I'm always pointing DOWN hill and reversing UP hill (opposite of the way the hill holder seems to work).

[nipper]

Well, a couple things about that theory.

First, I don't think my car is equipped with the hill-holder. When I'm stopped on a normal hill (waiting for a green light for instance) I have to use the clutch/Ebrake-and-release method to keep from rolling backwards.

Second, according to the article in the link, and I may be totally wrong here, the way the mechanism works is with a ball in the systems Pressure Hold Valve which activates when the car is pointing UP hill (ball rolls to rear of valve).

In my scenario, I'm always pointing DOWN hill and reversing UP hill (opposite of the way the hill holder seems to work).

 

Your correct. Ocasionally the HH will get confused if the nose of the car is pointed up, and your backing down the hill.

 

It may be clutch time. How many miles on this clutch?

 

Try starting off from 3 or 4th gear from a dead stop. No matter what you do the car should stall. If it doesnt, its time to start thinking about a clutch.

 

nipper

[porcupine73]

Say one of your front cv joint boots isn't busted open is it? Because yes ooh-ooh that smell it does smell like burning carpet or something nasty. I wouldn't say it's the smell of death but Lynyrd Skynyrd does rock. They just did a concert up here at one of the casinos. Anyway Mine just let out the smoke....it's an '00 outback too, but AT and more miles.

[WoodsWagon]

Thinking of burning clutch, back on the 17th I went to the Wicked Big meet in Mass. The enterance was on a hill, so picture 2 rows of nearly all manual tranny subarus inching up a steep hill one car length at a time as we were let through the ticket booths.

 

I was contributing to the general reek of clutch with my big tires, cheap clutch disk, and 3cyl's of fury.

 

I heard 2 people rolled back into the car behind them, and they were both Evo's.

[211]

Your correct. Ocasionally the HH will get confused if the nose of the car is pointed up, and your backing down the hill.

 

It may be clutch time. How many miles on this clutch?

 

Try starting off from 3 or 4th gear from a dead stop. No matter what you do the car should stall. If it doesnt, its time to start thinking about a clutch.

 

nipper

it's the original clutch, so 74k miles. I've done the start in 3rd gear trick, stalls out nicely.

 

Say one of your front cv joint boots isn't busted open is it? Because yes ooh-ooh that smell it does smell like burning carpet or something nasty. I wouldn't say it's the smell of death but Lynyrd Skynyrd does rock. They just did a concert up here at one of the casinos. Anyway Mine just let out the smoke....it's an '00 outback too, but AT and more miles.

cv boots look okay. besides, it would smell all the time not just when i back up up a hill from a stand still wouldnt' it?

[daehttub2000]

Is the driveway paved or is it one of those "boonie" driveways with vegetation in the middle between the wheel tracks. I'd guess burnt vegetation on the heat shields or catalytic converter then. Or, if your Subie is a bit leaky as is the norm, you might have some collected fluids getting spilled on your hot engine bits when your Subie's arse is pointed up in the air.

 

I know the metallic smell of burnt clutch. When I first got my WRX I did a few Car and Driver drop clutch acceleration tests. I was a bit too overly enthusiastic on one such start. That was the last time did that boneheaded stunt. It was fun though:rolleyes:

[Finsol]

This is weird and i've never experienced this in any other manual transmission vehicle before.

 

2000 OBW, 76k miles, manual trans:

Whenever I back up on a hill there's this horrible smell, like burning carpet.

I'm 99.9% sure it's the clutch because it happens consistantly at my friends house who has a horribly disfunctional driveway and in order to turnaround to leave you have to point down a hill then backup (3-pt turnaround). That's when I smell that smell- right after backing up the hill.

 

I also have issues in the morning, when the clutch is still cold, when I take off the car shudders. No matter what I do, how I feather the clutch, more gas less clutch, less gass more clutch, nothing helps until the car warms up then it's not as bad. I realize theres a TSB on that "clutch judder" but I'm wondering if this contributes and/or is related to the smell mentioned above.

 

It doesn't even smell like burnt clutch either- like i said, it's like burnt carpet or something...

it's really weird.

 

Sounds like it's the hill holder. I disconnected mine because it was a PITA so back up on hills and having to rev the crap outta the motor to move wasn't my thing.

[nipper]

Sounds like it's the hill holder. I disconnected mine because it was a PITA so back up on hills and having to rev the crap outta the motor to move wasn't my thing.

 

If he has one, he doesnt think he does.

 

And even if he does have one, and its not working, does rule out the hill holder.

 

 

Since he passed the stall test, i would just file it under an over heated clutch. It happens sometimes.

 

nipper