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My wife was pulling away from some lights and 'the car wouldn't go so I just kept putting my foot down'.
It sounds like either the clutch pedal hadn't returned properly, she hadn't got her foot off it, the cable/hydraulics (not sure which it has) are 'sticky' or the clutch is on the way out.
Anyway, it she ended up driving it along at 5mph bouncing it off the rev limiter until she found somewhere she felt like pulling over. Given the power the car has (200bhp) I suspect it sounded 'interesting' at max revs.
I got a call because of the 'burning smell'. I told her to wait ten minutes then drive gently home. After 2 minutes she drove home on a route that included a significant hill start 'and the smell got worse'.
The smell of burning clutch was quite intense when she'd parked up.
She mentioned she'd had trouble selecting reverse when out a couple fo days ago.
So few questions;
1) is the clutch plate now likely to be toast regardless of what caused the initial problem?
2) Do we wait until it's all cooled down and go and try a few hill starts to see if it goes wrong again and if it doesn't put it down to experience and carry on?
3) Get it to a garage for them to have a look at the clutch and actuation etc to see if there's an underlying problem?
I think there's a bit of a trust/confidence issue with my wife and cars so we need to be fairly sure it's not going to happen again at random intervals.
Suggestions?
I suspect it's past any rescue now.
Do either of you tend to ride the clutch on hills?
Could just be general wear or could be something else failed causing it. You could try driving it round the block when it's cooled to see if you get a clue but I suspect it will now need replacing and get them to look for the cause.
I've just spent 30 minutes finding out all about Dual Mass Flywheels too.
It's beginning to sound like it might get expensive...
Will it make it to your local dealer to do a trade-in? 😉
Modern clutches smell like burning cow hoof.
It'll be a hydraulic clutch not cable. Was the bite point high before? Get it to a garage you trust whatever if your wife has car trust issues anyway!
ill take 50p on the slave having punched through the clutch fork.
as well as a cooked clutch.
but the clutch is a moot point as its likely the resolve will involve splitting the box and only an eejit would split the box off the engine and not change the clutch on any car thats done a reasonable milage on the fitted clutch.
Buy her an automatic now. It will save money.
Depending on where you go for a repair expect to budget around £1000
Two questions- why did she drive it again, where is her mechanical sympathy? If I sense an issue. Its off/switched off- I wont attempt to get home. Madness!!
Second question- please don't let her near that car again.
Buy her an old Matiz.
"Two questions- why did she drive it again"
easy answer - it vaguely sort of worked and getting where ever it was was much more important than calling the AA and saving a heap of money.
been there done that - so much so i canceled the AA policy as whats the point having it if it doesnt get used.
[i]Two questions- why did she drive it again[/i]
because it was obvious what the problem was and, once she was aware of it it wasn't a safety issue, driving it further wasn't going to make it need more work to sort out, she was literally round the corner from where we live and we don't all immediately throw our hands up in the air at the first sign of trouble?
I'll pop out for a drive in it tommorrow and see if it's still giving gyp but may well get it booked in somewhere regardless for a once over too.
[i]Buy her an old Matiz. [/i]
I'm not buying her anything. She's the headteacher of a school, earns more than me and is quite able to make her own mind up about what she owns and drives.
Ah. If shes fubar'd it park it right outside the school gates blocking everyone? 😆
If I sense an issue. Its off/switched off- I wont attempt to get home. Madness!!
chicken. clutch on my nova went a long time ago. managed to bump it in third and drive nearly 50 miles home without changing gear or stopping...
When the clutch went in my Landrover I drove it 60 miles crash changing when the revs were roughly right.
Don't think I'd try it in something less agricultural though.