Burning Clutch

[phil750]

Afternoon all,

Had my brand new 1.2tsi fr for about 6 weeks now, been nothing wrong with it so far been loving it. Done 800 miles with it so far.

SHORT STORY - holding car on hill with clutch for about 30 seconds just got awful burning clutch smell. (full story below)

QUESTIONS - Has anybody else had anything similar?

Think it worth to go get it checked out at the garage or leave it and see if it happens again?



LONG STORY - Went to west mids safari park yesterday, warm day (for the uk) around 22 degrees, and was busy with a lot of traffic. Had an hour drive there in some normal stop start traffic, nothing to bad, got there went round as you do.

Was on a steepish hill holding my car on the clutch, only for around 30 seconds or something, then i start to notice a strange smell, spelt like burning clutch to me. Thought mabye it the saxo infront but il be good for rest of the day.

So for the rest of the day tried my best to not hold it on the clutch, go into neutral with hand brake up when i could, not high revs etc...

Parked it up went round rounds saw some saws, parked it under a bit of shade to help cool it down for about hour and half.

Then on way back, queues again on a hill, hold on the clutch for about 30 seconds and the same smell. So thinking has to be my clutch.



Thanks as always

 

[big rich]

great way to burn the clutch out, seat warranty will not cover abuse when it fails.

 

[Slimy]

I had the same, oddly enough at west midlands safari park. Mine has now settled down, but i have swapped the fluid just in case. I wasnt intentionally riding the clutch, i got to the point where clutch to the floor still didnt disengage it so i got the horrible burning clutch smell.

 

[phil750]

great way to burn the clutch out, seat warranty will not cover abuse when it fails.

i would of thought a car could hold on its clutch for more then 30 seconds! in my mind that not abuse at all.

 

[Biker]

i would of thought a car could hold on its clutch for more then 30 seconds! in my mind that not abuse at all.

Are you actually holding it on the clutch or sitting with it in gear with the clutch depressed and the handbrake on?

 

[phil750]

Are you actually holding it on the clutch or sitting with it in gear with the clutch depressed and the handbrake on?

holding it, tiny bit of revs.

Dont get me wrong it was the first time i did i wasnt doing it all the way around.

Was in a queue and saw cars moving ahead so no point putting on brake/handbrake.

 

[Biker]

holding it, tiny bit of revs.

Dont get me wrong it was the first time i did i wasnt doing it all the way around.

Was in a queue and saw cars moving ahead so no point putting on brake/handbrake.

Not a good idea really, that is why you have a handbrake. Probably reduced the life of the clutch by a good few thousand miles in that thirty seconds.

 

[phil750]

really? i did not now that.

Ive done it all the cars ive had, what my driving instructor taught me all them years ago.

Done it for a lot longer then 30 seconds before and not smelt any burning clutch before in other cars.

 

[big rich]

i would of thought a car could hold on its clutch for more then 30 seconds! in my mind that not abuse at all.

Try telling that to Seat when they strip it down and your clutch is worn out and your flywheel is blue. From a warranty point of view it is abuse because your not using it in the manner it was designed for if you get what i mean... last thing you want is to be paying for it all.

 

[Squash man]

Yes the handbrake is your friend. Hopefully nothing to worry about. On my previous car I gave the clutch some accidental abuse slipping the clutch while reversing up a steep drive - never smelt anything like it 3 years later it was still going strong.

 

[GraemeB]

I had a VW a few years ago that did that. Clutch lasted fine. I did switch to using the handbrake though to avoid the smell.

 

[Nath.]

holding it, tiny bit of revs.

Dont get me wrong it was the first time i did i wasnt doing it all the way around.

Was in a queue and saw cars moving ahead so no point putting on brake/handbrake.

Really

No wonder the poor clutch smells.

You have taken probably 500 miles of life out of your clutch doing that.

Put it in neutral, put the handbrake on, then do a hill start. The way you were taught. If your driving instructor taught you to hold the car on the clutch he was a bad instructor.

 

[smithygcupra]

30 seconds is an awful long time dude and being on a hill increases the stress your putting on it. No clutch on any car is going to like that

 

[gaffer1986]

30 seconds holding the clutch on a hill is abuse - depending how steep the hill. If I let my pupils practice holding the clutch for more than 15 seconds I will get the burning smell. It's perfectly normal for a clutch to smell when it gets hot.

The clutch it only designed to hold the car for a few seconds on a steep hill. I believe a hot clutch burns quicker.

 

[matthab]

I've never held my car for that long. Thats not going to do your clutch much good. Remember the 1.2tsi is quite a torque engine.