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Horrible smell when in reverse !!

LEON2DRIVER

Active Member
May 18, 2007
93
0
Have been doing some reading up on the searches i have done on horrible smells that maybe a cause of a clutch on the way out, the smell i get is something like rotting rubbish, but this only seems to happen when in reverse, reversing up a slant when the blower goes into recirulation mode ?
Does this sound like the clutch, if so i am going to say my piece to the main dealer on Friday which is when i am going to have my faulty radio replaced with a new one, which i had to phone up about this morning as i was told i would be contacted when it was in, only to find out it was there already, a case of could'nt be bothered to call me as usual:censored:
This New LEON is about a month old now and i have had almost enough of having to keep calling the main dealer about new faults on this car, it seems like i have been sold a lemon, enough is enough, if i find that the clutch is on the way out then they can have this bloody thing back, and i will call trading standards, why should you have to keep taking a brand new car back to have faults repaired, second hand cars i have had in the past were in better condition, and i didnt have to keep going somewhere to replace new parts, until of course when they naturally needed to be replaced, more than a month thats for sure.
Trouble is i like this car so much, but you can only stand so much of being fobbing off.
 

Tam

Santa in disguise :)
Feb 10, 2005
1,777
0
Near Reevo :)
Could be your cat - if your revving it hard?

Where about's are you based, perhaps get a different opinion from another member.
 

LEON2DRIVER

Active Member
May 18, 2007
93
0
Could be your cat - if your revving it hard?

Where about's are you based, perhaps get a different opinion from another member.

Southeast of england.

Not doing any hard revving, just normal amount of revs to reverse into a carpark space that has a slope on it !
 

red14uk

Guest
please advise, i came on here to look at a different problem but noticed this thread. i have just washed my car and whilst reversing onto the drive and revving i noticed a horrible garbage smell, i have warranty til november, so can anyone confirm if this is a problem or if its normal.
 

LEON2DRIVER

Active Member
May 18, 2007
93
0
please advise, i came on here to look at a different problem but noticed this thread. i have just washed my car and whilst reversing onto the drive and revving i noticed a horrible garbage smell, i have warranty til november, so can anyone confirm if this is a problem or if its normal.

Was told that it could be fungus in the radiator, and if it is then it would need a special coating which will cost £30 as it isnt on the warranty list.
Why should you have to pay out on a brand new car, these sort of things are scandalous having to pay out already on a new car.
 

SHADY-NINJA

Full Member
Feb 14, 2005
993
0
London
www.airconmedic.co.uk
Mate ive had the same problem almost 12 years ago on my 8v mk2 golf gti.
its the clutch without a shadow of doubt.
it happened when i tried to reverse up a steep road at the esso petrol station on the A41 on finchly road NW of london.
complain to the dealers.
 

LEON2DRIVER

Active Member
May 18, 2007
93
0
Mate ive had the same problem almost 12 years ago on my 8v mk2 golf gti.
its the clutch without a shadow of doubt.
it happened when i tried to reverse up a steep road at the esso petrol station on the A41 on finchly road NW of london.
complain to the dealers.

The car is going in next week for the new audio to be looked at, which was installed by the maindealers to replace the original one which had the switching itself on bug, new one is doing it now:doh: so i will tell them then as they are keeping the car for a few days, that i want the clutch looked at, last time they said they couldnt replicate the smell so they cant do anything apart from send a mechanic out with us to see if it happens then, i let it go over my head wrong i know but as it dont seem to do it all the time i thought they would come up with the same thing like if they cant smell it or replicate it then nothing will be done, but seeing as someone else has had exactly the same smell i get and with what you have said then i will tell them i want the clutch looked at, if they refuse then its customer services then if i still have no joy then it will have to be citizens advice and maybe watchdog.
 

red14uk

Guest
The car is going in next week for the new audio to be looked at, which was installed by the maindealers to replace the original one which had the switching itself on bug, new one is doing it now:doh: so i will tell them then as they are keeping the car for a few days, that i want the clutch looked at, last time they said they couldnt replicate the smell so they cant do anything apart from send a mechanic out with us to see if it happens then, i let it go over my head wrong i know but as it dont seem to do it all the time i thought they would come up with the same thing like if they cant smell it or replicate it then nothing will be done, but seeing as someone else has had exactly the same smell i get and with what you have said then i will tell them i want the clutch looked at, if they refuse then its customer services then if i still have no joy then it will have to be citizens advice and maybe watchdog.

ive found out today that my friends mg had same smell problem then his clutch went. i rang seat today who said they would have to see if it was general wear/tear or a warranty. I'll put my house on them saying its wear/tear, but even so, you would think a clutch would last longer than 15k miles. does anyone think that warranty should cover it
 

LEON2DRIVER

Active Member
May 18, 2007
93
0
ive found out today that my friends mg had same smell problem then his clutch went. i rang seat today who said they would have to see if it was general wear/tear or a warranty. I'll put my house on them saying its wear/tear, but even so, you would think a clutch would last longer than 15k miles. does anyone think that warranty should cover it

All depends i beleive on how good the SEAT maindealer you got the car from is, you might get it done under warranty but it does seem to be an area that they try to use the wear and tear bit on you.
One thing i know for sure on my car is the clutch should last longer than 350 miles !!
Good luck with yours though, have to let us know the outcome of what they say and do.
 

LEON2DRIVER

Active Member
May 18, 2007
93
0
Have you tried putting the aircon into recirc to see if the car produces the smell when not in reverse?

In my case i havent had the aircon switched on, only ECON which as far as i know is just the blower with the compresser of the aircon off when i have had the horrible smell when in reverse.
If it isnt the clutch, but something to do with what i was told that it could be fungus build up in the radiator, which will be a charge of £30 to rectify then i am not paying out for work to be done my new car, I wonder if there is a lesson from all this about buying a brand new car in that you may ending up paying more than you bargained for with new faults and warranty exlusions.
As i have said before i really love this car but all the faults i am getting i could well do without, it seems to be going back to the maindealers every other week to have faults looked at, not everyone will suffer with all the faults i know and it makes me sound like im moaning non stop, but i really didnt expect to be finding one fault after another:(
 

red14uk

Guest
im no longer getting the smell , mgiht have been 1 off whilst reversing, but im ultra paranoid now, every little smell has me sweating.
 

LEON2DRIVER

Active Member
May 18, 2007
93
0
im no longer getting the smell , mgiht have been 1 off whilst reversing, but im ultra paranoid now, every little smell has me sweating.

There seems to be quite a few different answers as to what it could be from what i have been reading, anything from clutch on the way out / or the catalytic conv / or the aircon :shrug:, some say dont worry about it, some say best get it checked out:doh:, best way is get it checked out i think, this is what i am to do again when the car goes back in to have the audio unit looked at again in a couple of weeks time.
 
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