[lars_cockswell]

Does an else get the 'burnt asparagus' smell after holding your STi on an incline with the clutch? (Like for a hill start).

When I first got the STi I used to smell this burn-off quite a bit but now I only smell it if I'm not too nice with the clutch.

BTW I don't abuse the clutch - never have. No 'drop the clutch' starts - never.

Lars

[MKIVSupra]

Hmmm, I have not noticed any burnt clutch smells... well, once or twice practicing launching. ops: I did notice the new engine smell at first but nothing clutch till after I broke it in and I had a couple bad launches. I very rarely hold my STi on a hill with the clutch other than a split second before moving. I am not sure how long you hold yours on a hill with the clutch but I know you are not suppose to hold the car from rolling back with the clutch.

[lars_cockswell]

Originally Posted by MKIVSupra

... I did notice the new engine smell at first but nothing clutch till after I broke it in ...

At first I had lots of that new engine smell too, especially the first few weeks when I was babying the car - I find this new smell to be very similar but only when the clutch is involved. Could this just be the same as new engine burn-off on the clutch or am I harming my clutch? I've also noticed the smell sometimes if I make a bad mistake while moving through the gears.

As for hill-holding - it was a one-time experience, pretty flat where I live. I had the car in Syracuse, NY at the time and just happened to get stuck at a light on a very steep hill with traffic creeping up my tailpipe - I didn't feel comfortable using the brake and risk rolling back into someone behind me.

Lars

[CloNeGTS]

Wow...you should NEVER hold your car on an incline with a sustained clutch slipping. It isn't so much just the wear of the clutch, but the temperatures that can be reached during a prolonged slippage.

I have seen firsthand what a glazed clutch looks like. Before I knew how to properly (or comfortably) rev match during downshifts, I did a fast autox course in my old Z24 that had a 3 to 1 downshift that I performed by just shifting from 3 down to one and slipping the clutch out until the car slowed to a proper speed that I could engage the clutch fully (with brakes too of course). The result....a clutch that slipped for a long time till the glazed layer was worn through as well as a toasted set of synchros.

Needless to say, when the dealer pulled the clutch, that sucker was BLUE from the heat. Not a good thing. If you do hill holding manuvers as you described, you will have the same thing.

Bottom line...there are two states a clutch is safe in...engaged and disengaged. Anything in between....keep to a minimum.

[MerkurXR4Ti]

i agree with clone, you are smelling the clutch because you are slipping it the whole time. if you are nervous about rolling back on a hill do the e-brake trick... that will at least minimize the slip until your feet are fast enough to do it the right way

[4MLA1FN]

Originally Posted by lars_****swell

Does an else get the 'burnt asparagus' smell...

heck yeah! i hate it. we get the same smell on our '00 outback also. however, we live on a hill and our driveway is one of the steepist in the neighborhood, so we need to slip more than most.

as a further "however", we have two nissans and we've *never* gotten this smell (except for the one time i totally botched an autox start). i seriously doubt we're driving the subarus differently from the nissans.

therefore, i have to think subaru must have the clutch vented, or their clutch material is significantly different/smellier. (my '82 subaru hatchback had a flap-like think on the transaxle you could open up to see the flywheel. this *might* have been used for setting the timing, but i don't remember. no reason for this kinda think on the current cars though.)

[ValvetrainEngineer]

I got the smell once, foolishly trying to spin the tires from a stop sign after someone ran it the other way, almost nailed me!! I mean how do you not see the electric blue and the huge spoiler?? I think it goes without saying, use the brakes on the hill...

[4MLA1FN]

Originally Posted by MerkurXR4Ti

...you are smelling the clutch because you are slipping it the whole time....

well, i can't speak for lars, but, egads!, i'm certainly not holding the car on the hill by slipping the clutch. in my case, i'm talking about moving from a stop midway up a steep driveway into your garage; something you want to do slowly and carefully. in this case, you're gonna slip more than you would just moving from a stop on a steep road.