Just bought a '02 Z06 with roughly 25k miles. Question is when you accelerate pretty hard through 3 or 4 gears I get sort of an odd smell in the car immediately after (no not that smell...) I'm not sure if I'm smelling exhaust, engine, or clutch. Car runs perfect. I'm not sure if this is normal. Thanks for any insight. -Joe

 

Not likely clutch. It may be coming from the catalytic converters. I had an odor for a short time then my fuse went for my O2 sensors. However I did not check the fuse until after I changed the O2 sensors for new ones. I just reacted to the codes I was getting. You can run through the DIC and check your codes to see if anything pops up!

 

Clutch would be my guess.

 

toasted clutch has a definite smell that once you smell it you always know what it is. take someone a ride that knows what that smells like. burnt brakes have a similar smell but you're not on the brakes so that narrows it down.
hope its something cheaper to fix than your clutch.

 

how would I know if it is the clutch. It seems to shift fine, but then again this is my first manual beside a jeep wrangler.

 

Also, take a look at the driver side axle seal. Mine was leaking when I first got the car. Everytime I drove it, it spattered just enough gear lube on the exhaust to cause a faint smell. It was especially noticeable when I drove it harder. Somehow, its miraculously stopped leaking & doesnt do it anymore.......who knows, but I aint askin any questions.

 

I recall the same smell when I was pulling up on ramps while working the clutch and gas. I read in a search thread that one guy said some smell of the clutch is normal with the material of the clutch burning off. I'm sure I sound very ignorant with this tranny. My 01 Z28 was an auto, so I'm trying to learn. Thanks

 

z28rktec: "My 01 Z28 was an auto, so I'm trying to learn."

If you've never driven a stick, it does take some getting used to and practice. Getting started on steep slopes with out rolling backwards, racing the engine, or lugging it is one thing I still have trouble with.

With a standard, its all about timing. Be careful you aren't 'riding the clutch' too long (easing it off too slowly) as this will really shorten the life expectancy of your clutch and can even burn it out pretty quickly if taken to extreme.

You should be getting on and coming off of the clutch pretty smartly when you shift gears at speed, but if you hear a 'clank', that's the drivetrain taking up its slack, not a good thing, you got off the clutch too fast if you hear that.
On the other hand, if... as you let off the clutch the RPMs increase pretty rapidly (engine racing) and the car kind of surges forward, then you are riding the clutch, you need to let it off more quickly.

Also, sometimes on various cars the clutch will engage at very different points on the travel of the clutch pedal and this adds another factor. Some catch quite close to the floor, others not until the pedal is almost all the way out, and then real quickly (wear?). I know that whenever I drive my buddy's standard trans, I have to 'get used' to the feel of his clutch, then if its a few days before I'm driving my own car I have to get 'back' used to mine again.

Keep working on it, it will get to be second nature before long and you won't even be thinking about it anymore.

 

don't be too quick to think you have an axle seal leak. i thought i did because i had some gear lube on the floor under the car and on the underside of the trunk. took it to a good local vette man and he checked it out and told me that it was coming from the breather on top of the gear case. normal on c5's. the breather is right above the ring gear and on high speed runs in a straight line it will puke a bit of lube from the breather. i had recently done 140mph on a straight stretch of road and sure enough that caused the leak. so don't always think it's a bad seal.