supraken

I just picked up a '09 with 28k miles or so. One owner but I don't think the clutch and tranny fluids were ever replaced.

Car was bought only with a remote inspection service, so since I got it, I notice whenever I start the car and even without moving it (so not brakes for sure), I get this burning metallic smell.

I went underneath the car and the smell seems to be coming from the clutch area. It comes and goes.

I went ahead and did a clutch fluid flush and noticed the fluid was dark and pretty contaminated.

Is this a sign of a failing master or slave cylinder ? Other than the smell, the car drives perfectly, clutch engage as it should, tranny shifts as it should.

windhund116

Maybe engine or transmission oil leak, onto the exhaust?

supraken

Doesn't smell like engine oil for sure, more like a hot burning metal smell.

I did check for leaks but the undercarriage was completely dry, and actually looks like it has never seen the road before. lol

windhund116

This smell happens on cold starts, no clutch pedal engaged?

Car Analogy

My bet is someone smoked the clutch recently, and residual smoked dust is what you are smelling. If I'm right, it'll go away soon.

I'm thinking car sat a long time, and maybe disk stuck to flywheel and pp surfaces, leaving material behind. So clutch wouod have been super grabby when it was pulled out of storage.

Or someone moved the car that doesn't really know how to drive a manual, and smoked it. Or just someone beat on it while they had the chance.

Was it delivered on a car carrier? Maybe the guy that loaded it smoked the clutch trying to load it slow and safe.

Car Analogy

...do a fluid swap via gravity bleed until it turns clear. Then do a clutch rod adjustment.

My bet is clutch will be perfectly fine. It is highly unlikely you have a bad mc or slave.

supraken

Yes, without the car moving at all. The smell seem to come and go, and I can smell it through the vent also inside the car. Even after the car sat for a few days, I can still smell a very very faint smell if I sniff around the undercarriage.

supraken

I did do a fluid flush yesterday, although it didn't get through too much fluid. The last time I did it in my other S it came out much quicker, but they might be because I had the slave cylinder unbolted. Fluid is now clear at least.

Will try to do clutch rod adjustment too, but I did check for play before clutch engagement and it seems fine too.

The car was transported so definitely there's a chance that he was a bit rough on the clutch loading it onto the car. I honestly thought that's what it was, but after 2 weeks the smell hasn't gone away. Then again, I haven't actually driven the car until yesterday (east coast weather). Hopefully like you said everything is ok and it just needs some time for the smell to go away.

0000000127

Any word on what the issue was? I am having a similar issue on a low-mileage 2003 that also had very dirty clutch fluid when it was delivered to me.

CenturionS2K

check for fluid leaks inside car at the end of clutch peal assembly.