Clutch
 

I don't consider myself a novice manual driver. I was coming off the line today and got through 1st, and was shifting at about 5k to second when the clutch started slipping and actually smoked a little, and the engine revved up to about 6k. forward motion was minimal. My 2010 370Z Coupe M6 only has about 4k miles on it, just broken in. This was the first time I seriously got on it, and don't really know what made the clutch slip and the engine to race. I don't have syncro-rev. I have seen threads on other forums describing the same problem. Am I being a beginner, or is the factory clutch not handling the torque from the engine, or what? Suggestions?

Was the car purchased with any miles on it?

It had 160 miles on it when I bought it. I put the rest on it.

Well, a working clutch certainly has no problem with the handling the engine's power. Sounds like your clutch is shot.

Just curious.......How could you tell it was the clutch that the smoke was coming from?

Fine. I'll figure out what the real problem is an post it. The clutch was a little glazed, but not shot by any means. Like I said, I'm not new to driving fast cars.

I can tell the clutch was burning or smoking because it smells like an electrical fire, same as brakes. Comes from experience. The clutch was glazed I know, because it was rough to shift afterward. Lurched when you shifted expecially in first. This will go away after 50-100 miles by dropping the clutch a little more firmly than normal. Anyway, the clutch is fine today, not slipping. But I haven't tried to drag race today. More info than you asked for, but ther you go.

Where you power shifting when it happened?

The clutch isn't the strongest, in part because of the CSC and in part because of the clutch itself. If shifting with high RPM's you need to shift hard and fast to make sure the clutch is engaged when the power comes back on.

does the burn smell coming from your rear tire when you get out off the car?

i'm starting to smell rubber burn from the rear side of my car...

so i'm bit concern about it...

A burned clutch has a "sweet" smell to it. Not really like burned rubber.

OP, I don't know why it would rev up like that. Are you sure it wasn't the VDC (Traction Control) kicking in? Sometimes it can "feel" like the clutch is slipping when it cuts the power off.

I was power shifting, or speed shifting. What you say makes sense. Since then, if I don't rev up so high before dropping the clutch, it seems to power up ok. Just wanted a bit better of a drag racer, I guess. Will look into a stronger clutch for jumping off the line. Thanks for the advice.

Just take the car to the dealer before you put more miles on it, A Clutch has warranty for the first 12K miles. sounds like the clutch pedal height / adjustment is off and it glazed the clutch material. un proper break in, while nissan will still change it for Free 99 I'd say just let them deal with it

-Juan

Any type of ceramic has a very distinctive smell... if you burn a clutch up, you'll know it.

Try driving around with your ebrake pulled up... you won't ever forget that smell.

Seems like the clutch didn't get the proper break in procedure, that or it was beat up for 160 miles before you got it which could have reduced its life.

Either way, I'd be interested to see what Nissan has to say about it.

"It's a wear item, not covered under any type of warranty."

Even wear items have some kind of warranty. The brake rotors for example are covered up 11k mikes.

yeah, clutch is covered for 12K miles.