07 clutch burning? driver or design?

[kennywhy]

Hello residents and occupants of Yaris World.
Anyone elso have this happening with their 5-speed?
I typically park in a multi-level structure where I work. If it's crowded, the drive up to floor 5 or 6 and it can be bumper-to-bumper slow.
First let me say that I can, and have for many years, driven a car with a manual trans. vehicle. I know how to smoothly shift the gears, and take pride in super smooth driving.
When I get stuck slowly going up hill to the upper floors, I find it difficult to mesh the clutch to restart uphill in first gear. Excessive revving seems to be necessary to smoothly get going forward. I now seem to be getting what I'm almost sure is a burning smell from my clutch. (Only when going up hill) I've read about the "friction point" in other postings, and it seems the "grab" might be a bit high on the clutch pedal, though I'm not sure. Maybe that's all it is.
Any comments?
P.S. I love the car otherwise.
Took a recent long highway trip and got almost 42 miles to a gallon.

[Spades]

this clutch is especially hard to learn on even if you have driven other manual cars. Some play and finesse are needed to get the car rolling forward on a hill, however, you will find that when you learn the "mesh point"(that sweet spot where the clutch engages smoothly without over revving) you will no longer be winding it up to get a smooth start. It can be done, but it took me 3 months of driving my car to find that spot.

P.S. the burnt clutch smell is because it is burning the clutch, lol

[jamal1984]

i still can't harly find that sweet spot on my car yet, I'm really suck

[bayoublue]

I've been having this problem since the day I bought my car on Oct. 4, 2006. It also shudders when taking off and the pedal feels weak with hardly any pressure. Reverse is the worst, especially if there's the slightest grade, even when using the parking brake. There is no sweet spot.

I took it to Longo Toyota on Mar. 12 and the correction was, "bleed air out of hydrolyiz system clutch." It felt better for about two days then it started all over again.

I took it back on Mar. 22 and this time was told the clutch will be replaced. I'm still waiting for the part to arrive as of Mar. 30.

I really love my car but am starting to have regrets for replacing my 2003 Echo coupe which didn't have any problems and got better mileage. The best I can get on the highway is 38 mpg, which really isn't that bad.

[kennywhy]

“I've been having this problem since the day I bought my car on Oct. 4, 2006. It also shudders when taking off and the pedal feels weak with hardly any pressure. Reverse is the worst, especially if there's the slightest grade, even when using the parking brake. There is no sweet spot.

I took it to Longo Toyota on Mar. 12 and the correction was, "bleed air out of hydrolyiz system clutch." It felt better for about two days then it started all over again.

I took it back on Mar. 22 and this time was told the clutch will be replaced. I'm still waiting for the part to arrive as of Mar. 30.”


...So what happened? Did they take care of it?
Are they saying anything about a clutch design problem on these cars? Imagine a Toyota with a poorly designed clutch. There is no "sweet spot" on my clutch, and I know how to drive a stick dammit. Going uphill slowly is a bitch. Something's got to be wrong with the design. I'll take mine back to the dealer when I get a chance. I'm just curious about what happened with yours Bayoublue. Let us know!
Thanks,
Ken in Detroit (home of the “Big 3”, or 2, uh, well make that 1)

[Black Yaris]

Ken I am just south of ya in Toledo..... I got the same shit.... there is no "sweet spot" because it is hydrolic not a cable clutch, every one of us struggled with this at first as well, you get used to it...

[kennywhy]

Are you the guy who expressed interest in my original tires and wheel covers a few months back?
They’re still sitting in my basement collecting dust. Literally "0" (almost) miles on them. Good as new because they are new. If you're still interested, let me know.
I'll sell them cheap.
Ken (kennywhy@att.net)

[hystria]

I need absolutely no excessive revving to start on a uphill road. It took time to feel this clutch, and the friction point is still too long - it's very easy to have it slipping & overheating if you don't completely release the pedal. One suggestion, try to get used with it - engage every time the 1st gear without revving the engine - just enough to quickly "catch" the clutch. Even starting in reverse on steep uphill was finally ok - and this is way more difficult to achieve as one has to keep the clutch only partially engaged. reverse gear on this car really sucks, but then nothing is perfect.

btw, this car doesn't like to go slowly uphill, only an automatic transmission will do

[bayoublue]

Hey kennywhy!

I just picked up my car and there's a BIG difference. It doesn't buck after I shift from 1st to 2nd and the friction point is where it should be. It would shudder the moment I let up on the clutch plus the pedal pressure felt like mush. Stalling and that burning smell were common when taking off on a slight grade or hill. I've driven a stick for 36 years (yikes!) and have never had a car do this, even when the clutch was going out on my 91 Toyota truck at 200,000 miles.

Longo Toyota experienced the same problem when driving it but couldn't come up with a reason. They said they hadn't heard of any recalls or problems before.

I've had my Yaris six months now and it is much more fun to drive, plus it seems faster. I'm wondering if my mileage will improve on the highway now. So far the best has been 38 mpg, which isn't bad but I'd like to go over 40.

I'd like to hear about your experience when you take your car in.

[fu_im_from_texas]

Originally Posted by hystria

btw, this car doesn't like to go slowly uphill, only an automatic transmission will do

In the first post, it is clear that kenny is in bumper to bumper traffic, and must go less than 1-2mph...

Like hystria mentions, the lack of low end torque, and tall gearing make it impossable to crawl up a steep incline at less than 5 mph.

My driveway is very narrow and a 30% grade with a sharp 90 degree turn at the top. The only way I have negotiated it without burning the clutch is the kamikaze approach...which wouldnt work in your case kenny...btw, I put myself through college by valet driving at the four seasons hotel, where we had a multi-level parking structure that often had bumper to bumper traffic described above...I drove everything from BMW M3s to Dodge Vipers to Ferrari F40s and never returned the customers car with the smell of a burnt clutch...my tips depended on it...unless they were a dick...then I'd slip the clutch with the e-brake on the whole way up...;)

My plan is to burn up the stock clutch, and switch over to something aftermarket and more durable...

[Nimble]

Don't blame yourself, I've driven 100+ different manaul tranny cars with never a problem, including many many supercars with stiff, low, grabby clutches. And with that said, the Yaris is by FAR the worst clutch, throttle response combo. That's the problem, the lame ass DBW has no throttle response, and it CHANGES. It's never the same, the car has no tach so I cannot see where I'm starting from rpm wise, it has a quiet motor, so with the music on, I can't hear it enough to start smooth, the motor likes to bog on its own (frustrating), and the clutch is floppy, and light, and all too easy to burn on a hill.

If I could snap my fingers and have something differnet about the car, I'd take traditional throttle cable, a stiffer clutch, and a tach. I'm working on the tach thing, and someday I'm throwing this 1nz motor in a river and putting in 00 Celica GTS motor, fuk it.

[R0ME0]

Try fixing your seating position. I had the same issue because I was sitting too far back. With a little adjustment it smoothed out a lot.

[Nimble]

Too bad I'm 6'3" and my knees already rub the steering wheel. It's not the seating position, I wish it was that easy. It's a poorly desinged idle rpm/DBW system.

[graywolf_14]

Yeah I have a problem in reverse and quick shifting. Course I use to drive a echo for work and I had the same problems. But my last car was a talon and I loved the shifts in that it was short and pracise. I never had to look at rmps I just could tell were I was. Unlike this I can barely hear the motor even with the radio off.

[fmicle]

I can't relate to any of these clutch issues. I took my car to San Francisco (Lombard Street) with a total of 4 people in it and had no problems whatsoever. I could smell something by the time I got to the top of the street, after having to slow down to a stop sign at every corner, but that's normal on a new car (read the manual).

My only "issue" with the clutch is that with the music on I can't hear the engine and can't tell if I'm over-revving or not

[whoguy]

Hi,

I've had the burning clutch smell when taking off in sticky situations which required more revs than usual....i.e. rearward slope with very little clearance.

I have had the burning smell as you had smelt. I know IT IS the clutch burning.... this is normal as I have had this happen in numerous other manuals as well....

Advice.... take off gently and limit amount of clutch slippage.

Thanks

[Nautical Yaris S]

when i first got my yaris it took a few days to get used to it.
now having it for 3 months it is easy as ever to drive.
i've had manual tranny cars my whole life.

but it definatly isnt a car for someone learning to drive stick, like i've been trying to teach my wife to drive it.

[LittleRed]

Originally Posted by kennywhy

Hello residents and occupants of Yaris World.
Anyone elso have this happening with their 5-speed?
I typically park in a multi-level structure where I work. If it's crowded, the drive up to floor 5 or 6 and it can be bumper-to-bumper slow.
First let me say that I can, and have for many years, driven a car with a manual trans. vehicle. I know how to smoothly shift the gears, and take pride in super smooth driving.
When I get stuck slowly going up hill to the upper floors, I find it difficult to mesh the clutch to restart uphill in first gear. Excessive revving seems to be necessary to smoothly get going forward. I now seem to be getting what I'm almost sure is a burning smell from my clutch. (Only when going up hill) I've read about the "friction point" in other postings, and it seems the "grab" might be a bit high on the clutch pedal, though I'm not sure. Maybe that's all it is.
Any comments?
P.S. I love the car otherwise.
Took a recent long highway trip and got almost 42 miles to a gallon.

If you are smelling your clutch burning..i suggest you change the tranny fluid or you risk transmission damage