Scary smell on steep hills! Help!

[Sprinterx29]

Hi everyone! It's been quite a while since I've been on, I moved about 1000 miles and started a new job!

TB has been a champion throughout all the driving and being stuffed to the gills with my entire life. The first couple months I had her, we lived in Illinois so it was flat and very unchallenging. Power or hills were never an issue. During the move process, we vacationed in upstate NY and she tackled some super steep hills without an obvious issue. I should admit that I was not the one driving for some of these trips (my boyfriend has been driving stick since he was 15 and is much better than me!). I have only been driving manual for about a year, and most of the year was in a Mazda 3, so I am still getting used to the low power and minimal assistance of the Mirage.

I got the oil changed for the first time at Mitsubishi at about 4500 miles (I know that's a little over the 4000 they recommend, but I had to move to NJ first!).

In my head, the smell started after the servicing, but I also started my new commute to work around the same time, so it could be a coincidence. My commute now takes me up and over a mountain, literally, so I have some pretty steep and some good rolling grades both ways. Almost none of it is flat. The speed limit on these hills varies from 35-50 MPH. At first, I was taking the steeper uphills in 3rd gear and just dealing with going under 40 MPH and people beeping. It seemed like the right thing to do? Then I started to notice the smell on some of the steeper hills. It is sort of a burning smell (no smoke that I can see), but not too strong and doesn't stick around, and to me it smells the same every time. I notice it after I crest the hill. I almost always have the windows open and no AC on, so I've been able to keep track of it. No lights come on, obviously, and I don't notice loss of power besides just from going uphill. This has been happening for about 2 months now.

It was suggested (by random friends, not experts!) that I try getting some more speed and tackling hills in 4th, which I tried with mixed results; if I am able to power up and over at 45MPH (no Jersey drivers in front of me!) it seems fine. I can actually be pretty quick, and I don't think I have had the smell. If someone is in my way and I have to dip down to 40MPH or just below in 4th gear, I typically will have the smell. I obviously go down to 3rd if I get too slow, but I have been trying to stay around 40MPH in 4th, since I was told higher RPMs are better than lower ones? It is also possible that the smell happens when going down-hill idling in 4th (coasting while in gear) when I go over 40MPH, but that is new and I haven't confirmed it yet (could be residual from the uphill).

Everyone who drives stick thinks they are an expert, but they all have sportier cars with 100 more horse power than me. I wonder if having a low powered car makes a difference with hill tactics?

Does anyone have a theory about where the smell could be coming from, what I'm doing wrong, and what I should do?!

I appreciate your time

[Eggman]

There's lots of things that could be going on here.

Some Forum members have complained that their clutch was out of adjustment. If your clutch needs adjustment it could lead to slipping, and could explain the burning smell.

An easy way to check is to watch your engine speed in relation to vehicle speed. If, during heavy acceleration, your engine speed increases with no corresponding increase in vehicle speed, your clutch is probably slipping and needs to be checked.

Good luck and let us know what you find.

[inuvik]

Hi everyone! It's been quite a while since I've been on, I moved about 1000 miles and started a new job!

TB has been a champion throughout all the driving and being stuffed to the gills with my entire life. The first couple months I had her, we lived in Illinois so it was flat and very unchallenging. Power or hills were never an issue. During the move process, we vacationed in upstate NY and she tackled some super steep hills without an obvious issue. I should admit that I was not the one driving for some of these trips (my boyfriend has been driving stick since he was 15 and is much better than me!). I have only been driving manual for about a year, and most of the year was in a Mazda 3, so I am still getting used to the low power and minimal assistance of the Mirage.

I got the oil changed for the first time at Mitsubishi at about 4500 miles (I know that's a little over the 4000 they recommend, but I had to move to NJ first!).

In my head, the smell started after the servicing, but I also started my new commute to work around the same time, so it could be a coincidence. My commute now takes me up and over a mountain, literally, so I have some pretty steep and some good rolling grades both ways. Almost none of it is flat. The speed limit on these hills varies from 35-50 MPH. At first, I was taking the steeper uphills in 3rd gear and just dealing with going under 40 MPH and people beeping. It seemed like the right thing to do? Then I started to notice the smell on some of the steeper hills. It is sort of a burning smell (no smoke that I can see), but not too strong and doesn't stick around, and to me it smells the same every time. I notice it after I crest the hill. I almost always have the windows open and no AC on, so I've been able to keep track of it. No lights come on, obviously, and I don't notice loss of power besides just from going uphill. This has been happening for about 2 months now.

It was suggested (by random friends, not experts!) that I try getting some more speed and tackling hills in 4th, which I tried with mixed results; if I am able to power up and over at 45MPH (no Jersey drivers in front of me!) it seems fine. I can actually be pretty quick, and I don't think I have had the smell. If someone is in my way and I have to dip down to 40MPH or just below in 4th gear, I typically will have the smell. I obviously go down to 3rd if I get too slow, but I have been trying to stay around 40MPH in 4th, since I was told higher RPMs are better than lower ones? It is also possible that the smell happens when going down-hill idling in 4th (coasting while in gear) when I go over 40MPH, but that is new and I haven't confirmed it yet (could be residual from the uphill).

Everyone who drives stick thinks they are an expert, but they all have sportier cars with 100 more horse power than me. I wonder if having a low powered car makes a difference with hill tactics?

Does anyone have a theory about where the smell could be coming from, what I'm doing wrong, and what I should do?!

I appreciate your time

This definitely sounds like a clutch slippage issue. How much free play (when you release the clutch pedal from the floor) when does the clutch engage? It should begin engaging about a couple of inches off the floor and be fully engaged with a small amount of slack when you take your foot off the clutch pedal. Never let your left foot "ride" the clutch pedal. Proper RPM's are very important with a small motor like the Mirage's. You definitely don't want to "lug" the engine when climbing hills. 3-4K RPM's are perfectly fine. The torque peak on the 3A92 is at 4000 rpm and horsepower peak is at 6000 rpm anyway so you need to spool up some rpm's to get any power. It's ok to rev this motor to 4000 or 5000 rpm on a regular basis. It's built for it and designed for it.

[Sprinterx29]

Excellent help, thank you!!! I will definitely keep and eye on what you suggest and let you know. I don't rest on the clutch, I know that, but I need to think about the clutch engagement on my way home today. Sounds like sticking to third is a better! I am glad to hear I won't hurt anything.

It sounds like you would suggest making an appointment to have my clutch looked at? I'm guessing we wouldn't be able to address this ourselves at home...

[cinder]

This could be the plastic intake manifold . This has occurred with Yaris and Fits that we have . It happens when climbing steep mountains , especially new cars . I've pulled over to pop the hood and followed the odor to the manifold . It also may be oil that was spilled during oil change or oil filter leaking or oil cap left off or both . May want to check oil level along with oil filter and cap . Let us know what you discover . Best of luck .

[adrew]

Clutch smell is very distinct — unless you are slipping the clutch A LOTwhen starting off or when downshifting, I doubt it is that.

Most cars, especially those with smaller engines, emit sort of a "burning hair" smell from the exhaust in hard driving situations, like when you're gunning it up a merge ramp into fast traffic, flooring it up a mountain or passing a car on a two-lane road. I definitely get some whiffs of it in both of our cars (automatic Mirage, 5-speed Yaris) in these situations.

As others have said, don't worry about flooring it, revving it to 4000+ RPM and using 2nd if necessary to maintain speed.

[Eggman]

It sounds like you would suggest making an appointment to have my clutch looked at? I'm guessing we wouldn't be able to address this ourselves at home...

Nah, you could do it yourself. If you don't have tools, find someone that does and ask their advice. 5 minute adjustment if you include opening a beverage, and the satisfaction of doing it yourself goes on and on.

This could be the plastic intake manifold . This has occurred with Yaris and Fits that we have . It happens when climbing steep mountains , especially new cars . I've pulled over to pop the hood and followed the odor to the manifold . It also may be oil that was spilled during oil change or oil filter leaking or oil cap left off or both . May want to check oil level along with oil filter and cap . Let us know what you discover . Best of luck .

Solid advice all around here.

Let us know if you have any questions about where to find stuff, and I'll try to find some clutch adjustment posts here for you.

[Eggman]

HOW TO: Adjust clutch engagement point - Mitsubishi Mirage / Space Star

Clutch adjustment!!! (Solved shifting problems)

[Sprinterx29]

FANATASTIC! I'm sure I can get a friend or two to take a look, and I would love to learn. I read that you have to "adjust" your clutch every 6 months or 6,000 miles, so definitely good knowledge. I'm hoping it's just "hey you're not really driving right!" smell and not my clutch, since it's only been 4 months! Will keep ya'll posted!

[gone.a]

Just wanted to point out that the recommended oil change interval is 7,500 miles not 4,000. Whoever told you 4 is just trying to get money from you. And clutches in general if properly adjusted do not need adjustment every 6k miles. They might need to be adjusted once or twice in the lifetime of the clutch wich can be well over 100000 miles.

As others have said it's totally fine to drive at 3k rpm and up. No need to keep it as low as possible as that can be bad. So don't "lug" the engine. Our little engines are happy to rev.


Lastly- only touch the clutch and shifter when actually shifting - foot off the clutch - hand off the shifter unless actually shifting.