Ok I have posted this in other sections and no one has responded so...Basically I have two issues. The first one I have noticed it only happens every once in awhile and it is usually when I am on a hill or stopped for awhile. When I let go of the brake on a hill it sounds like something is stuck and is breaking away, its a loud crack/pop noise, it does the same noise whether the car is in gear or neutral with no clutch pushed in. When its on a flat surface it happens when I start moving forward/letting go of the clutch and going into gear. When this happens I get a very strong burning smell that I notice either moving or stopped but its more potent when stopped. The second issue that I am not even sure is an issue is when shifting and letting go of the clutch after its engaged the clutch pedal "sticks" at the very top then pops up the rest of the way which is less than an inch I would assume and makes a pop noise. Im not sure if this was normal. I have had the burning/noise thing looked at but no one has been able to reproduce it so Im not sure if it has anything to do with the brakes or the transmission. Im no car expert so any help is much appreciated, thank you!

 

idk maybe ur doing it wrong? how long u been driving manual?

 

4 years. It cant be me...I dont think. Its hard to explain I guess without being in person.

 

Not sure about the breakaway noise. Do you know what burning clutch smells like? is that the smell you are experiencing? If not, its likely brakes so have them checked, calipers and lines.

The sluggish clutch return is a problem I had last summer. Its best explained here:
http://www.rangeracceleration.com/Clutch_Care.html

If you live where it is warm, or if you drive pretty aggressively, the clutch fluid can heat up. If its bad (check the reservoir for dark color or particulates), it has likely absorbed water or there could even be air or steam in the hydraulic system. Have a trustworthy shop take a peek at the clutch master and slave cylinders to check for leaking or something, and if they can't see anything badly broken, have them do a clutch fluid flush before you try anything else. It should be cheap and easy (go buy some DOT 4 brake fluid from auto zone and tell them to get to it.)

It is entirely possible, if the smell you are experiencing IS clutch burning, that this or another issue with your clutch hydraulic system is causing the problem. I hope it is not a bad throwout bearing or something.

My story is, my pedal would do exactly that, stick at the very top, then it would stick lower and lower to the floor as I drove more (heating up the clutch fluid), but the car would be entirely in gear when the pedal stopped moving. After convincing the dealer that I didn't need a new clutch , they flushed my clutch fluid with new fluid and the problem disappeared entirely.

Best of luck!

 

I have had the sticking at the top clutch problem too and it is like 15 degrees here so it is not because of heat (for me at least). I just had the clutch fluid changed with fresh fluid and it is a lot better now.

 

Cool, thanks for the responses. I dont know really what burnt clutch smells like so its hard to judge but I did have the clutch fluid flushed yesterday and so far its a bit better but it has been in the negatives as far as temperature so hopefully it gets better and goes away. The breaking away thing is weird and I wish I could reproduce it more easily but its so random...

 

i have a similar problem with my clutch, after an hour or so of city driving my engagement point changes and the pedal doesn't come all the way up... Infiniti cant figure it out which is bs.. my brakes make that sound too rolling back and letting off the brake... could it just be the brake pad sliding in the caliper?

 

I kind of smells like hot breaks, but on crack.

 

to me burnt clutch smell has a burnt plastic smell with a hint of butter lol

 

The clicking noise is your rear hubs, common problem. Have a shop loosen then tighten them with impact while the car is in the air. If it's too excessive, might need to change bearings.

The clutch pedal problem is caused by either your master or slave going bad. Replace both and use Nissan fluid or Motul.

 

If it's really cold, your clutch fluid can be very sluggish. Does it get better as the car warms up?

Are you getting snow/ice buildup behind your wheels? Could the sticking be caused by your wheels catching on this when you stop and breaking away when you accelerate?

If you did change the clutch fluid and the problem remains and does not change with temp, get your master and slave checked.

 

rear axles clicking....take them apart at the flanges, clean them, and grease them.
and you changed your clutch fluid but it still happens? maybe clutch master cylinder as ive changed some before for sticking. best bet to change the master and slave while you're at it tho.

 

It could be ice or something sticking it. Its not a click, it only happens when Im stopped and its one noise then gone and then Im smell the burning. Its really hard to describe. I havent driven in a few days so I cant tell if the clutch pedal still does that but if I need the slave cylinder replaced would Nissan cover that under warranty? I have 35k on it now and its an 07. Thanks guys for the help.

 

A bad, or very unpleasant burning smell is probably the clutch. Brakes and rubber make bad smells too but probably not as pungent as the clutch. Do an experiment next time you drive. If the smell is still there (I really think it could have been the clutch due to the bad fluid) take the car to a parking lot, put it in second or third gear, hold rpms at 4000, and then let the clutch out halfway for 3-5 seconds. The car should accelerate very slowly. Then put te car back in neutral. If you smell that same smell within the next 30 seconds, you know it's the clutch. And don't worry about the clutch, it will heal just fine. At most you took an hour of life off of it burning it a little.

 

This is definitely due to a hyrdaulic system problem, and likely due to bad fluid. Have Infiniti or somewhere else flush your clutch fluid and it should stop.