Just got home from dropping off one of my kids, and I am freaking out

I was going up a steep incline on a bridge over the train tracks, when I stalled out (I think I tapped the brakes without holding down the clutch) Sooo. . . now I am stalled and nervous that when I restart, I am going to roll back into the car that is right behind me, so I give her the gas, and the engine revs loudly, but I don't go anywhere!! I do it a couple more times, and now, there is a horrible burning rubber smell. I eventually got over the bridge (did I mention it is a really steep one?). Now I am wondering what I have done to my beautiful Bea! I think I might not have let up on the clutch all the way when I was hitting the gas, for fear of rolling back.

Have I done permanent damage?

 

First rule, calm down.

If you did this just once then you are most likely OK. Yes you took some life off your clutch, but how much is anyones guess.

Are you new to stick shifts?

I trick that I use is to hold the car with the emergency brake & let it off as the clutch engages. That will keep you from rolling back into the car behind you.

Now remember the first rule.

 

Thanks for your calming words.
Yes, this is my first car with a stick, but I have been doing fine(have had my Mini since April and can't imagine driving WITHOUT a stick now). It just seemed like the car refused to go forward when I hit the gas. I guess I will have to be more careful next time!

 

The trick with the Ebrake is great advice I've been driving a stick for 34 years and still use it at times.

 

As you are finding out the more you motor around in your MINI the easier it will be to handle the clutch. When you get a chance go out to a hill without any traffic behind you & practice the E brake trick. It really is helpful & next time you need to use it you'll know how & it will be a lot calmer experience.

Happy motoring.

 

Just out of curiosity, when you gave her the gas and didn't go anywhere, and smelled burning rubber - did you notice any white smoke? I ask because you may have only "lit up the tires" - like a burnout. You said you were on a steep incline - a bridge. Was it metal grating (which can really exacerbate lighting the tires)? Or was it wet (which will also lite 'em up real quick)? Either way, you may well have just melted a little tire is all.....

 

I did the same thing with my clutch while trying to get out of a VERY crowded parking lot after a concert. I wanted to take a shortcut by climbing a steep hill in reverse. By the time I was out of there, the smell was just amazing... I dont know how much I took off my clutch's life, but I put 20K more miles since then and it is still smooth as silk

 

Same thing happened to me many years ago after I'd first arrived in San Francisco. I was at the top of the hill on Divisadero (those of you who live there know the spot, I'm sure) and just could NOT get my Corolla to go forward. Turns out I was trying to make it go in 3rd gear. The smell was horrific and I felt like an absolute fool afterward, but I got several more years out of that ol' clutch before it started complaining (heading up *** Hill one afternoon--almost didn't make it!).

 

I did the same thing in a older parking garage, with steep ramps. Thanks for the tip about the parking brake.

 

Thanks to all for sharing your experiences. I feel better knowing that I probably haven't killed my clutch!!

I will practice the parking brake method soon, so this doesn't happen again.

 

Suzy, the e-brake technique is really a necessary skill for driving a stick. Once you practice it a few times, you'll feel much more confident when you stop on hills.

 

I am a little late to the post and others have mentioned it but it sure sounds like you put the car in third instead of first in your panic. What you smelled was the clutch lining burning off. And while this will reduce the life of the clutch a one time riding of the clutch wont cause a significant loss of clutch life. Learning how to hold a car on a hill with the clutch and gas pedal is an important skill while driving a manual but not a practice that is best for the long life of the clutch. It is better to place the car in neutral with your foot on the brake and let your foot off the clutch while waiting at a light or in traffic, then shifting into gear and starting off once it is ok to move forward again. Or, as others have mentioned, apply the emergency brake while holding the button in that releases the brake and let the emergency brake down as you let up on the clutch. And the best advice given was the advice to not panic. I have only had my MCS for a couple months and I have noticed that 1st and 3rd are close and it is easy to mistake 1st and 3rd.

 

I have been driving manual transmissions since 1979 and I still use the emergency brake when on a hill to prevent from rolling back. It is a great technique that will save your clutch.

 

I have DSC with my Mini...in that case, would the ebrake tip still apply?

 

\

Your new MINI has a feature that prevents it from rolling backwards like a normal car with manual transmission does. Still a technique worth knowing how to do but I haven't actually had to do it in years.

 

I personally have never heard of the ebrake technique. What I do is have my feet on the brake and clutch, I slowly let out the clutch until I feel it start to engage. once it engages I bring my foot from the brake to the gas and drive off like normal (you may need to apply a little more gas than usual) though its always worked for me... just another thing you may want to change.

 

"I have DSC with my Mini...in that case, would the ebrake tip still apply?"

DSC keeps your wheels from spinning at different speeds (from eachother). I think i heard of an anti-rollback feature, but it is not called DSC. DSC cars with stick *especially* need the handbrake trick, as if you slip one wheel while coming off the clutch, with DSC, you hurt the clutch *more*.
DSC + clutch = can be baaaaaaaaaad. I have it, and i usually turn it off when i'm in bad snow and i'm coming off the clutch!

 

Hill Brake control on the 2nd generation MINI's is a feature I wish I had. But I don't think I'll trade my Conv for anything!

 

I wouldn't trade my R53 for a R56 any day of the week.