First off, my car is an IS250 2007 manual trans, about 3 months old. I'll try to be as descriptive as possible.

I was at a red light on a hill, when the light turned green I shift into first gear and everything seemed normal. I then shift to 2nd gear at 5k rpm. Then when I shift to 3rd gear, my RPM shot up and redlined and my car did not pick up speed (I was at approx. 30mph). I then panicked so I shift to 4rth gear, same thing happened! So I pulled over and found that my hood was shooting out smoke everywhere.

I took it to the dealer, and he said my clutch was very hot and will let me know in a few days what happend. He then questioned my ability to drive manual. Is this possible that I burned my clutch? I never leave my foot on the clutch for more than 10 seconds. When I'm at a stop I leave it at neurtral, when I change gears, I balance and switch right away.... I know, it could be a million things, I mainly wanted to vent since I'm so upset that this would happen to a new car... IS250 manual peeps, I know your out there, has this ever happened to you?

 

if you're ridin on the clutch then it will burn

 

from your story it seems like you went into first , but there should be a lock so that you dont' have this issue... i haven't driven an is250 manual.. but if you're switchin up in gears your rpm should go down .. if it shoots up then you're going into the wrong gear......it could explain the smokin

 

No car I've ever owned would let you shift from 5,000 RPM in second into first. Without double clutching, the syncros would never allow it.

Sounds to me like he shifted into third, but his clutch was slipping badly.

 

Hmmmm. Have any of your friends taken it for a spin without you?

 

I never downshifted, I went from 1st to 2nd then to 3rd and thats when the rpm went crazy on me. The tech just called me and said theres nothing wrong, the clutch was a little hot (didnt know what he meant by that). Maybe my foot was resting on the clutch and it caused the gears to not shift? I dont recall, but that couldve happend.. Ugh my poor baby!

 

It depends on how quickly you dump the clutch once you engage into gear. If you are slowly easing the clutch then you migh have been burning it a bit while go thru 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc... Espeically on an uphill start you will tend to ramp up the RPM before engaing in 1st, which is fine unless you're holding onto the clutch at friction point a little too long which burns the clutch.

I've never had problems with my '07 IS250 6MT. Perhaps it's just your driving habits?

 

Yup, sounds like you missed a shift, dude.

I assume you ended up able to drive all the way to the dealer, or did you have it towed?

 

I drove it to the dealer. I learned how to drive manual by myself and I guess bad habits die hard.

 

Umm... so you tried it out in every car you owned?

Pretty risky if you ask me~

 

I driven stick for about 4 years or so now and I never had a problem shifting to 2nd after 5000rpm. I always...well most of the time, I shift at about 4000rpm. I think you were riding your clutch. I did the same thing when I had an STI. Just try to ease of the clutch and you should be ok.

 

Here's why you don't downshift into first at more than 5 mph. This is first gear from the Getrag 233 (Toyota V-160.) Imagine a synchro trying to stop this thing with nothing more than the surface area of the cone above the dogs...(that's 1854 grams - 4.078 lbs)

Oh yeah, for the OP - sounds like your clutch didn't fully release. Are you sure you had your foot on the dead pedal and not the clutch pedal when this happened?

 

seems to me that you're riding your clutch.... did you keep your foot on the clutch partly as you were trying to drive up the hill in 1st and then just never fully got your foot off the clutch as you were going through 2nd and to 3rd?

i've test driven two 250 MTs within the past month and i've been driving stick daily for the past 10 years. the only time i burned my clutch was trying to follow a friend through SF Chinatown. was there a burning smell that you noticed before seeing all the smoke?

if you need help getting up a hill from a stop trying using the E-brake. find your clutch point and when you feel the car slowly start pulling then release the E-break. it's better then backing into a car that's right up on your bumper or burning your clutch.