I have 2003 Hyundai Tiburon 5 Speed. Today my wife was driving it and out of no where the car would not pick up speed like normal. we cam shift all the gears normal and the rpms go up but the speed takes time to get up there. When we parked the car i opened the hood and notice a smell and some smoke coming from under the engine block going to see a mechanic his week but just wanted any opinions or ideas of what it could be. thanks
The smell–a kind of acrid, burning odor, right?–is the clutch material burning up. You need a new clutch.
Don’t drive it anywhere but to the shop. If the clutch is slipping that bad now, it’s not far from not moving the car at all, and you don’t want to be stuck out on the road somewhere.
+1 to asemaster’s comment.
Since the clutch is in this bad a condition already, driving it for more than a very short distance is likely to wind up stranding the driver. Have it towed to a well-reputed independent mechanic, NOT to a chain operation like Midas, Meineke, Monro, Sears, AAMCO, Lee Myles or the like.
You can drive it to the shop, the damage is already done, the whole clutch assembly will need to be changed and the flywheel resurfaced, so there is nothing to be saved by towing it, unless it just won’t go at all.