# Have I ruined my clutch?

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/have-i-ruined-my-clutch/2853>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [August 9, 2007, 2:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/have-i-ruined-my-clutch/2853 "2007-08-09T14:15:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CaptJas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@CaptJas](https://community.cartalk.com/u/CaptJas)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2007, 2:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/have-i-ruined-my-clutch/2853/1 "2007-08-09T14:15:50Z")

</div>

Hello,  
  
  
  
 I was towing about 2000 pounds up a steep, rutted, unpaved road with my Toyota Tacoma 4 X 4 this afternoon. I had it in high four-wheel drive and first gear. It stopped moving forward and when it came to a stop there was a lot of foul-smelling smoke coming from underneath the cab. I put it in low four-wheel drive and drove home without a problem. Everything seemed to work just fine for the next 15 miles at which time I was home and parked it.  
  
  
  
 Was that smoke from my clutch? If so, do you think I ruined it, damaged it, or wore it badly? If it wasn’t my clutch, what do you think it might have been?  
  
  
  
 Thanks,  
  
 Jas

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2007, 2:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/have-i-ruined-my-clutch/2853/2 "2007-08-09T14:21:37Z")

</div>

My guess is the clutch was slipping, and burning. You have shortened its life a bit, but if you’re lucky that’s all.

You probably should have been in low range.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CaptJas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@CaptJas](https://community.cartalk.com/u/CaptJas)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2007, 4:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/have-i-ruined-my-clutch/2853/3 "2007-08-09T16:00:43Z")

</div>

Thanks, I guess that’s what it was. Yeah, it did fine after I put it in low 4X4. Now I’m wondering what sort of symptoms of early clutch trouble I may experience after smoking my clutch this way.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2007, 4:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/have-i-ruined-my-clutch/2853/4 "2007-08-09T16:08:04Z")

</div>

If the clutch is not slipping under normal use, I don’t think you should worry about it. If it starts slipping, then you will need a new clutch.