yngver said:
Hi, I have only had my new 2006 Forester (5 spd) for a few days.
Granted I am still getting used to the shifting as it's different than
my old Honda, but is it normal to have a strong burning smell when I
put it in reverse? This has happened twice and was a bit alarming. Is
this just part of the break-in process (currently have only 40 miles on
it) or is it something I need to discuss with the dealer?
-Yngver
Are you slipping the clutch excessively? Overheated clutch lining has a
fairly characteristic "burned" odor. Even if this is the case, I can't
imagine why it would occur only in reverse, if anything due to the
shorter durations/lower speeds and low gear involved in reverse, I'd
expect it to be less not more than any clutch overheating while going
forward. Hard to imagine there's a situation in the trans where it is
actually overheating during the brief period the car is typically in
reverse, at least not without other symptoms like noise, vibration, then
failure. I guess the other possibility is something in the reverse
light circuit is overheating electrically. If that's the case I'd
expect a blown fuse, which would presumably end the overheating. Put
the car in reverse while sitting still & see if you get the smell & if
the backup lights come on. As an aside, my wife's 2006 Impreza wagon
w/automatic produces a fairly strong burning smell outside the car after
it is driven awhile then parked. I had it in to the dealer for an
unrelated warranty issue (leaking tail light lens) & they said the smell
was due to an excess of cosmoline (a rust inhibiting coating) on a
portion of the exhaust. Conceivably true, I plan to check it myself if
it doesn't diminish soon.
Dan