# Do you smell clutch? **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Automotive\ **Created:** [October 9, 2012, 4:57pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/do-you-smell-clutch/226473 "2012-10-09T16:57:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![1QIKZ](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/1qikz/32/6112_2.png) [@1QIKZ](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/1QIKZ)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 4:57pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/do-you-smell-clutch/226473/1 "2012-10-09T16:57:47Z")
Came across this on one of my other sites. I’m glad I know my mechanic personally. This was the text that went along with the post. Link to the article: > **[Autoblog: New Cars, Used Cars for Sale, Car Reviews and News](https://www.autoblog.com/?ncid=yalnk01)** > > Autoblog brings you automotive news; expert reviews of cars, trucks, crossovers and SUVs; and pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, find local dealers, calculate loan payments, find your car's book value and get a service estimate at... When you own a sports car, you inevitably get a little paranoid about how it’s treated when in the care of strangers. One South Carolina man was worried enough that when he took his 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS in for service at a Chevy dealer, he hid a voice recorder in the car. He was right to be worried: The recorder caught mechanics doing burnouts and discussing how to make the owner pay for a ruined clutch the car didn’t have before coming in. Now the Internet Justice League has taken the wheel.William Clark says he took his Camaro to Best Chevrolet-Kia in Easley, S.C. for a clunking noise in the car’s six-speed manual transmission. After a previous visit to a different dealer, his Camaro had died shortly after Clark retrieved it; while he suspected the staff at that dealership of joyriding, he had no proof at the time. This time, the voice recorder hidden in the door pocket catches employees doing several burnouts and hard launches in the Camaro; Smith later says the techs drove it harder in 20 minutes than he had in three years. Once back in the shop, the mechanics realize the Camaro’s clutch has been fried, and come up with a plan to blame the damage on Smith, saying to “write it up as him buying a (expletive) clutch,” while saying another part failed under warranty so that General Motors would pay for its replacement. Smith says he’s taken his evidence to the dealer and Chevrolet customer service; the dealer offered to reassess the damage or take the Camaro as a trade-in on another car, but refused Smith’s demand to buy the car back. Smith says Chevrolet customer service washed it hands of the problem, saying it was an issue between him and the dealer. As of the last update, the car’s smoked clutch remains untouched. Unfortunately for Smith, there’s few other steps he can take that don’t end in court. Dealers are regulated by states; Clark can file a complaint with South Carolina officials, but even with an audio recording the assessment of damage isn’t so clear-cut as if the mechanics had wrecked it on a test drive. Instead, other Camaro owners have taken up the cause, posting Smith’s video to the dealership’s Facebook page and otherwise making noise about the problem. You can hear the entire exchange, including the profanity, here. A lawyer for Best Chevrolet, in a request to Yahoo Autos to take down this story, told us in an email that the audio was “misleadingly edited.” Clark has said the dealership has threatened to sue him over the audio, but has also spoken with him about buying the Camaro back. The dealership may soon learn that in the Internet era, one burnt clutch can create quite the stink. ---
**Author:** ![JustinH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JustinH](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JustinH)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/do-you-smell-clutch/226473/2 "2012-10-09T17:12:36Z")
Not surprised at all. I know guys who work at several of the major dealers around here and this his how many of the guys in the shop treat cars. ---
**Author:** ![ubengineering](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/ubengineering/32/5171_2.png) [@ubengineering](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ubengineering)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 7:17pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/do-you-smell-clutch/226473/3 "2012-10-09T19:17:49Z")
This is when you just want to grab someone by the throat and just bash them with a 9 iron. God just reading this makes veins burst out of the side of my neck. ---
**Author:** ![Carnut](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/carnut/32/7590_2.png) [@Carnut](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Carnut)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 6:25am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/do-you-smell-clutch/226473/4 "2012-10-10T06:25:17Z")
Not surprised. ---
**Author:** ![drewster99](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/drewster99/32/5468_2.png) [@drewster99](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/drewster99)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 6:51am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/do-you-smell-clutch/226473/5 "2012-10-10T06:51:04Z")
I’ve had tons of horrible experience with mechanics, dealerships, car washes, etc. Nothing to this magnitude, but I still won’t leave my car with anyone ever again. ---
**Author:** ![TsiTalon](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/tsitalon/32/5012_2.png) [@TsiTalon](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/TsiTalon)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 7:46am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/do-you-smell-clutch/226473/6 "2012-10-10T07:46:33Z")
I took my Honda Civic Si in for a tire rotation and oil change ( I have the maintenance plan). They were taking forever, so I was walking around the lot and saw them test drive the new tire rotation or something. The kid who test drove my car red lined every gear. So I walk back in and ask for a manager. I tell them that I don’t appreciate them red lining every gear. He says let me go talk to the guys in the back. He returns and says, it’s an Si that’s how they were designed to be driven… I was like never again sir will I buy here again. -West Herr Honda I know it’s just a civic, its the point of the matter… ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/uploads/speedlife/original/2X/b/b7170c8eddc0b95ece6b88172b2f416a08489a45.png) [@system](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 7:50am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/do-you-smell-clutch/226473/7 "2012-10-10T07:50:59Z")
Ugh, terrible. I went in for some warranty work on the Legacy I recently purchased at Northtown Subaru. I had purchased the car a week prior and the damn thing was spotless both inside and out. I pick the car up after work and it appeared one of the techs had purchased and eaten his lunch inside of the car, and left the greasy bag in the passenger foot well. FUCK. ---
**Author:** ![yamba6](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/yamba6/32/5161_2.png) [@yamba6](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/yamba6)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 8:26am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/do-you-smell-clutch/226473/8 "2012-10-10T08:26:55Z")
I can tell you I have first hand watched a BMW tech or lot boy from the bmw on Main/transit, go in to pick up his pizza in a customer car. How do I know, usually they have tags on the keys and in the car indicating a number for the mechanics to find/match keys to cars better. I was going to question it, but it wasnt my business and I didnt want to start a fight. I also worked at Northtown, I will never again take a car to get worked on there or at any stealership. They beat the shit out of cars new (not purchased yet) and already owned/customer cars. If I ever buy a car, I’ll order one and tell them to do all the programing and give me the keys. I’ll fill that gas myself, I’ll detail it myself…etc. Dont care if they like it or not, if not, they dont get my business. ---
**Author:** ![Jim1234664](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jim1234664/32/7438_2.png) [@Jim1234664](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Jim1234664)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 8:55am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/do-you-smell-clutch/226473/9 "2012-10-10T08:55:50Z")
yeah ive seen some effed up stuff working as a lot guy at northtown toyota/VW for a year… highlights: when the current body style tundras first came out several of the younger salesmen did rolling burnouts in the back of the lot with the 5.7l ones (\<20 miles on them lol) Theres a drainage ditch in the back of the lot, one of the used car guys took a jeep commander that was recently traded down the thing at 20+ mph and cought air coming back up the other side so many cool cars (like the newer r32s when they first came out) ran hard many times before someone bought it. and almost all the salesmen get in a car cold and floor it immediately. a ton of the shitty lotmen scratch cars while moving them and they just get sent to the NT bodyshop to get fixed. I would be suprised if the customer is ever told about it… In a nutshell, if i ever buy a new car im going to drive it away right off the truck. ( I dont really blame techs for beating on cars though… at least at that dealer they are just a bunch of car guys that can only afford to drive shitboxes, probably the only chance they have to drive anything cool anyways. I would do the same in their position ) ---
**Author:** ![jay\_g](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jay_g/32/111288_2.png) [@jay\_g](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/jay_g)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 9:51am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/do-you-smell-clutch/226473/10 "2012-10-10T09:51:18Z")
Took my gtp into joe basil chevy for a leaking oil pan gasket since I had just bought it 3 weeks prior from them. As im walking out I turn around to the screaming noise of the super charger and my car flying across the back parking lot. But hey I got a free oil change and a car wash. Best part all they did was RTV the shit out the pan even though the work order listed a new gasket. ---
**Author:** ![Onyx\_Z32](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/onyx_z32/32/7581_2.png) [@Onyx\_Z32](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Onyx_Z32)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 7:13am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/do-you-smell-clutch/226473/11 "2012-10-11T07:13:21Z")
inbeforeBeckgetsdefensive 🙂 Not all dealerships or shops do this, but the ones that do give everyone a bad name unfortunately. ---
**Author:** ![LZ1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LZ1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LZ1)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 7:22am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/do-you-smell-clutch/226473/12 "2012-10-11T07:22:12Z")
:lol: Regardless of the dealership being right or wrong A car enthusiast forum bitching because some drives their car the same way they do. O M G SOMEONE WENT WOT IN MY PERFORMANCE CAR!!! ---
**Author:** ![Onyx\_Z32](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/onyx_z32/32/7581_2.png) [@Onyx\_Z32](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Onyx_Z32)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 7:25am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/do-you-smell-clutch/226473/13 "2012-10-11T07:25:38Z")
> [@LZ](#): > > A car enthusiast forum bitching because some drives their car the same way they do. . > [@Article that LZ didn't read](#): > > Smith later says the techs drove it harder in 20 minutes than he had in three years. ---
**Author:** ![LZ1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LZ1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LZ1)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 7:27am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/do-you-smell-clutch/226473/14 "2012-10-11T07:27:42Z")
I read the article… Who doesn’t go WOT/redline shift their performance car? Like the person above who said the dealership redlined every gear in his Civic Si…It’s a fucking Honda O M G red line shifts. I realize the original article with the dealership doing burn outs is excessive… ---
**Author:** ![ubengineering](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/ubengineering/32/5171_2.png) [@ubengineering](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ubengineering)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 7:32am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/do-you-smell-clutch/226473/15 "2012-10-11T07:32:22Z")
If it’s your car you are free to do as you please in it. If something goes wrong you have no one to blame but yourself. People don’t drop thousands of dollars on something so someone else can enjoy it, someone they don’t even know. ---
**Author:** ![Z28pr0jekt](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/z28pr0jekt/32/5393_2.png) [@Z28pr0jekt](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Z28pr0jekt)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 7:35am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/do-you-smell-clutch/226473/16 "2012-10-11T07:35:33Z")
> [@LZ](#): > > I read the article… > > Who doesn’t go WOT/redline shift their performance car? > > Like the person above who said the dealership redlined every gear in his Civic Si…It’s a fucking Honda O M G red line shifts. > > I realize the original article with the dealership doing burn outs is excessive… If it’s MY car, only I or someone I give permission to has the right to drive it in such a way. ESPECIALLY if something breaks, you really think the dealership is going to be like “well yea, we drove the piss out of it let us pay for that for you.” How could you ever defend a company you’re paying to fix your car that abuses it? I’d imagine you have a gf no? So if I bang your gf because you do it too means that all is well and good right? ---
**Author:** ![LZ1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LZ1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LZ1)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 7:36am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/do-you-smell-clutch/226473/17 "2012-10-11T07:36:02Z")
If I was worried about every time I went WOT in a car it was going to blow up I would pick a different performance platform. What kind of POS do you own that having a dealership tech take it and go WOT a few times would really take away from the life of the car? Most of us take cars to the track, roll race, etc way worse then whatever some dealership idiot does going WOT a few times. Burns out are not the intended operation of a vehicle but WOT is well with in the cars design **I’m not defending dealership for driving a car hard they shouldn’t but it’s funny how worried people are about the life of their car because O M G he shifted at redline.** ---
**Author:** ![Z28pr0jekt](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/z28pr0jekt/32/5393_2.png) [@Z28pr0jekt](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Z28pr0jekt)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 7:51am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/do-you-smell-clutch/226473/18 "2012-10-11T07:51:43Z")
> [@LZ](#): > > If I was worried about every time I went WOT in a car it was going to blow up I would pick a different performance platform. > > What kind of POS do you own that having a dealership tech take it and go WOT a few times would really take away from the life of the car? > > Most of us take cars to the track, roll race, etc way worse then whatever some dealership idiot does going WOT a few times. > > **I’m not defending dealership for driving a car hard they shouldn’t but it’s funny how worried people are about the life of their car because O M G he shifted at redline.** These people are paid to fix or maintain a car, not drive it and certainly not drive it hard. So what do you say when you get some jackass who winds out third, tries to slam 4th and slams 2nd instead? Seen it happen plenty of times. If someone is going to cause a harmful result to my car from the way it is driven, it better be me. Redline in general doesn’t worry me, but let’s put this on the table; Say I brought my 0 mile turbo camaro to a shop for alignment because you know the car has been disassembled/reassembled and I need the suspension set up correctly. Then say the jackass of a mechanic “redlines” my brand new motor with unseated rings with a starter tune on the car. Would you be okay with that? I sure as hell wouldn’t. If I had the tune set up well enough for some cruising around and break in periods and some idiot decides to go WOT where the tune isn’t quite tweaked at those fuel trims there is going to be a problem. ---
**Author:** ![LZ1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LZ1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LZ1)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 7:54am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/do-you-smell-clutch/226473/19 "2012-10-11T07:54:26Z")
What are you talking about? You just compared your highly modded turbo car to people who take normal cars to the dealership… Go look how rich stock cars run from the factory your point is completely irrelevant. and PS maybe you should get a better tuner :lol: Go take a stock Civic Si or stock Camaro SS doing a few WOT blasts it is exactly what the car was built and designed to handle. ---
**Author:** ![Onyx\_Z32](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/onyx_z32/32/7581_2.png) [@Onyx\_Z32](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Onyx_Z32)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 7:59am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/do-you-smell-clutch/226473/20 "2012-10-11T07:59:34Z")
> [@LZ](#): > > Who doesn’t go WOT/redline shift their performance car? I dunno, maybe he’s some old nostalgic guy who bought it to only drive on weekends to cruises with his buddies and wants to keep it as mint as possible. Maybe that’s why he considers it ruined and wanted a buy-back from the dealership. EDIT: Great update: > [@Article that LZ says he did indeed read](#): > > UPDATE: General Motors says in a statement that if the recording is valid it does not condone the behavior described, and that it is “actively working closely with the dealer to resolve this situation to the customer’s satisfaction.” > > UPDATE 2: According to Clark, the dealership has bought back the Camaro at a price somewhat above its value, and any proceeds from the transaction will be donated to charitable causes. [Next page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/do-you-smell-clutch/226473.md?page=2)