1998 Integra LS Burns Clutch Instead Of Tires… Ouch

Tires and clutches have a few key factors in common that can really cause some major headaches if you aren’t careful.

Most notably, they both can slip when trying to do a burnout, and unless you’re paying close attention, it can be hard to tell which is spinning. If it’s the tires, then you’re in good shape. If it’ the clutch, you’re gonna have a bad time. When they’re slipping and/or spinning, both make a nice light grey smoke. As the smoke wafts around the car, it can be hard to tell from the driver’s perspective where the smoke is coming from.

And finally, they both have a distinct odor. This is usually when the driver realizes he’s made a grave mistake, because tiresmoke and clutch smoke smell nothing alike, and one whiff of burning is usually enough to ruin your day, as a fried clutch usually means it’s going to need to be replaced. The guy behind the wheel of this Integra is going to learn the hard way which is which, unfortunately. Hopefully he didn’t do too much damage to the clutch disk and was able to keep driving once everything cooled down.