Went for a quick drive out today and seem to be having troubles with first and second gear. When setting off in first it crawls, very little if any power despite high revs, likewise second, to the point that it will cut out/stall or I really have to baby it by pumping the accelerator until I reach a reasonable speed. As soon as I change into third it's fine. This doesn't happen every time, maybe 70% of the time, so I thought maybe I was selecting third accidently, that's how it feels, pulling away in third rather than first. Also getting quite a strong clutch burning smell so...any ideas? Looked at my cable which seems ok? Also to note it's a brand new clutch.
My guess . Your clutch is covered in oil. Either engine oil from the crank seal. Or gearbox oil from the gearbox input shaft seal. Now had both and basically trashed the engine with a clutch slipping going uphill in 4th at about 65mph on the M27. Revs went too high resulting in sudden rattling noises.
