Electrical and Clutch issues
 

I just got my 05 xb and had the dealer install the TRD Clutch...well today, I was leaving the house and noticed that the clutch would not disengage...the pedal felt as if it wasnt connected to anything....and the tranny never engaged...so i stopped put it into first and tried to pull back into the drive (i was on a hill) and nothing...until i pressed the clutch firmly all the way to the floor, then it came back out and POPd...allong with the smell of burnt clutch an a little bit of smoke from the engine compartment. this worried me, so I took it out to test drive....and the clutch pedal kept sticking to the floor and it felt like it never fully disengaged. So I came back home and stoped...let the car cool down for a few...went in side, came back out and started it up and it wouldnt start....all i would get was an audible "CLICK" and dimming lights (radio worked though)....then i notice smoke poring from the underside of the hood. I open the hood and this is what i saw...

http://www.g33kspeed.net/pix/box/wire1.jpg

http://www.g33kspeed.net/pix/box/wire2.jpg

http://www.g33kspeed.net/pix/box/wire3.jpg

What your looking at is a ground wire heading off the batt down somewhere under the airbox. It was smoldering and as you can see very stripped....

So i let the box sit for a while -- i was thinking of what to do, and what it could be -- and after about a half hour i was able to get it to start but only after i had to let the clutch almost ALL the way out before it would turn over....anybody got any ideas? Is it the clutch, the plate? and what can be done about that grounding wire?

How about you make the first place you go the dealer and demand that the its fixed....

oh ____... I hope that never happens to me (tapped the high beam/headlight ground for a mod)... Those _____es better fix that ____...

so did you get it fixed??

The grounding wire was fixed by the dealer. They said they took apart the clutch and nothing was wrong...and since I really havn't had any issues --- except...i can hear an audible 'pop' when shiftifng from reverse to 1st....dunno if thats new or I am just paying attention to it.