I just got a 1998 a4 2.8 mt and was driving it home and got pulled over for having paper plates in massachusetts. Its my first manual and im not exactly sure what happened but when i was getting back up to highway speed the rpms went into the red and the car started smoking. i may have shifted from 4 to 3, not sure, but the smoke looked like it was coming from the bottom or rear of the car, not sure but i pulled over immediately and it stopped smoking so i made the 30 minute drive home. everything seemed fine but when i opened the hood it smelled strongly like something was burning although there was no smoke anymore. im just wondering if i could have messed up anything by over revving and where the smoke could have come from. thanks

 

you may have shifted from 4th to 3rd like you said. it's just a burning clutch. just make sure to take it easy. i had similar problems when i first got my car. i was riding on the clutch so much it was smoking

 

you have now smelt the smelly smell of burning clutch. that smell is bad. next time you smell that smelly smell you know that you are doing something not right. happened to me. luckily, it was in somebody elses car. just try to take it easy on the clutch by not riding on it and rev matching while downshifting. you will get the hang of it eventually

 

^ what they said. Btw, whats illegal about having temporary plates?

 

Yeah, no kidding - they're state-issued. How can they be illegal?

 

thanks, makes me feel a little better, ill have to practice some more.

with the plates, mass requires you to register and get insurance and everything before you drive the car away just like everywhere else but they give you your real plate from then as well. i got it from new hampshire so my uncle just threw on a dealer plate until i sell my old car

also, ive been looking at headlights, has anyone ever ordered from carparts-online.de. they have some face-lift headlights that claim to be glass and they are about 100euro so like $130.