Odd Smell

[Mags1238]

First time post for new member. I have a odd smell coming from my vents, after the car is warm and ONLY when I am stopped. The smell is like burning rubber. It goes away when I start moving again.

A few days ago I stopped in a parking lot and was on the phone. I sat there for a few minuets. I could still smell the burning rubber. Then I saw a very small amount of smoke coming from under the hood, in front of the passenger seat, near the windshield. I opened the hood. The smoke was coming from an area between the engine and the fire wall. There was a silver heat shield, I think that is what it was. The smoke looked like it was coming from under that.



Any ideas what this could be? How to fix it? Thank You all Very Much.

[Mags1238]

No one??

[Jack Deth]

i had a plastic bag melted on to my exhaust once. it smelled like a hundred candles when the car stopped and the breeze wasn,t there to blow it away.
i had to wait till it burned off. my guess is you have a similar problem, or maybe a fluid leak onto the exhaust.

[BMR]

You sure it's not a burning oil smell? A fairly common problem with these cars is leaking valve covers. The leaking oil runs down onto the exhaust and burns much like you described; can't smell it if you're moving, but comes thru the vents when you stop. Usually it's the rear bank of cylinders that are the culprit because they're tilted back so far. It's difficult to get a good look at it because it's so buried back behind everythin.

[rand5190]

Wow, sorry I cannot help you on this one. BUT, I have the exact same problem and I was looking for a solution here. I have the same burning rubber smell. I see the small amount of smoke about 5 minutes after the car warms up in the morning. It comes from between the engine and firewall from the lower half of the engine compartment. I am in sales and I make frequent quick drives around town. But I do not smell the burning again until the car sits and cools for a few hours, then upon a restart the burning rubber smell returns. Also it is not constant, if I start the car in the morning, 5 minutes later I get some smoke for 2 minutes, but then it goes away. I was worried the heater core or water pump is in that general area. Any help or suggestions is appreciated. Thanks. Chris.

[ImDisaster]

BMR has posted the most likely cause...oil leaking onto the exhaust, which then burns from the high heat. It can also happen from sloppy oil changes...but in that case, the smell will eventually go away (as all the oil is burnt off.)

[blkavalon]

+1

Originally Posted by BMR

You sure it's not a burning oil smell? A fairly common problem with these cars is leaking valve covers. The leaking oil runs down onto the exhaust and burns much like you described; can't smell it if you're moving, but comes thru the vents when you stop. Usually it's the rear bank of cylinders that are the culprit because they're tilted back so far. It's difficult to get a good look at it because it's so buried back behind everythin.

[rand5190]

Thanks guys for those suggestions, I am going to take a second look in the area where smoke is coming from for oil and fluids.