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Jul 26, 2021 · 8. Burning Plastic Smell. The acrid smell of burning plastic is hard to miss, so if you smell something similar while driving, pull over immediately to perform a few visual checks. The first thing to check is the undercarriage. Sometimes litter from the road (like plastic bags) can get caught under your car and melt due to the heat of the exhaust.
- Overview
- The Brakes or Clutch Need Attention
- The Heater Core Is Leaking
- Water Is Getting Where It Doesn’t Belong
- You Have an Oil Leak
- The Catalytic Converter Is Busted
- Gas Is Getting Where It Doesn't Belong
- Your Groceries Rolled Under the Seat Last Week
- Someone Has Been Lighting Up in Your Car
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When your car smells a little off, it's trying to tell you something. Like the distinctive sound of a rattling timing chain or clicking of a bad CV joint, bad car smells often indicate that there's something wrong somewhere in your car. Paying close attention to the way your car smells can help you track down the culprit and fix it.
Associated smell: Acrid.
When does it smell: Usually when the vehicle is moving and sometimes when the brakes or clutch are applied.
Why it smells: Harsh, acrid smells typically mean that either brake or clutch material has been burnt. Riding your brakes or leaving the parking brake on are both ways to make your car smell like this. A stuck caliper or frozen parking brake cable can also do the job for you.
A burnt clutch smells similar to brake pads that get too hot, which can be caused by riding the clutch. It can also mean that the clutch is slipping, either because it's worn or needs to be adjusted. In systems with hydraulic clutches, a slipping clutch can also indicate a problem with the hydraulic system.
Associated smell: Sweet, like candy or maple syrup.
When does it smell: The heater is turned on, the engine has warmed up, or sometimes after you shut off the engine.
Why it smells: Antifreeze smells sweet. It smells so sweet that it includes a bittering agent by law to prevent animals and children from drinking what smells like a delicious treat.
If you smell something cloyingly sweet in your car and you're sure that you didn't accidentally dump maple syrup down your heating vents, you're likely smelling antifreeze. It's probably the heater core. If you smell it strongly inside the car and notice a filmy fog form on the windshield when the heater is on, that's another hint.
Associated smell: Musty.
When does it smell: All the time or after a rain.
Why it smells: A moldy or mildewy smell indicates that water is getting in your car and then pooling there. Leaky door or window seals can allow water in, so if you find wet seats or carpeting, that's probably the issue.
An A/C evaporator is also a common cause of this particular odor.
Associated smell: Burning oil.
When does it smell: The engine is hot, whether or not you're driving.
Associated smell: Sulfur.
When does it smell: When the engine is running.
Why it smells: Catalytic converters are emissions control components that alter exhaust gasses to reduce harmful emissions. When they don't work right, they sometimes alter exhaust gasses to smell like someone spent most of last week throwing rotten eggs at your car. The fix is to replace the catalytic converter and repair whatever caused it to fail, assuming it didn't wear out.
Some lubricants used in manual transmissions and transfer cases smell like sulfur as they age, which you may notice if they start leaking. If that's the problem you're dealing with, change the lubricant and fix the leak.
Associated smell: Aromatic hydrocarbons (raw gas).
When does it smell: All the time when the engine is running or on especially hot days.
Why it smells: If you smell a strong gas odor coming from your car, the chances are good that something has gone very wrong. Some gas smell is OK, especially if your car is carbureted, but fuel-injected vehicles typically shouldn't smell strongly of gas.
Leaky fuel lines, stuck injectors, bad fuel pressure regulators, and a host of other issues can lead to fuel leaks or dump enough gas into the engine to cause a smell. In any case, it's a good idea to track down the source of the leak sooner rather than later.
Associated smell: Death.
When does it smell: After you get home from the grocery store and notice they shorted you a couple of bananas.
Why it smells: Most of the reasons a car smells have to do with a mechanical breakdown or failure, but there are also outside sources.
Before you take your car to your favorite mechanic to ask why it smells like death, check under the seats. There's a chance that some produce, a dirty diaper, or some other malodorous item rolled under there.
Associated smell: Smoke.
When does it smell: All the time.
Why it smells: This one is a little more obvious than the others, and you probably already know why it smells. Smoke from cigars and cigarettes represents one of the most persistent bad car smells. Even special measures, like smoking with the windows rolled down, don't help much.
Once your car has been affected by this source of bad smells, fixing it is a monumental task. Smelly remnants settle into the carpet and upholstery, coat the windows and dashboard, and no amount of air fresheners will help.
Sep 6, 2024 · In rare cases, a burning rubber smell may also be a result of part of your car rubbing against a tyre while it’s in motion – such as a wheel arch liner having drooped down onto the tyre.
Jan 19, 2023 · Regardless of whether you have mechanical breakdown insurance or not, White, the CCC and other car experts advise heading to the garage if a sniff test registers any of these first six warning signals (the seventh you can probably remedy yourself). Here are 7 strange smells that might mean your car is sick and needs attention.
- I can smell petrol or diesel. Let’s start with an obvious one. It’s not unusual to have a little fuel residue on your fingers or the bottom of your shoes after you have just filled up.
- I can smell hot or burning oil. Oil is a critical fluid for your car’s engine, keeping everything properly lubricated and working efficiently. But if you can smell hot oil, it probably means some is escaping through a leak and settling on a hot part of the engine or exhaust system.
- I can smell burnt rubber. It’s a pungent whiff and quite unmissable. Assuming that you haven’t been doing burnouts or otherwise spinning up your tyres, the smell of burning rubber could signify that an engine belt is slipping somewhere and getting hot.
- I can smell exhaust fumes. There are few things worse than a noseful of exhaust fumes – and they’re highly toxic, too. Modern cars shouldn’t emit any really noticeable smell from the exhaust system into the cabin, so if you smell exhaust gas in your car for any length of time you might well have a broken exhaust pipe or other leak in the exhaust system.
Sep 20, 2024 · What to do: The moment you smell burning rubber, exit the freeway and find the nearest gas station to check your tire pressure. Inflating the tires to the right pressure can be a DIY process. Check your car owner’s manual for the exact tire pressure number for your vehicle. Use a gauge to test the pressure.
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Aug 1, 2022 · So the next time your in-cabin smells like rotten eggs, have your cat and fuel injection system checked. 17. Rodents in the Engine Compartment. Smell: Burnt barbecue. We’re not talking about the Cajun-style Louisiana dry rub on smoking apple wood. This scent is more of an old (and unappetizing) burnt barbecue.
