Prius (2010-12) :: Burning Rubber Smell After Climbing A Moderate Hill At 40kph / 25mph
Apr 17, 2011
I had a very strong burning rubber smell coming from under my Prius tonight after climbing a moderate hill at 40kph/25mph for approximately 3 to 4 minutes. The car had been driven for about 50 minutes through regular traffic, outside temp was 7C/44F and I drove up to a scenic outlook. When I pulled into the parking lot, we put the passenger window down and the burning rubber smell was very strong.
I searched all around using a small flashlight and couldn't see anything touching the exhaust, but it's difficult to see anything under a Prius with it's low ground clearance. The burning rubber smell was strongest under the car, but was getting pulled into the HVAC system when we stopped. I have smelled it before, but passed it off as other vehicles. After tonight, i'm sure its coming from my car. I drove the car home for 50 minutes through stop and go city traffic, so the engine was not always running. After parking, I checked under the car again and the smell was very light almost non-existent.
I have 13000km/8000mi on the car, and I have had it for 11months. It has been driven in hills and very hot weather last summer, so I don't think this is paint burning off or the car getting hot for the first time.
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Sometimes you have to put pedal to the metal to pass slowpokes blocking 2 line roads (I'm talking city/suburb driving here). but, i noticed that the smell follows. first couple of times, i thought it was coming from some other car, but this time, I realized it was me.
No, it's not burning tire due to the insane acceleration (not in this car). What else could be? should i worry about the car bursting in flames?
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After driving the corolla 10 mi or more , I always smell burning rubber at the rear tires.
Could it be the rear alignment?
Is it adjustable?
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2010 Toyota Corolla, 5spd. I was trying to get it up a snowy/icy hill this weekend and, although I succeeded, the car made a very scary noise that I couldn't decipher. Here's what happened:
When the traction control engages, it makes a sound like the ABS engaging. That wasn't the noise that worried me. I was feathering the clutch and trying to massage the car up the slippery incline, and it started making a loud rhythmic banging noise. It sounded like what happens when you're parked and you think the car's off, but it's not, and you take your foot off the clutch. The clutch engages and makes a bang, and the engine stalls. (Not that I've ever done that before.) That's what it sounded like going up the hill, but about twice a second and very steady.
As soon as I heard it, I tried releasing the clutch pedal all the way, I tried feathering the clutch more, I modulated the throttle a bit, but honestly I was 3/4 of the way up the hill after 45 minutes of trying and I didn't want to stop! So I bang-bang-banged twenty feet up the hill or so, then when I stopped at the top the car seemed fine. I've since driven it another 300 miles of city and highway and no issues whatsoever.
Now, I've driven stick for twenty years and dozens of cars and am very comfortable in my own skill. This clutch has always seemed a little screwy since we bought the car, but the dealer mechanic told me (when I mentioned it early on) that it's normal. It's hard to describe why I think it's screwy but it doesn't feel like any other clutch I've driven, new or old. Including, every once in a while, when I'm pulling away from a stop sign in normal (dry) conditions, the clutch will chatter a couple times as I engage it. It's far from a consistent or reproducible problem, and I always wrote it off until this recent episode that sounded/felt similar but much much worse.
Could there be oil on the clutch plates? Could this have something to do with the traction control.
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My wife has an 08 with a little over 50k miles. When under load (climbing a hill) with the AC on, the engine "rattles". This sounds like classic detonation to me. It stops when I turn off the AC or she lets off the gas. I have tried running several tanks of super unleaded with no improvement. I have searched here and checked a few things others have mentioned as well, such as a loose hood prop rod with no success.
The car just started doing this around 3-4k miles ago. Last week I changed the spark plugs, even though they are way under the mileage where I should change them. The plugs looked normal, a light tan color, with no unusual deposits or anything out of the ordinary. . Last night I checked and the engine coolant was a little low, so I topped it off. This had no effect as this afternoon on the way home I heard the same clatter when climbing a long hill. All this started back in march when the outside temps were still in the mid 80's... I wonder if it is possible that the pistons already have carbon at this low of mileage ?
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My car has a vibration that translates up through the steering wheel. It occurs intermittently at varying speeds, from 1-3 minutes, and then goes away for awhile. The tires, CV joints, struts, and mounts were all checked and OK-ed by a car mechanic. There is also a burning rubber smell that I will notice after several minutes of driving. In addition, when I engage the car into drive their is an audible deep clicking sound as if something is engaging or breaking free from a stuck position. This also sometimes occurs when moving forward from a stopped position. The car has 160K miles on it but its been well maintained.
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Every time I go up or down a steep hill (usually about 30mph) I can smell something burning when I get out of the car. Going down hill, I figure breaks. Going uphill when I never touch the brakes, not so sure. Also, it's too early to tell but after my 5,000 mile oil change ($56.85 BTW) I seem to getting about 1 mpg better.
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Last week I bought a 2012 with 35,000 miles. It has leather interior that was not factory installed. I noticed a smell when I first picked the car up and asked if the air filter had been changed and it had. It took me a day or two to realize the smell was like a new tire. Sometimes it is stronger than others but, it can actually give me a strange taste in my mouth. I went back to the dealership on a cooler day and they did not think it was anything. Driving home tonight it was terrible.
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I am experiencing a strange rubber burning smell coming through their vents.
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I have a 2001 Toyota Avalon with 139,000 miles and runs excellent. I recently just got an oil change and it smells like something is burning. More of like a burning rubber smell. I know my car does not have an oil leak but what else could it be. I plan to take it out of town very soon. Should I not take it anymore? Also, when my A/C is on and I'm sitting idle it sounds like my car wants to turn off every time the the a/c kicks on but it doesn't. My RPM'S are fine. (600-700).
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Having rubber-like burning smell from the rear-right of 2009 Sonata?
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I was driving my car today and it started driving like the brakes were on. It started to smell like rubber was burning. Before that I stopped at a traffic light and the car pulled to the left. Is the little car dying. 1999 ford escort zx2...
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VW Passat Wagon - When I drive, every once in a while, I get a smell like burning rubber that last for about 2 minutes and goes away....what's the symptom? Is my exhaust system starting to go?
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So I had been smelling an electrical/rubber burning smell on the Ex about a month ago. After a week or so I popped the hood and poked around. This is what I found!
Now I had a no start in May. The shop that I had it towed to checked the wiring harness, replaced the cam sensor, scratched the truck up and ran through 2 tanks of fuel.
I repaired the harness and all is good. What the 3 wires run/go to.
One was solid Gray with a white stripe.
One was solid Black with a yellow stripe.
One was Tan with a green strip.
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Had this problem yesterday and drove my car home about 3 miles running very rough and very sluggish! I could smell something like burnt oil or rubber when I stop but not too bad_no smoke. We are at a ski resort and will have to drive our vehicle about 70 miles to nearest vw repair shop. Is it ok to drive my passat with this rough condition? I am guessing ignition coil or spark plugs.
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Took the car on the hwy earlier today. A/C was on and wss going about 60 mph when all of a sudden I got this horrible burning rubber smell inside the cabin.
I exited the freeway and the smell eventually subsided. I'll try again tomorrow to see if the smells comes back.
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I have a 2007 Sonata V6 with 198,000km (123,000 miles) and when I was driving yesterday I smelt a burning smell like burning rubber or plastic. The smell seemed to go away after a while and I was wondering what could have caused it?
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Vehicle:
01 Santa Fe LX 2.7 AWD w/112k miles
Symptoms:
- Slow Start (when cranking takes 2 full seconds before it will turn over and you can hear the engine cranking slower, use to turn over right away)
- Very Strong Burning Rubber Smell
History:
Last January it got down to -20 here in Albuquerque and I would have to go to work at that time. About a week later (when it was still getting down to about 0) I was driving home from work when I smelled a slight smell of burning rubber. I thought it was the car in front of me. The next day I had the same thing. It continued for about a month till the temps rose a bit and then went away. I could never find the cause. I then went all spring, summer, and fall without any problems on my Santa Fe.
As the temps begun to drop over the past 6 weeks we started to smell the burning rubber again, at first only when I would start the car till it warmed up. About 2 weeks ago the car started cranking slower and would take longer to turn over and within the past week I can smell the burning rubber smell even when I had the engine at temp. There's not any idiot lights on. The car is running fine except for what was mentioned, gets up to temp and stays there (a little below the middle on the gauge like normal). I pop the hood and looked at the belt, looked good (no cracks). Checked all the fluids and the only thing that's low is the coolant.
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Over the past 6 years, searching for this problem--burning rubber smell coming from the heater in y 2003 Baja. Not so bad if the re-circulation is on, not so bad outside the car, can be smelled beneath the hood, but unbearable inside. It isn't plastic, oil, fluid, gaskets, wiring, it's rubber, like burning tires. Was barely noticeable when I bought the car 6 years ago, making me think it was just the tires, but it has gotten worse and worse and worse. Sometimes it takes 50 miles to happen, sometimes two, but when it does, I have to open the windows or shut off the blower.
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While driving my Montero sport last week, I began smelling a burning rubber smell from the air vents. At the same time I noticed, on the dashboard, that both the brake, and, battery indicators had lit up. There was no smoke, mist, or off sounds, coming from the engine, and, the engine seemed to be running no differently than before this occurred. I drove home, parked the car for 5 days, and, yesterday visually inspected what I could see, which was almost nothing unusual. I started the engine and let it run for about 10 minutes in park.
The engine ran normal, no noticeable knocks or pings, no shaking of the engine, the belts ran smooth, no noticeable leaks of any kind. I checked all fluids and they were at normal levels, only the power steering showed a slightly lower than mid level of fluid, not anywhere near low.line. But, as soon as I started the engine, the dashboard indicators lit up and stayed on. There was only a very faint smell of rubber at the end of the 10 minute running of the engine, barely noticeable. The only thing that I did different recently was about 2 weeks ago I added a quart Pennzoil high mileage motor oil 5-30 instead of the usual GTX high mileage motor oil 5-30 that I usually put in the engine, as there was none available at the store. The auto has ran very well for the past year.
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Noticed a smell like rubber burning about 40 minutes into driving my car today. When I turned off the heater it went away. What this may be? Possibly the last legs of my heater melting away?
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