Today, when I returned to my parked car from grocery shopping, I noticed a strong interior electrical burning smell. Like wires burning or similar. When starting the car the yellow warning triangle came on and the hybrid warning message to pull over and park the car. What could cause this? Want to mentioned today was a very hot day 105. Up until today the car drove flawless.
View 12 RepliesMy father in-law gave us a 1996 explorer AWD with a 5.0 for my son who is 16. A couple of weeks later he's out learning with my wife and a very strong electrical smell took over the cabin. They came right home and when I got in I found all of the gauges not working. The instrument lights work, blinkers work, but all gauges do nothing. Pulled cluster and wires look O.K. behind it from what I can see. They saw no smoke, just smell, fuses look O.K.. What could cook on this vehicle that would wipe out just the gauges?
View 5 RepliesJust in the last couple days, after driving for a while, I noticed a strong burning smell immediately as every time I opened my door! It doesn't feel like it's from the engine bay, but more likely from underneath of the car (I could smell it near the rear wheel arch). The smell starts very noticeable and diminishes quickly! BTW, it's a 2015 GTI DSG, 2-month-old, 2700 miles, pure stock. I got a bit concern on this since it never happened before.
View 14 Replies117,000 miles, 1 previous corporate car owner, 30 day warrant. Bought 1 week ago, odor of burnt electrical. Seems to be stronger in the back inside.
View 8 RepliesI drive a 2003 jeep liberty with about 98,000 miles.
Over the course of this winter, I've noticed a very strong smoky / burning smell whenever I've had the heater and blower on in my car. It's easier to notice it when the car is sitting still (say at a stop sign), or driving slowly. If I shut the car off and walk around it, I notice the same smell outside of the vehicle, around the front end.
My initial guess was an exhaust leak. I've had two independent shops look over the exhaust system carefully (with a probe) and they've found no leaks anywhere. They also checked all of my fluids (including oil), and said that everything was at the proper level. I also had them spray some cleaner into my vent fan's duct work, just to see if that would do the trick (they didn't charge me for it since they weren't 100% sure, and it didn't work).
The other day, I stopped the car and noticed a small amount of gray smoke coming out from under the hood. I had just bounced over a pothole when I noticed the smoke. I opened up the hood (with the engine running), and saw a small amount of smoke coming out from the left side of the engine, from beneath the coolant reservoir. The smoke was dark gray in color (looked almost like wood smoke). I asked the mechanic at the gas station where I'd pulled over to take a whiff - he said it smelled like burning oil. Within about 30 seconds, the smoke was gone, but the smell lingered.
He told me that there could be a small amount of oil leaking down onto the exhaust manifold and burning up, but that was just a guess.
So here's what I want to know. This smell is terrible. I have to figure it out, because whenever I turn the blower on, the smell is practically choking me. In the interim, I've been checking the oil level every time I drive (once the engine is hot), just to avoid a potential disaster. The oil level has been consistent over the last couple of days, though I haven't been driving very much.
I'll bring it back to the shop, but what should I ask them to examine? Could it be a bad valve cover gasket? Loose oil filter? Something else? Is this a problem that many Liberties have?
2001 Pontiac Bonneville. 135000 miles. Running well. Only in the morning for about 10 minutes after starting and riding there is a strong burning smell. Don't see any leaks.
View 7 Replies2004 V8 - ~62k did the 60k service about 2 months ago. No other problems other than tpms not liking 50 degree swings in temperature. Haven't really had time to examine it, but wife left work this morning at -18F said she was getting a weird smell, no lights, a little smoke when she was stopped. I thought nothing of it.
Went to the garage to leave for work and it was like a dingy night club, fog/smoke everywhere and a strong smell of burning oil. Its supposed to warm up to 20 or so tomorrow, so I'm hoping whatever started leaking seals up.
I have a 99 B5 v6 Passat TIP. Was doing a lot of driving around today, in & out of stores. Last store of the day go get in the Passat and now it wont start. I did smell a brief electrical burn but was unable to locate the source.
When I try & start the car nothing happens, no crank. The windows locks radio all function.
I am able to lock the car and unlock the car with the key in the door. The alarm arms & disarms without issue.
I have checked the fuses as well as the relays and they seem fine. I have replaced the ignition switch and still the same issue.
I have tried starting the car in neutral as well and no luck there either.
What is the best way to test the switch to make sure my new one isnt bad. Any way to use a jumper wire to attempt to start the car?
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.
2002 Santa Fe V6
Ran the AC yesterday for the first time after a long cold winter. Seemed fine for about 15 miles but then I came to a stop and all of the sudden smelled burning plastic/electrical... white smoke started blowing out of the vents. Pulled over, popped the hood. The smoke appeared to be coming from the passenger/rear side of the engine.
Drove it another 15 miles home (had to) but with no AC or even fan on... made it and noticed the smell and smoke but only very little.
This morning I started it up .. got under the hood and clearly can smell it coming from the same area. That is the alternator at the back of the engine passenger side right? Voltages read fine... seems to be charging ok as well.
The only indicator that it is going bad is of course the smell and smoke... I can feel it is getting very hot.. too hot to touch after only a few minutes running. Spun bearings in it maybe? Just thought I'd put that out there before I start tearing it apart.
So I was sitting in my car, running, parked with the ac on and out of no where I got an electrical/burning smell coming from the vents. My volts were reading 12 with ac on at idle but once my rpms reach about 7-800 it goes back to 14. My question is what was that smell? I've had 2 alternators go on this car (power draining aftermarket accessories 3.3 v6) and have driven the car for about 2 hours collective time since the problem started (usually alternator goes quick) and haven't noticed any lights dimming, ac blows cold, system still plays full tilt. could a bad compressor be causing putting some stress on the car?
View 8 RepliesI have a 2001 Pathfinder w/ ~190K mile on it. It has been used regularly until this past winter. It has been sitting for about 3.5 months and I'm just now getting it back on the road. The battery has been draining due to non-use but I charge it and the car will start. Today I started it and after running for about 2 minutes the engine quit. When I got in the car I noticed the strong smell of electrical burning but no smoke. I did not notice this outside of the car. Upon trying to restart the car the engine just cranks with no sign of trying to start (as if there's no spark). I suspect something (probably electrical) has failed while it was idling but what it could be.
View 8 RepliesI turned on my AC in my 94 ford f250 and it made a squealing noise then I started to smell smoke or more like electrical burning. I turned off the AC and the squealing and burning stopped. I found that the compressor was the problem and after pulling the pulley and clutch assembly off I found that the coil had melted or got really really hot and smelled lie it had burned. My pulley and surpentine belt were still spinning fine so what happened? My AC had worked fine a few weeks before this.
View 2 RepliesI'm having some issues with my 99 ranger. It all started on my way to work one afternoon. Going down the road I started to smell some type of electrical burning smell. I looked at my instrument cluster and seen a trail of smoke come up between the steering wheel and ins cluster from under and gear selector covers. After that the O/D off light started flashing and downshifting hard. My pwr windows and dome light also quit working. Checked fuse #26 and all my fuses before going into work that afternoon, all of them were good and none blown. After shift was over that night going home I needed to use the wipers and they wouldn't work either. Also noticed then that my speedo, odometer and trip odometer not working. I've pulled my dash and steering covers off trying to find or see anything but nothing yet.
View 14 RepliesI have had my Prius for a few weeks now and have noticed a very strong smell of petrol when I have the vents open to heat the car (without AC). It seems to only happen when the fan is on and vents open. What could cause this and should I be concerned?
View 19 RepliesI'm possibly being paranoid, but twice, after hard driving, my Prius has smelt strongly of burnt plastic/rubber.
View 19 RepliesMy umbrella and few other items stowed in prius for some months now has a strong plastic/rubbery prius smell. How do I stop/reduce the smell at the source? There seems to be some discussion on its origin but no mention on how to reduce this.
View 8 RepliesI have a 2010 Prius and it has developed a very strong mold smell/odor. It is strongest when the car has been sitting with the windows up. I have tried many of the tips in the forum regarding not using the recirc mode. I've clean the car inside and out, mats, carpeting, every compartment.
I have talked to the dealer parts counter and replaced the cabin air filter with the carbon filter and used the 2 can treatment that Toyota sells (one in the a/c drain x2 and the other in the air intake.). No joy.
I took it to the service department they did the same thing - again, no joy.
They have asked me to bring it back for, and I quote, "exploratory surgery." I asked if this the covered under the Toyota Certified Warranty. He could not confirm that it would be covered.
I've had my c for about four months/2,000 miles. I have a short city-based commute, and I drive it fairly gingerly. Since I don't drive on the highway much, it very rarely even goes into the power zone on the HSI.
This past weekend my boyfriend and I took my car to the Oregon Coast to go camping. He drove, and although he has a heavier foot than I, it's just kind of a tough drive for the little engine (though not something that it can't handle).
Noticed a burning smell while driving in 2010 prius?
View 15 RepliesI was driving on the highway, beside the concrete wall that divides the two directions. Suddenly, I saw a deer in the air, jumping from the other side of the wall. It landed on my windshield before I realized what was happening. The windshield smashed and the hood opened. I couldn't see a thing. I tried to hold the wheel and stop the car. Then I guess I hit the the concrete side wall and stopped. All the air bag discharged. I walked out unharmed, except a little bit disorientated.
The Prius was actually beeping. Then I powered off it. I smelled a strong smell of burning plastic. I looked the front, the coolant for ICE was ok. but the coolant for the hybrid system was gone. The window wash tank was fine but the right head light was gone.