what could be causing a terrible odor when the fan is used to heat or cool my 1998 subaru legacy wagon? note: this occurs only when the outside air vent is open.
View 2 RepliesMy 2010 Subaru Legacy has been leaking oil since the last oil change, and also smelling like burning oil. I took it back to the mechanics, and they told me something about oil pooling from previous oil changes into the splash pan, soaking into the foam in or around the splash pan, and the foam got so saturated that it is now dripping oil. The good news: no new leak, only a residual leak.They cleaned it up, replaced the foam, and topped me off-no charge.
My questions: Does this sound right/common? Or are my mechanics sloppy to be saturating foam in or around the splash pan? And is the burning oil smell related to all this splashing and pooling oil? This is the third oil change related issue I've had with them. First they didn't fill my oil to the appropriate fill line (I believe they over-filled
Then the next time they did not tighten my oil cap enough, which caused oil to spill and burn, and they couldn't diagnose the issue (I took it in complaining of the smell of something burning-almost like plastic burning, and they looked at me like I was crazy, and told me they couldn't smell anything burning. Getting it fixed took a chance encounter with a different mechanic, and he knew what it was by smell! Now I do, too).
I have the same problem noted on last weekend's show with another Subaru owner. My car has a burning type smell (burning rubber or burning oil) only when driving uphill on a mountain road. I'm not sure the answer given on the show is correct about the rubber under the carpet smelling because of the catalytic converter. The smell comes through the venting system.
View 2 RepliesI got my heater core replaced about 2 months ago. Since than I get this almost like a burning smell coming through the vents. Took to dealer they said they dont know, because i replaced cabin filter, and they say they don't smell a coolant leak. So to find out they have to take apart my dash! Comes through when the car heats up/ or i turn on heater.
View 3 RepliesI have a 2004 Subaru Legacy Wagon with around 90,000 miles on it. I purchased the car in 2008 with about 26,000 miles on it. Starting two years ago, whenever the air temperature is below 15-20 degrees, my car will develop a smell of antifreeze in the cabin when I start it and let it warm up for a minute or two. It did not do it for the first winters I owned it. I have not been able to detect the smell outside of the vehicle, and I have not been able to detect the smell in the summer months, even if the car is left idling for several minutes. The White Whale (my cars name according to my wife) was worked on by my local mechanic (where the car was purchased) last winter. They considered and replaced the thermostat, a leaking (or at least they thought it was possibly leaking) hose, and then finally after consulting over the phone with the Subaru dealer that is a little over 45 miles from my house, decided that the problem was likely the head gasket.
So at around 65,000 miles I had the head gasket replaced by the Subaru dealer. Problem is, they replaced it in March, and the temps were high enough that I couldn't really tell if the fix had fixed the original problem or not. It had seemed that the smell was at least less intense, but hard to tell. So, here we are in the midst of January, yesterday the car started beautifully (which is one reason that I love this car) after sitting outside all night at -11 degrees Fahrenheit with wind chills down to below -30. Last winter, in these conditions, the smell would be so strong that I would get nauseated driving the entire 15 minutes to work.
This winter, since the repair, the smell seems limited to only the first idling time. After that, the cabin seems to get cleared out with fresh air, and the smell dissipates. There have never been any check engine lights, the oil and coolant levels have never been a problem, the temperature is never higher than just above the mid-line on the gauge which has stayed the same all throughout the time I've owned it, and performance has been completely unaffected by the smell, other than my performance as a driver when trying to navigate in a car that reeks of antifreeze. Also, I have never noticed what some describe as a haze or liquid building up on the windshield when a heater core goes out and my mechanics, both dealership and local, assured me that this was not the problem.
Acquired a 1997 Subaru Legacy a few weeks ago. Drive it for a prolonged time in the heat, at speed, and you can smell warm coolant from the engine compartment. And the temperature gauge hovers in the middle of the dial, no matter what.
My wife explained the smell away by guessing she'd spilled coolant when she topped it up. But it's been weeks since she did that. Also - this sucker drinks coolant. I'm guessing every 2-3 days I'm adding another gallon.
It occurs to me that ... maybe .. a leak on top of a pipe so the coolant doesn't drip out, but the loss of pressure (from the hole) causes the fluid to boil and flash out? This might explain the 'higher than I'd like to see' operating temperature.
When I turn the key all the way over, I hear only one click, and no engine sound. Playing with park or neutral positions do nothing. Battery and connections are good. I am getting a raw fuel smell out of the tail pipe after it finally starts. The check engine light intermittently comes on, by now it is mostly on.
My guesses are: fuel pump/relay problems, starter/connection problems.
Our 1994 Suburu Legacy runs on Petrol or LPG. For some unknown reason, there is a strong petrol smell in the car. When this happens, the car will eventually stop and the engine stops. There is power, but the engine will not start. Several minutes and many attempts later later, it starts. What may be happening?
View 2 RepliesI recently bought a 1997 Subaru Outback. There is a burning smell sometimes and can't quit put my finger on any specific time that this occurs. Also, I find the heat is really crummy. Takes a very long time to heat up and never gets really warm. I might add that when I bought this car the air conditioning "condenser" was not hooked up. It came with the car and looks like a small radiator. Could this have anything to do with either problem?
View 2 RepliesI have a legacy. Notice some slippage between 2nd and 3rd and 3rd and 4th. Also noticing an extreme burning smell when vehicle first gets started (for about 15 min) it's gagging it's so strong and pours in through defrost but can be smelled standing outside car also. Finally I parked in friends garage and notice some dark weird colored fluid on ground when I backed out, I dont know if it's oil or transmission fluid.
View 1 RepliesI have a 2004 Turbo Forester. It's been maintained since purchased new at the same dealer with oil changes every 3500 miles or so and all the "big" required/recommended maintenance every 15000 miles. After the 75000 mile check, I kept smelling a burning oil smell, especially when car was idling. I had it back to the dealer several times but they couldn't find anything wrong. The car did not seem to be using excess oil, there were no "puddles" under the car where it was parked. Today I brought the car in for routine oil change (78400 miles). On the way in, started smelling the burning smell again and saw smoke around the turbo charger.
The mechanic saw "Moisture" (oil?) around a lower bolt on the heat shield around the turbo charger. He said it was likely a failing turbo charger causing oil to leak on making that bolt wet? The engine is not making any noise, nor is the turbocharger, and there was no "check engine light" illuminated. I'm scared now to take the care elsewhere for a second opinion...don't really want to drive it and trash the engine. It's out of warranty now, and this is a painfully expensive fix that couldn't have come at a worse time on a car that's been maintained "by the book". I'm reading a lot about this "banjo bolt screen" problem. Would that be something to find out about on a 2004 Forester? Is there anything else that could be causing the problem (mechanic couldn't think of anything).
I've got a 2000 Subaru outback with 170k miles on it. I recently pulled a code for a bad line pressure solenoid and replaced it. About 500 miles later the oil temp sensor light started flashing so I turned the car off and when I turned the car back on it wasn't flashing and hasn't come on since. No CEL. I'm now about 2k miles after changing the line pressure solenoid and now whenever I drive over 10 or so miles my car smells like the clutch is burning. He idle is a little rough, i.e. it vibrates a little more than usual and the car is a little slow to respond when I gas it.
View 19 RepliesOver 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.
View 10 RepliesHad the head gasket replaced and metal machined due to HG failure. 2001 Forester, 120K miles. After I got it back, a bad oil smell. Cleaned and sprayed it, still there, though less; seems to be on drivers side. Comes into cabin from the air vents below windshield when stopped.
Could it be the line from manifold vacuum to brake master cylinder ie servo amplifier? Or something else?Should I worry? The car seems to get about 15 mpg, used to get 18 mpg, and the check engine MIL is on.
I have a 2000 Outback, 80K, and I've been having brake issues. The first thing I noticed was a burning brake smell. I pulled over and found that my two front wheels were very hot. I pumped the brakes a few times and let them cool down and drove on. Pulled over in a bit to check them and they were fine. Took the car to the dealer who said, "We can't really find anything wrong with the fronts, but the backs are sticking a bit and we fixed that." So, off I went. Of course, it happened again. Left front seemed the hottest, but this time I noticed that the rear wheels were warm as well. Took it in again. Again, "We don't know." "Could it be the calipers or the lines or the ABS chip," I asked? "Well, yeah, maybe the front calipers." So they replaced the front calipers.
Picked it up and noticed two things of interest on the print out: "Rear brakes hanging up," and the front pads are a 8mm and the rear at 3mm! Hm... Seemed fishy to me. I had all the pads replaced a year and half ago. The last set lasted 75K, so this is odd, as is the discrepancy between back and front. I had the dealer pull the service record. In May the rear were at 5mm. Two weeks ago they were at 3.5mm. Yesterday they were a 3mm. I asked, "What would cause that?" They said, "Well, probably whoever did your brake job didn't clean the brakes up well so they are getting stuck and wearing down." I took the car and drove 60 miles, mostly on the highway. Fronts wheels were cool. Rear wheels were warm to hot.
While waiting at a stop light my car totally died, there were no warning lights, the car is a 2011 Subaru forester with 52,000 km. I had it pushed off the road, tried to restart it with jump cables but it would not turn over. I noticed an odd burning smell when I opened the hood. There were rat tracks on top of the engine area. I had the battery pulled out and replaced with another fully charged but it did not make a difference.
After sitting for two days, I restarted the car and the engine managed to turn over but very very rough, a mechanic thought there was something loose in the engine. I currently live in Mexico and closest subaru dealership is 5 hours away. I will need to get it towed there but I would like to have some idea of what it may be, my thought is somehow a wire got chewed off but I had driven it about 20 miles that morning and then it just stopped dead.
I believe that I have a leaking CV joint boot in my 2006 Outback. Occasionally smell something burning. Lifted hood and had some smoke. Saw leak and a friend stuck a finger into a hole in the boot.
View 9 RepliesI recently moved to Pittsburgh where I constantly use my parking brake from Rochester, NY where I rarely ever used it. After I've moved to Pittsburgh (7 months after I've owned this 2004 Subaru Forester). After I drive for a significant amount of time (30+ minutes) and come off the freeway and stop or even slow down, the cabin of the car has a distinct, but faint burning smell. I am wondering if this could be the parking brake rubbing just slightly and when I slow down the smell stays in the cabin or if it is possible that the brakes are smelling (or something entirely different). Keep in mind that the smell doesn't happen when I only take a short drive, which is often. And of course, no I haven't taken this into an auto mechanic yet.
View 9 RepliesSometimes 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?
I have a 2002 Honda Odyssey. The other day while driving, and today after just starting up, the car makes a whining noise, multiple lights on the dash illuminate (charge, all door open indicators, brake, and brake light bulb indicator) and when I open the hood I can smell a slight burning smell. I thought maybe something was frozen, but the belt is not unusually warm, and all the pulleys I can see are turning.
View 17 RepliesOne of my headlights has stopped working on my 1999 Subaru. Do I need to replace the entire headlight assembly or is it just a bulb? Approximately how much should it cost to fix? 1999 Subaru Legacy sedan
View 10 Replies