Burn-y Smell

[verymickey]

Hey guys.

Was on my way home from running an errand the other day and noticed a smell that smelled like something burning. I got home, popped the hood and stuck me head into the engine bay trying to figure out if it was strong in one area or another. It ended up being the strongest smelling when i put my nose into the wheelwell area.

New to troubleshooting the car, what things should I check to narrow down the source?



M

[nogaroblu]

passenger front wheel well?

[verymickey]

passenger front wheel well?

i actually didn't check the passenger side, just the driver side (when the car is parked in the garage its kinda a pain to get to that side)

[verymickey]

this is the short list of potentials that i found while researching which i am trying to narrow down.

* its just the heater
* its the transmissions fluid
* its oil burning
* its a burning clutch from bad driving/under driving

[nogaroblu]

I experienced this with the passenger front, I assume it was the brakes as it was after some harder than normal driving/braking in the rain/snow. I have not really witnessed it after that...

[Silver Streakin]

What does it smell like?

Oil or brakes/clutch or rubber or electrical or something else?

First thought is valve cover gaskets leaking.

[verymickey]

What does it smell like?

Oil or brakes/clutch or rubber or electrical or something else?

First thought is valve cover gaskets leaking.

I wish i could tell you what it smelled like but my nose is not that good with smells. To many hours in a cubicle not enough hours getting dirty.
That said, car has 73k miles on it and last time it was in they recommended doing the valve cover gaskets. Sounds like might be a good place for me to start.

[icanfly]

Do you smell it coming in through the sunroof when you are driving - this is often most associated with oil on the motor / exhaust getting scortched.

Also, if you go to an autoshop and tell them you are new to cars (be humble) and ask them to share with you what burning oil smells like / what burning brakes smell like they might have some old parts that you can sniff on to better understand each of these smells. Often just picking up old dirty parts and giving them a sniff will teach you a lot.

Here is my best attempt to help you have relational smells.
Oil is usually like burnt toast / bread - it's a thick smell.
Coolant is sweet / slightly acrid but mostly sweet - it's a light smell and sometimes a little burnt sugar
Transmission oil is very stinky, pungent and pretty gross - you shouldn't ever smell this unless your trans explodes or you open it up yourself.
burning brakes smell like a semi truck in the canyon - you'll know it because it's very particular and you can smell it mostly around semi trucks.

hope that helps.

[verymickey]

Here is my best attempt to help you have relational smells.
Oil is usually like burnt toast / bread - it's a thick smell.
Coolant is sweet / slightly acrid but mostly sweet - it's a light smell and sometimes a little burnt sugar
Transmission oil is very stinky, pungent and pretty gross - you shouldn't ever smell this unless your trans explodes or you open it up yourself.
burning brakes smell like a semi truck in the canyon - you'll know it because it's very particular and you can smell it mostly around semi trucks.

hope that helps.

thanks man, that was super helpful. when i get home from work ill take it for a run around the block and see if i can get a better smell on the situation.

[bmwpower603]

Could be a leaky engine mount. If it kind of smells like rubber?