My cars been smelling like burnt/hot rubber/plastic for a few months now. As soon as the car gets up to normal operating temps and I am parked or not driving more than a few miles per hour I can smell the odor. Today my sinuses were extra clear and I could smell the odor as soon as I stopped in my driveway. The odor comes through the vents so I know its coming from under the hood. I pulled into the garage, turned the car off, popped the hood and located approximately where the odor is coming from. The smell comes from between the firewall and the engine around the battery area. It does not come from the battery box but in the gap between the firewall and the engine. The smell is really strong there. I cant see any hoses out of place or any plastic bags stuck to my exhaust pipes. The smell is strong enough to fill my entire garage. Does anyone have any idea what this could be?

 

Look at your exhaust pipes, is there a melted bag on them?

 

well i checked from underneath and no bags. I also checked from what i could see between the firewall and the engine, no bag there either

 

Haven't people reported smelling a burning smell that just turned out to be their heater? I'm pretty sure I remember reading that in another thread.

 

i have the same issue i also dont know wat it is....

 

It smells strongly of burnt rubber outside the car if the heater isn't on and it smells faintly of burnt rubber inside the car too. Today I pinpointed another qwerk and that is, the car has to reach normal operating temps. I do a short commute to the gym down the street and the smell isn't there unless I get the car fully warmed up...

At first I was thinking it was my tires but the tires smell like Meguiars tire shine

XLR8-sucks you have this same issue...but im glad im not the only one haha

 

at 1st i thought i had a bag stuck or something but i put the car on jackstand and nothing look under the hood nothing.... wat could it be

 

yah man! I searched this forum, I Googled "car smells like burnt rubber" and i hit lexus forums, bimmer forums, everyone says its gotta be a plastic bag or a hose getting hot. I see neither! So frustrating!

 

dam... i hope its not nothing really serious... but it really does only strat smelling like that when its reach normal temp... i wonder why? the car is not showing its overheating... i mean i dunno

 

i was warned by a friend about an egr hose or someting near the rear of the engine on the passenger side that melts if you have after market headers. i dont know if you have those but maybe it came out of place or the 02 sensor wires came out of place and are too close to the mani's

 

nope, all factory on the exhaust. I will check for hoses again though. its kind of a PITA leaning over the engine with a flashlight tryin to see down in there

 

when my clutch was was in its last days it smelled like **** every time i drove, that might be it

 

haha i dont think its my clutch. hot clutch has a more metallic sh*t smell to it haha

 

Nah i dont think its my clutch either

 

this has been discussed many times it happens to alot of people (myself included) and no one really knows why exactly it happens.