burning rubber smell, left rear side ??
11-15-2009, 03:19 AM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
burning rubber smell, left rear side ??
Have an '88 3.2 and what started out as an intermitent burning rubber smell from left rear wheel well area now seems to be there each time I drive. If I am running the heater the smell is a lot stronger. Did some searches but didn't find anything new so I thought I would post.
The smell is only from the wheel well area / external, if you open the engine lid there is no burning smell coming from the engine. The smell does not come in to the cabin with the heated air.
Definetly smells like more like burning rubber, not oil, not burning brakes nor burning clutch.
So when it was more intermitent, car went to the shop for regular servicing so I had them look at rear brakes, check the caliper, adjust the parking brake, etc. and all were fine.
As the smell has continued, and now become a constant, I jacked up the car and looked, checked to see if anything was in or on the heat sheild / cat, anything dripping etc. and all looks just fine.
Any thoughts for me to look for or what may be causing this?
Thanks!
The smell is only from the wheel well area / external, if you open the engine lid there is no burning smell coming from the engine. The smell does not come in to the cabin with the heated air.
Definetly smells like more like burning rubber, not oil, not burning brakes nor burning clutch.
So when it was more intermitent, car went to the shop for regular servicing so I had them look at rear brakes, check the caliper, adjust the parking brake, etc. and all were fine.
As the smell has continued, and now become a constant, I jacked up the car and looked, checked to see if anything was in or on the heat sheild / cat, anything dripping etc. and all looks just fine.
Any thoughts for me to look for or what may be causing this?
Thanks!
11-15-2009, 08:43 PM
#4
Team Owner
When it smells the strongest pull over and put a hand on each wheel . if everything feels normal left side compared to right side you will know it is not a rotating mass isue such as a wheel bearing or dragging caliper.
remember the way it is designed you could be pushing a smell in from just about anywhere. After that check your wiring harnesses for melting. Sounds like you may have a short and are melting insulation. be very carefull with this one.
remember the way it is designed you could be pushing a smell in from just about anywhere. After that check your wiring harnesses for melting. Sounds like you may have a short and are melting insulation. be very carefull with this one.
11-16-2009, 12:28 AM
#5
Racer
Thread Starter
OK thanks for the posts.
Check the tire pressure pretty regularly... 29F 36R
Will check the temperature of the wheels right / left tommorow after I drive to work. Calipers have been checked, but didn't look at wheel bearings. I have put my hand on the inside side of the left tire vs. right as I thought that the Cat may be was too hot, there really wasn't a difference.
It really smells like a burning tire, the part that I can't figure out is why it smells stronger when I run the heater. Have tested this a couple of times on some cold mornings. Leads me to think that the heater blower might be going, but then why is there any smell at all when the heater is not running.
Have moved my fire extinguisher from the 912 to this car... there have been a couple of posts on the 912 registry site regarding wiring fires. Really scary, hadn't thought about that.
On the '88, does the wiring harness run through the center tunnel to the rear and then split to the engine and rear lights?
Thanks!
Check the tire pressure pretty regularly... 29F 36R
Will check the temperature of the wheels right / left tommorow after I drive to work. Calipers have been checked, but didn't look at wheel bearings. I have put my hand on the inside side of the left tire vs. right as I thought that the Cat may be was too hot, there really wasn't a difference.
It really smells like a burning tire, the part that I can't figure out is why it smells stronger when I run the heater. Have tested this a couple of times on some cold mornings. Leads me to think that the heater blower might be going, but then why is there any smell at all when the heater is not running.
Have moved my fire extinguisher from the 912 to this car... there have been a couple of posts on the 912 registry site regarding wiring fires. Really scary, hadn't thought about that.
On the '88, does the wiring harness run through the center tunnel to the rear and then split to the engine and rear lights?
Thanks!
11-16-2009, 01:22 AM
#6
Racer
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Just unplug the wire connector at the heater blower motor. Run the heater and see if the smell still gets worse with the heater on. I might suspect a rubber grommet or piece has fallen into your fan shroud and is melting on a cylinder or head but then you say the smell is not coming into the car via heater ducts or coming from the engine bay.
Have you looked at the left heater flapper box? It's close to the wheel well area. Maybe something there is amiss?
Have you looked at the left heater flapper box? It's close to the wheel well area. Maybe something there is amiss?
11-17-2009, 09:04 PM
#7
Racer
I have noticed the same thing in the past on my car ('99 coupe)...can not figure it out for the life of me. Very faint but definitely burning rubber smell. Checked the tires and they seemed to be fine as far as I could tell.
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11-29-2009, 12:37 PM
#8
Racer
Thread Starter
So thanks to all for posts and suggestions. Here is an update
Spent some time myself then took the car to my shop to have them look at it as well. Checked bearings, calipers, etc. Checked around cat and heat shield. They took the fan out so they could see if there was anything on top of the engine (there wasn't), used an electronic scope to snake down into the heater boxes (nothing in there) and said that they only thing that they could see was that part of the rubber insulation around the left shock housing / back of the engine had slipped down to be closer to the heater boxes and may be the cause of the smell. Need to look at the PET cataloge as I am not sure I where the pad is exactly, but the smell has greatly decreased since their effort.
Still get a faint burning smell from tire, but it is only when I get closer to the rear tire and I think it is just normal from the tire near the catalytic converter.
People certainly give you odd looks when you are on your knees sniffing a tire / wheel well in a parking lot...
So hope that the pad was the cause, but have ended up carrying a fire extinguisher in the car as part of standard equipment.
Thanks!
Spent some time myself then took the car to my shop to have them look at it as well. Checked bearings, calipers, etc. Checked around cat and heat shield. They took the fan out so they could see if there was anything on top of the engine (there wasn't), used an electronic scope to snake down into the heater boxes (nothing in there) and said that they only thing that they could see was that part of the rubber insulation around the left shock housing / back of the engine had slipped down to be closer to the heater boxes and may be the cause of the smell. Need to look at the PET cataloge as I am not sure I where the pad is exactly, but the smell has greatly decreased since their effort.
Still get a faint burning smell from tire, but it is only when I get closer to the rear tire and I think it is just normal from the tire near the catalytic converter.
People certainly give you odd looks when you are on your knees sniffing a tire / wheel well in a parking lot...
So hope that the pad was the cause, but have ended up carrying a fire extinguisher in the car as part of standard equipment.
Thanks!
