Marlon

This may sound crazzy - but I smell a very faint burnt rubber smell from the rear wheel area after driving for a while. I felt each tire tread area and the inboard side is very much warmer (ightly hot?) than the outboard area on each wheel. Inner and outer sidewalls feel cool. Is my rear end toast or does it maybe need an align???

1995 993
106K miles - 3 options: roof, cruise, radio w/door speaker & tweeters + junk factory speakers in the back.
No mods at all - bone stock (Crappy Honolulu radio)
I don't think the rear end has been updated nor does it have the wiring update.
Has factory 18" rims & very lo-mile P-zeros with what appears to be proper backspace - no rubbing.
Handles like a demon and is down right scary in the corners compared to my previous 2 SC's and 3.2 Carrera. Rides comfy too and the rear end and front end tire contact is very quiet all the time - no road noise to speak of.

Probably has original SUV ride height, shocks, springs, plug wires and everything else - yes, it was an ok deal, but I'm going to end up spending waaay more than anticiapted to get it up to speed. 425 bucks for plug wires - you gotta' be kidding me.

any ideas?

Freddy

I guess you have an oil leak...

Marlon

Hmmm - checked for that, but I can't find anything actually 'leaking'. Never smelled it before on any of my other 911's. Smells distinctly like 'rubber', not smoked oil as in dripping on heater boxes or exhaust. I'll look again. I do plan to replace the lower valve covers & gaskets soon though since the original ones have slight dampness qround lower edges, but no dripping evidence.

vjd3

Synthetic oil smells like melted plastic when it burns.

porscheralph

I had the same smell - it is probably the RMS - it fails and drips oil onto the engine/trasmisssion and that is the smell. You may not see any oil on the floor because the transmission cover (not the engine tray we all remove) traps the oil and it just sits there and burns etc. Had my RMS replaced and the smell is GONE.

Amfab

Synthetic oil burning smeels like some toxic thing mixed with a regular oil burning smell to me. I get the burning rubber smell sometimes too. It is disconcerting.
Is "RMS" Rear main seal? I have oil leaks from my timing covers and a little teeney one from a valve cover and those dripping on the exchangers smell like burning Mobile one.
This smell is different, definetly rubber smelling.
I had the same thought Marlon. I had a set of Yokohamas that were wearing really bad in the rear, on the inside primarily, and as they got to the end of their life the smell got worse.
They wore inside first.
Could this be an alignment issue? Scrubbing more from the inside under hard driving perhaps?

porscheralph

Yes, RMS is Rear Main Seal. I still suggest you remove the front engine/transmission cover and take a look.

Marlon

Hmmm - checked for that, but I can't find anything actually 'leaking'. Never smelled it before on any of my other 911's. Smells distinctly like 'rubber', not smoked oil as in dripping on heater boxes or exhaust. I'll look again. I do plan to replace the lower valve covers & gaskets soon though since the original ones have slight dampness qround lower edges, but no dripping evidence.

Marlon

OK -sounds like a plan.The engine 'tray' is gone, ae you referring to another 'cover'?

cnrfan

maybe the clutch???

porscheralph

Yes the engine tray is what most of us remove to reduce heat. The engine/transmission cover is just forward of where the engine tray is. It is a flat piece about 3 feet by 2 feet and cover the front end of the engine and the transmission. You will need to get the car up in the air on stands at least and remove it to really see what is happening under there. I do not have photos but am sure some one else here has them and will post them.

briefescape

The other thing is , if you just recently top off your oil the filler spout might be crack and a bit of oil may of spilled . just my canadian .02 cents

Cheerios Guy

Marlon

THX to all, here's more amplifying info:

All rear sound trays were long gone when I got the car. The same odor was there even before I change the oil to 0/40W M1. Clutch works fine (pedal is 'notchy' and squeaky and I realize that the slave cyl. is probably the cultprit). You gotta' be outside the car to smell it - can;t smell it in the cockpit at all.

993inNC

how about burning belts (A/C, alt. power steer)? BTW does the car have the steering brace up front? 95's never came with 18" rims and should have the steering brace attached to the rack for proper steering support.
Getting back to it, you could need an alignment if the heat difference is bad enough, or maybe you're rubbing something ever so slightly under load, check inside the wheel wells real well.

Frank 993 C4S

>This could be it<

It's probably the type of gas you used. Try a different brand and report back.