odd smell
odd smell it seems to be very apparent after i accelerate pretty hard. i actually have no idea what the smell is. when i open my hood afterwards, it seems to be coming from the radiator area, although it doesn't necessarily smell like radiator fluid. the radiator also doesn't appear to be leaking. i don't know why the radiator would smell this way after a WOT run anyway. it's not oil burning either. ideas?
TECH Addict
Joined: Feb 2004
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Originally Posted by tuffluck
it seems to be very apparent after i accelerate pretty hard. i actually have no idea what the smell is. when i open my hood afterwards, it seems to be coming from the radiator area, although it doesn't necessarily smell like radiator fluid. the radiator also doesn't appear to be leaking. i don't know why the radiator would smell this way after a WOT run anyway. it's not oil burning either. ideas?
Does it smell sweet? "Odd" describes many odors...
now that i smell it again, i think it almost could be radiator fluid. still, radiator fluid smelling bad on WOT doesn't seem right. it's definitely a sour smell, but nothing i've ever smelled before.
TECH Resident
Joined: Aug 2004
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From: Kansas City, MO
What car? What engine? How many miles? New cars often have coatings on some engine components that takes awhile to burn off. It would no doubt be most noticeable after a hard run since the car would generate the most heat then. My GF's WRX had a real foul smell along with very faint smoke from the engine bay for the first 1000 miles at least. Once the coatings and residue from assembly burnt away, the smell and smoke did as well. I do recall the smell from her car being 'sour' in a sence.
TECH Resident
Joined: Aug 2004
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From: Kansas City, MO
Mmm good point. Did you replace anything lately? Plastic and rubber melting has a very obvious smell, as does burnt clutch smell. Hard to say unless their is a fluid leak on the manifolds or something. In which case it should be easy to spot.
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TECH Fanatic
Joined: Aug 2004
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From: Auckland, Nth Is, New Zealand.
Had a bad smell under mine could'nt work it out. Then remembered a Honda tried to out run me a week earlier, i remember feeling a bump, i looked and could'nt see it any more, thats what the smell was, burning rice, he got caught up underneath. 
TECH Addict
Joined: Feb 2004
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I had a coolant smell in my car for a LONG time after I changed my thermostat. It took a long time to burn off or something, but I don't smell it any more. It was really weird. I hope it is something simple, and you find it!
RIP April 14, 2008
Joined: Aug 2004
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From: the land where cars repeatedly hit my bumper when I'm in the store...
yeah man when I threw on my magnaflow catback not all of the plastic came off by the tip weld and it stunk for like a week till it melted off.
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Mandeville, La
i have the same problem. the smell is definately coolant, that bitter sour a$$ smell 
the only thing i can think of is i might have dripped a little bit in the engine bay and the smell is coming in through the vent or i overfilled it and when i nail it it splashes a little out the top.
the only thing i can think of is i might have dripped a little bit in the engine bay and the smell is coming in through the vent or i overfilled it and when i nail it it splashes a little out the top. 
Teching In
Joined: Jan 2005
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Originally Posted by black99ssm6
i have the same problem. the smell is definately coolant, that bitter sour a$$ smell the only thing i can think of is i might have dripped a little bit in the engine bay and the smell is coming in through the vent or i overfilled it and when i nail it it splashes a little out the top.
the only thing i can think of is i might have dripped a little bit in the engine bay and the smell is coming in through the vent or i overfilled it and when i nail it it splashes a little out the top. well, i was certain this was the clutch. so i changed the clutch, but the smell is still there. let's get this straight - i've smelled many car-burn smells before, and this is not something i've ever smelled before. in fact, it's so much worse than any smell a car can make, it's ridiculous.
and the strangest, yet weirdest part - it's been smelling this way since last october!! 8 months! every time i get to 4500+ rpms, the car smells like absolutely horse ****.
i've changed the oil, filter, air filter, checked for leaks (none), redone parts of the exhaust, changed the clutch, and checked the radiator - i can't find anything wrong with my car! and even if a little radiator/brake/oil fluid dripped on my car, it wouldn't take nearly a year to burn off!!! what the hell is wrong with my car, guys?!?!
and the strangest, yet weirdest part - it's been smelling this way since last october!! 8 months! every time i get to 4500+ rpms, the car smells like absolutely horse ****.
i've changed the oil, filter, air filter, checked for leaks (none), redone parts of the exhaust, changed the clutch, and checked the radiator - i can't find anything wrong with my car! and even if a little radiator/brake/oil fluid dripped on my car, it wouldn't take nearly a year to burn off!!! what the hell is wrong with my car, guys?!?!
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2005
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From: south jersey. again
are you sure it wasnt the beans. just kidding, try putting a pressure test on the rad, if thats not it there are dyes for checking leaks. if that fails take it to a shop. do you have any enemies or maybe somones playing a joke on you.
Originally Posted by Old ZXXVIII DoOd
Check for Plastic Bag in Radiator area. They get sucked up in there and stink after they melt.
replaced the cats. smell is still there. any other ideas? so far i've replaced a clutch, cats, and a battery, all of which were accused by at least one person to be the culprit for the smell. i even changed the spark plugs, on an unrelated note. i don't know, and i'm tired of trying to solve the ******* problem.
9 months of this smell, which smells like burning ****, and there is no sign of any unusual damage on anything i have not replaced already. oil consumption is normal, coolant level is fine, and there are no leaks in the car. i notice the smell the most with the t-tops off and the windows rolled down.
9 months of this smell, which smells like burning ****, and there is no sign of any unusual damage on anything i have not replaced already. oil consumption is normal, coolant level is fine, and there are no leaks in the car. i notice the smell the most with the t-tops off and the windows rolled down.
