Zoombak ™
order by phone (habla espanõl) | 1-877-4ZOOMBAK
What's that Smell? Car Care for the Mechanically Challenged
Written By ST
One of the "unconventional" methods that medical doctors are taught in school is how to diagnose an illness based on smell. For example, the smell of almonds on a patient's breath could indicate cyanide poisoning. Believe it or not, you can use this same methodology to diagnose problems with your car, even if you aren't mechanically inclined. Strange smells are often indicative of a mechanical problem under the hood, so pay attention while we go through some of the most common smells your car can make.
1. Maple Syrup
When a sickeningly-sweet odor begins to emanate throughout your car-or even on the outside-it's time to take a look under the hood. In most cases, a maple syrup smell inside the car indicates a faulty heater core, while smelling it outside might be a leaky radiator. What you are smelling is leaking coolant, which can never be good for your vehicle. Ask your mechanic to check out cylinder heads, gaskets and heater hose.
2. Locker Room
If the smell of sweat and day-old laundry tracks through the vents in your vehicle and into the passenger compartment, your car is probably growing mold. Locker-room smells indicate mold and mildew growth from inside the air-conditioning evaporator. Rather than rushing to your mechanic, try running your vehicle with the vents on rather than the A/C to dry out the system. If this works, your problem is likely solved.
3. Sulfur
The smell of fire and brimstone-or rather, just brimstone-might mean that your car's transfer case or differential housing has spouted a leak. You will probably notice accompanying drops of oil on your driveway or in your parking space, which will also sport that terrible sulfur smell. To avoid further complications, rush your car to the Vehicle Emergency Room.
4. Gasoline
If you get out of your car and it smells like the inside of a gas can, you might have a leak in your vent hose or fuel-injection line. Gasoline is never a good smell on a car-assuming that it's newer than 1983-so run it up to the shop. You will most frequently smell it when your car has been parked in your garage or outside in the heat.
5. Perm
When your car smells like the inside of a beauty shop after fifteen women have gotten perms-in other words, rotten eggs-it's definitely time for a trip to the shop. The rotten-egg smell will occur whenever you are driving your car, or if you're standing outside and the engine is still running, and usually means that there is something wrong with the catalytic converter. If this is the case, you might need a new one, which is rather pricey, so check to see if it's covered under your warranty.
6. Burning Newspaper
You will usually only smell this odor if you're driving a car with a manual transmission, and it means that you've been riding your clutch way too hard, or else you simply need a new one. Your clutch facing is made of a paper-composition material, which where the smell originates. It's usually cheaper to purchase a new clutch and install it yourself if you have the know-how.
7. Hot Oil
This is one of the most dangerous smells your car can make, and is usually indicative of just what it smells like. Somewhere in your engine, oil is escaping and burning, most likely in the exhaust manifold. If this is the case, you might find sprays of oil on your driveway or on the road behind you, though it is sometimes sufficiently hot to evaporate immediately. Your mechanic needs to fix this problem, but stopper the leak if you are able.
8. Burning Carpet
Likely Page Break
Over-heated brake pads will produce a burning carpet smell, and usually means that you are overusing the brakes-or driving without releasing the hand brake. If you notice this smell, you might need to have your brake pads inspected by your mechanic; it could be that your brake caliper piston is causing your brakes to drag and overheat.