Car Smells and What the Issue Could Be

An odor inside your car can be more than a disturbing smell. Sometimes that odor can be an indication of an issue with the vehicle itself. Identifying the smell can help to locate the problem. Here is a guide to some common odors that can indicate an issue with your car.

Burned Rubber

Several things can cause the smell of burned rubber. The odor can be caused by drive belt friction or loose hoses coming in contact with a hot engine, creating the burned rubber smell. It can also be caused by an oil leak that needs to be repaired quickly.

Gym Clothes

Dirty gym clothes have an unmistakable odor. When you smell the scents of gym clothes without the clothes in your car, the likely cause can be found in your air conditioning system. Sometimes mildew will grow in the air conditioning evaporator. You can attempt to dry out the system by letting the fan run on high.

Burned Carpet

Brake issues can cause a smell that resembles the odor of burned carpet. That particular smell can be caused by brake pads overheating. It also can be caused by the brake pads being worn to the point they need to be changed.

Syrup

The smell of syrup is not necessarily a bad smell, but it is not an odor you want to smell while in the car. If you smell syrup while in the car with it running or right after you turn it off, you likely have a coolant leak. The leak could originate with a heater or radiator hose, an intake manifold gasket, the cylinder head, or even the radiator or radiator cap.

Sulfur or Rotten Eggs

If you smell rotten eggs when your car is running, you can usually attribute it to a hydrogen sulfide build-up in the exhaust system. This can happen when the catalytic converter does not appropriately convert sulfur in gasoline to sulfur dioxide.

Any of these odors indicate an issue with your car. If you smell any strange smells emitting from your car, call or visit us to schedule an appointment with our service department.