Strange Smell after Driving
 

Hello all,

I have 6mt 2015 FRS with about 19k miles on the odo.

After driving for periods of 30mins or longer, i get this strange smell coming from the engine bay. It is not the clutch. I know what burnt clutch smells like. This smell is more of a "hot burnt plastic/rubber" smell. No issues with my camplate.

This smell makes me question my driving ability with the manual transmission, but I have been driving manual for years. I have owned this FRS for about 3 months now and I want to know if this normal or not. Thanks in advanced guys.

P.S. - I have done a ton of research but I have only found threads on the earlier production models and they were new. :)

Photo for attention

https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8118/2...595d58de_h.jpg

Is it strong chemically? May be engine cleaner. I took to dealer, they spilled oil, used degreaser/cleaner and 2k miles later smell didnt go away, so I just sprayed my engine bay down twice. Went away after 20min of driving.

Great picture!

Is that smell normal ?...... well, my FR-S doesn't smell that way.

Does your car have any power mods ..??

So, you have ruled out a possible leaking cam plate .......hmmmm ...... what about the timing chain cover or oil dip stick "O" ring leaking down onto the exhaust heat shield ..??

You might feel your front wheels after driving for a spell, to make sure you don't have a front brake pad dragging... ??


humfrz

start your search around the exhaust header, it's the hottest part of the engine compartment, it could be something that got int there off the road or a fluid.

It's not a chemically smell. Hadn't done any oil changes yet, but I've smelled this smell ever since I bought the car. Thanks for the info

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you doing burnouts and powersliding your car around too much? :burnrubber:

You're mistaken, he's not driving a muscle car....it's a Twin.

how do you know he doesn't secretly own a mustang?

I had the dipstick gasket replaced when I first bought the car and had white smoke coming out of it. There is no visible oil leaks anywhere. I had it on a lift over the weekend changing the transmission and diff fluid.

As for the front brakes, there is no dragging from what I can see. I'll check next time I drive if the smell is stronger around the brake area.

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No visible spots or fluid on the exhaust header. Did have a leaky dipstick once but that has been resolved a while ago. Thanks for the input!

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@ThisGuyRett Even if there's no visible spots on the header, check for oil leakage under the passenger side engine timing cover, use a paper towel and swipe on the underside, it's an angled piece that sticks out a a bit.

Maybe the green wax they put on the engine bay when shipping oversea?

I'm not doing it enough lol. I've done it once or twice since ownership but only when it's wet out. :)

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No mustang. Lol I uphold public safety, not endanger them. :p ;) ;)

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most likely its just everything heat cycling. When we make ready a new car at work they always smell like they are on fire. But then again i work at a ford dealer. i bought my frs used so no sure what they smell like new

A dragging (stuck) brake pad will usually heat up the wheel ....... simply feel the hub of the wheel and compare left and right wheels ..... :)


humfrz

You're pretty low. Are your tires rubbing on something? Maybe the fender liner?

Well, now, it would seem to me, that if something is burning/smoking in the front half of your car and it smells like "plastic/rubber" burning ....... that something is making contact with your car's exhaust system.

So, I would suggest you get it up on a rack/ramps and carefully check all around all exhaust pieces, for something touching a part of that system.

OR, if it smells like "Lucas smoke", check the wiring carefully .......:eyebulge:


humfrz

I have Clearancs between the tire and fender. No rubbing whatsoever.

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Will do!

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Hey guys. I did an oil change yesterday. Today I drove and I didnt smell that smelly smell at all today. Checked the headers all the way back to axle back to see if there was any contact anywhere. Nothing. I hope the smell stays away. Im just wondering how did an oil change resolve the issue, or make it less noticeable.

Thanks for all the input. I'll be monitoring it for the next few days to see if the smell comes back. Ill keep yall posted.

You must have teen children

I have eaten nothing but turkey for three days. I am now noticing an odd smell every once in a while. It is usually preceded by a weird vibrating sound.

Did you do the oil change, or did the shop do it. Maybe they found a piece of plastic on the hot part of the engine and threw it out. When I brought my new FR-S home from the dealership, I opened the hood and found the red cover for the battery post off and stuck among the cables. They had jumped the car at some point, and it was just sitting there. I put it on the battery post. Now, if that had come loose and lodged itself on the engine, it could have melted....and caused some smells...I'd check the top of the engine - it is a boxer after all, so there is some horizontal space there that could attract some stuff that could heat up. Maybe I'm just paranoid...

Lol

I did the oil change my self. I checked the top of the engine moments ago and rechecked my wiring for my fogs and nothing seems to be melted. You're not paranoid. I think I am the one whose paranoid. The car had 13xxx miles on it when i purchased and I keep thinking, " what if the owner beat the sh*t out of this car and messed up something internally and now its my problem?" <---- See? Paranoid. lol

Me neither. I bought mine used too. Thats why i cant explain the smell.

Post up a vid.

A video of the smell? Lol

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Some of us actually remember "Smell-O-Vision"

Don't believe me? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smell-O-Vision :bonk:

Well, maybe, whatever was making the smell ...... just burnt up.......:iono:


humfrz

FWIW - take your finger and run it along the drive belts. Notice some black dust?
Now run your finger under the belt covers on the alternator and power steering unit. You should see even more dust.

What is it? It's belt dust.

And the smell?
Look directly under the crank pulley... see that thing? That's the catalytic convertor.
Now imagine driving and the dust settling onto that catalytic convertor. Fine rubber dust onto a hot surface makes...

Burnt rubber smell.
And no residue because... it's already belt dust. It just burns up.

:)

It's probably just a burnt valve. Don't worry about it. Do you also get a chirpy sort of cricket sound and a ticking sounds esp. at idle? Usually that precedes the smell and a thrown rod. :bonk: