Burning smell inside the Cabin

[subaru13]

Just recently my car has started to have a burning rubber/plastic smell when ever I turn the heat on......I thought it might be some hoses or something in the engine bay touching something hot but when I looked after a long drive when I had smelled the smell I could not pinpoint where the smell was coming from nor could I see anything that looked like it was melting or smoking..

If anyone has had this problem or knows what could possibly be causing it, it would really help cause driving for long periods of time with the smell equals bad headaches and no fun

[Perdue]

could be an electrical short. Only way to find out is to start tracing the entire harness pretty much.

[PGH Jumper]

could it maybe be a belt gone bad?

[anothernord]

I had the same problem on my 97 OBW, I traced the problem to the button that is depressed when the clutch is let out.

A little white plastic piece that is attached to the clutch pedal arm depresses the switch when the pedal is let out. (if you look under the dash right above the pedal you can see what I'm talking about.)

This piece had broken off, so the switch was not getting depressed and some relay or something was burning. I just stuck a little plastic screw in there and the smell went away.

[subaru13]

I don't think it is a bad belt cause when I open the hood I cannot smell the "smell" from that area and my car is an automatic so it is probably not the clutch pedal thing.

[Snoozie]

Maybe you ran over a plastic bag? If they get caught on a pipe somewhere under there they can melt to it and smell pretty horrible. That smell takes forever to go away too.

[subaru13]

Maybe you ran over a plastic bag? If they get caught on a pipe somewhere under there they can melt to it and smell pretty horrible. That smell takes forever to go away too.
that could very well be possible I will have to check tomorrow

[subaru13]

So I checked and there was not any signs of a melted bag or any bag under the car....I have come to the conclusion that if it is a short or a problem in the wiring harness I will just let it run its course and when it affects what it is I will know then, but that's only if it is a wiring problem....

But does anyone know anything about how the heating system works in the legacy's?

[AussieDan]

Yeah I know a thing or 2 about it...what sort of info are you after?

There are quite a few things that could cause a burning smell but typically you'd have to have been messing with things.

It's possible that a component on the control panel went bad, or that the mode or fresh/recirc flapper is jammed and burnt out the motor.

[Huffer]

I'd start carrying a fire extinguisher in the car just in case...

[subaru13]

Well I was thinking that maybe the fan in heater system is burning out or something because the smell only happens when the defrosters is on high or when the heat is all the way up for awhile, but I never can really smell it when it is on cold so I am pretty sure that it has something to do with the heating system I am just not sure how to go about checking it....


An yeah I am carrying a extinguisher for sure wouldn't want my car to go up

[chuckthefuk]

I had a burning smell when I bought my bd. It eventually went away.. I came to the conclusion since it was sitting for over 2 years in a garage and *dust* built up in/on/around the heater core had burnt off the dust when i first started using the heating system.

Hope this helps you out..
- Chuck

[nipper]

Lets assume that your CV boots on the pass side are in good shape. Thats one source of what your smelling. Next possability is that you may have an leaking cam seal, dripping oil on the exhaust. The last possabilityis that the blower motor is dying. You are smelling the insulation burn off the windings.

nipper

[subaru13]

I know it is not a leak from the cams because I know what burning oil smells like....but what is the the blower motor? are you talking about the heater system blower cause that could be a possibility. How can I make sure that it is the blower?

[nipper]

there is only one blower motor in the car, and thats the HVAC blower motor .

Easy way to find out, remove it and smell it. It comes out fairly easily.

nipper

[birukun]

Just had the inner CV boot on the passenger side go - I could not id the smell, and I could only smell it if I stuck my head under the hood. Then I looked down, and voila! a blown boot.

The grease smells different than oil, coolant, or tranny fluid so it was really bothering me for the last couple of days. Almost smelled like hot metal.

Dust is always a possibility as well.

[Zedhead]

Lemme know what You find. I just had this happen yesterday.

Both front axles replaced 2K miles ago

[birukun]

Are you loosing any coolant?

Do you know what coolant smells like when it is hot?

Reason I ask is someone posted about a leaking heater core in a car that caused the driver to get alcohol poisoning, a pinhole that was causing it to mist and mix with the air. (coolant contains glycol) According to the story, the driver died from this.

The internet is just making me paranoid, but this stuff happens!

[Zedhead]

Sounds like an urban legend?

You'd prolly have to live in Your car 24/7 to be killed like that?

[nipper]

If someone is a long haul trucker, yes i can see that happening, but i can't find any refernce to it on the net. i guess it wont even make an urbane myth.

BUT

Yes it is toxic and cna make you very sick

http://mercedesshop.com/shopforum/showt ... ?p=1037466 (http://mercedesshop.com/shopforum/showthread.php?p=1037466)


nipper

[Mejium]

I had this same problem a week or two ago while I was going to work. As far as location, I couldn't smell it anywhere besides inside the car. I just recently had my head gaskets replaced, and changed my radiator hose because it was leaking (but it hasn't leaked since), and my timing belt was changed. Ever since that first time it hasn't happened again.

[2.5GT]

Yep, burning smell for me too..just recently when I had the heat on.