Burning Smell After Long Drive (2 Viewers)

[RetiredLifeguard]

I sometimes get the smell coming from my ds wheel well. The only thing I can figure is that it's oil.

 

[informationjunky]

think I found the source of the burning rubber smell on mine....replace idler bearing assy, and found the old one to be completely siezed. Also replace the one for the ac and it looked like it was on the way out.

 

[IdahoDoug]

My idler bearing's fresh so not the source for me.

DougM

 

[brwnj60]

My idler bearing's fresh so not the source for me.

DougM

Same here, burning rubber smell, couldnt figure it out so i replaced my idler pulley, and new OEM belts all around, still smell burning rubber. I havent noticed the wet conditions thing. Will have to check that out. Also my HG was done last summer and that did not do it either.
Weird
fwiw i havent greased my drive shafts in probably 6-7 months so i dont think thats it, but like mentioned above, passengers always comment when getting out of the truck....

 

[scottm]

Both my '97s did that smell, now my '03 does, odd. I'd think that if something is burning it'd be done by now.

 

[freshspecbluegt]

I also had the burning smell for a little while and was concerned since it had appeared at about the same time as a rather significant increase in oil consumption. I did a little hunting for leaks and found that my oil filter was leaking just enough to coat the side of the block. I assume that it would only leak while driving and the heat form the block was causing it to burn off. Never saw any drops on the ground. I was using the Mobil 1 oil filter but switched to the Toyota unit after this oil change. I made extra certain the oil filter was on snug this time, cleaned up the residual oil and the burning smell has disappeared. i am now keeping track of oil consumption to make sure the leaky oil filter was blame for the increased consumption also.

Ross

 

[jorgeez]

Thank goodness I've stumbled upon this thread! It's good to know that I am not the only one experiencing that weird burning smell coming from my ride. I think I just might have the same exact problem as you guys. I smell this burning smell coming from the front driver side of my ride and I'm not really sure where it's coming from.

__________________
audi s4 performance parts

 

[hill]

burning rubber on mine led me to do a knuckle re-pack... and away went the burning rubber smell. and talk about increased driveability..wow

 

[BOZ]

Seems I fixed the burning oil smell. It looks to have been the idler bearing? I could have sworn it was oil burning but it was the belts searing against a stuck idler.

 

[Michael Hanson]

Keep smelling a smoke smell,pulled the resister out of the lower ductwork for the heater and it was covered in dust and and old pom-pom plastic strands. I cleaned it off-no more smoke smell. MIke

 

[ThePookieBear]

I've noticed that mine does this (yes, I know I posted in this thread a long way back), now I think that it is a bit of grease being thrown up on the downpipes on higher speed runs. Only thing I can think of.

 

[Necota]

I, too, have this irksome burning smell and, yeah, it seems to happen more in slushy conditions. It's not the belts; all new with proper tension.

I've had at least three people sniff around the engine bay and I can't pinpoint it. It seems to be the passenger side and the smell seems to congregate in the air between the firewall and the air box.

Since I had an external HG leak on the exhaust side of cylinder 6, I thought that this might be the burning smell and I would cure it with the HG replacement. The HG work is still in progress, so we'll see.

It definitely is annoying though; passengers comment on it when they get out of the truck.

I know this was ten years ago, but did you figure it out?

 

[JohnnyFive]

I know this was ten years ago, but did you figure it out?

Yeah, I would like to know as well. I have a faint burning rubber type smell coming from both the driver and passenger sides. I also noticed a squishy rubber rubbing sound coming from the driver side axle area noticeable when i drive slowly with no brake applied. None of this has kept me from enjoying this awesome platform, but I would like to see if I can get this problem resolved eventually.

 

[woodsman 44]

Smell is mainly from grease in u joints that fling out on exhaust and doesnt burn up right away but over time.... I notice it everytime I grease the U's....my muffler is like a grease catch...lol