Need help, burning smell from front PS wheel well. (1 Viewer)

[Juan Derher]

After about 20-30 min driving I smell it when out of the truck. At first I thought it was new tire smell, but it seems to only come from the front passenger side. I don't smell it when I stick my nose in the other wheel wells.
I really need to determine the cause and urgency since a family road trip is planned. Any guidance would be much appreciated.

 

[othater]

Are you leaking any birf soup? or possible bearing.

 

[Doc]

Dragging brake pad would be the first thing I'd check.

 

[Juan Derher]

I have no leakage of any sort. I will check pad rub this afternoon.

 

[96r50]

That's also the wheel well the exhaust system runs through. Check to see if anything is touching or dripping on the manifold/heat shields/downpipe

 

[97 FZJ80]

Dog pee on the tire/exhaust?

 

[hadji_85]

isn't there a wiring harness or something that tends to melt. I posted something similar before and people were saying something about that. No i haven't fixed my problem yet either.

 

[94SRUNNER]

I have noticed the same thing from time to time, but have never been able to find anything. No drips under the truck either.

 

[breathed]

I have the same burning smell and also have not been able to pinpoint the source. The smell dissipates rather quickly and I haven't been super motivated to find it as it's winter and I'm a shadtree mechanic.

I'll bet there are more people with this same phenomenon. Maybe one of us will get off our a**es and figure it out! Of course, I'm not the only one with an under 40*F startup goose under the hood and I don't believe there has been a definitive answer on that one either.

 

[Beowulf]

Of course, I'm not the only one with an under 40*F startup goose under the hood and I don't believe there has been a definitive answer on that one either.

What are you talking about?

-B-

 

[AdventureBuddies]

I get the same smell as well - my power steering pump is leaking but i don't know how that could lead to a PS smell. I figure it must be related to the location of the exhaust pipe. i will be keeping an eye on this thread to see if anyone has any ideas. I know my sunroof drains are clogged because my PS front floor carpet gets wet - any potential correlation there? It smells like burnt oil so ????

 

[Koffer]

could it just be road crud burning off the down pipe to the cats ?

 

[94SRUNNER]

Koffer, that sounds like a fairly sound explanation for the smell.

 

[chitown40]

I believe Koffer is on to something here. I just got back from about a 2000 mile roundtrip from Chicago to New Orleans earlier this month and had the same smell on the way down. The first 8 hours of the trip were in Blizzard conditions with nasty salt-laced snow and ice and road grime. Once we hit Mississippi and things were drier, we noticed a slight rubber burning odor when we stopped for eats and gas. I spent 20 minutes going over everything and couldn't pinpoint the smell. The downpipe was coated in salty deposits and road gunk though. For the next leg from N. Mississippi to New Orleans it was dry and the odor eventually dissipated. On the trip back in dry conditions we had no odor.

I checked the wiring loom near the EGR -- no problems. The front brakes were completely redone including new calipers the week before. Knuckles are dry and bearings and lubricated properly. The rear brakes were done about 6 months ago. Parking brake moves freely in both directions. Only common denominator is when I get the burning odor, it is or recently was wet outside.

 

[dace voit]

I have the same burning smell and also have not been able to pinpoint the source. The smell dissipates rather quickly and I haven't been super motivated to find it as it's winter and I'm a shadtree mechanic.

I'll bet there are more people with this same phenomenon. Maybe one of us will get off our a**es and figure it out! Of course, I'm not the only one with an under 40*F startup goose under the hood and I don't believe there has been a definitive answer on that one either.

I have the same "goose" under the hood sound at start up when cold. However, mine "calls out" when it is in the mid to low teens and colder. Haven't been able to define it yet but I think it is a vacuum line or control of some sort.

 

[Juan Derher]

Dog pee on the tire/exhaust?

I ruled that out. However my 4yr. old is a different story, but he always pees on the rear wheel.

could it just be road crud burning off the down pipe to the cats ?

Koffer - I like this explanation. Mainly because if this is the case then there is nothing to repair.

Next week we will be driving over mucky Colorado mtn. roads to dry so. AZ roads. This will be a great oppurtunity to test that theory.

 

[94SRUNNER]

I too am going on a nice road trip, from Cincinnati to St. Paul on Thursday and I will keep an eye on things as well. I will try to keep records of it and see if I can narrow it down. Hopefully it is just road debris being slung onto the down pipe and baking till well done.

 

[Newps]

I noticed the same smell this weekend after I stopped at the gas station. This was only after a drive of 15 miles. Weather was warm about 60 degrees. Poked my head in and around the driver’s side wheel well. Could have been the wind blowing the smell over there but that’s where it seemed to be emanating from. In my case my ARB air lockers pump a small amount of oil up the line into the engine compartment. I figured that was where my smell was coming from. I could not fine any other leaks. Hope someone can pin point this smell’s origin.

 

[94SRUNNER]

After the first 750 miles of my trip I have not smelled anything what so ever coming from the passenger side. I will be checking on my return trip.

I will keep everyone posted. I have a feeling it is from burning road debris on the down pipe.

 

[ashooter]

My wife says the truck "smells hot" after driving around a while. I have never noticed anything, but she says the few times she's smelled it is after a fairly long drive and it seems to be coming from the passenger side wheel well or near the PS headlight.

My 3FE has the coolant overflow tank in that area, so do y'all think it's possible that's what she's smelling?