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

[94SRUNNER]

I don't know about coolant being the source of the smell......but it could be. Have you found a leak in in overflow?

I am also wondering if it may be some grease and grime coming from the birf joint on the PS.

Just a thought.

 

[CT Grillguy]

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.

Yea, I have it too but much colder than 40 degrees. Last time mine did it it was around 15 or so. I lived in Minnesota for 15 years and I'll tell you more vehicles than not will make some God-aweful noise like that when it gets below 0.

 

[ashooter]

I don't know about coolant being the source of the smell......but it could be. Have you found a leak in in overflow?

I am also wondering if it may be some grease and grime coming from the birf joint on the PS.

Just a thought.

I just drove my truck around and no smell that I can detect, and no coolant overflow. I just replaced the radiator and thermostat a month ago and this is something she's been talking about for a year.

I was thinking it might be vapor or a slight antifreeze smell, since the manifold, cat, pipe are on the drivers side of a 3FE. No hot stuff on the passengers side.

I did have a slight oil leak from some loose oil pan bolts (surprisingly loose) so she might be smelling a little oil blowing over onto the cat as she drives around.

 

[breathed]

I popped the hood for another reason after arriving at work yesterday and could clearly see smoke of some kind coming off the lower part of the y-pipe. I'm sure that's the location, but still haven't identified just what is burning. It could be junk from the road as there's a lot of slop right now or possibly grease from the front ds.

 

[bpenn1980]

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

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?

I have something similar and I would describe it as "smells hot". That smell along with odd tire wear caused me to inspect the wheel bearings 1,500 miles after a front end service. End cap feels hot, but not burning hot (ie. I can keep my hand on it). Wheel bearings arent loose. Replaced tie rod ends though. Still have the smell.

I do hear a slight "scratch, scratch, scratch" sound (since I cant type "s****e") when driving 5mph down the alley (so I can hear it off the wall). So I also have a brake pad making slight contact. I checked the caliper bolts and they're tightened to spec. I upgraded to 100-series pads and installed new rotors when I did the front axle service. I understand that 100-series pads are thicker and have a larger footprint. What should I do to eliminate the brake pad drag? Ps, its not pulling to the right or left when stopping, straight as an arrow, slight warped feeling though.

 

[BOZ]

Same smell

Glad I am not the only one. I have noticed this for a while. Some days its worse than others. I even put some dye in the oil and hit it with UV light. No signs of engine oil leaks. No bearing leaks.

My Pcv hose was craked and I replaced the hose and the valve ( glad I read the post on the gasket, would have lost it had I not been prepared)

Had the dealer check it out as well and of course notta.

Keep this thread alive, seems to be a mystery.

Boz

 

[94SRUNNER]

Just a quick update for all those interested. I returned yesturday from a 1600 mile raod trip and would periodically check for the smell. I have concluded that it is from road debris burning up in the down pipe. I noticed it after I stopped and had driving through some slushy dirty snow. Another check revealed no smell after driving in very dry conditions. I am going to keep an eye on the issue, but feel confident that it is due to dirt and grim burning up on the down pipe.

Any thoughts?

 

[177mph]

By the way - the "goose" noise you hear below 40 F would most likely be the power steering pump. Most 80's make that noise at initial startup in cold weather...

 

[AdventureBuddies]

I don't think it's burning road debris because those of us in non- snow/rain regions are also getting this smell. Our roads are bone dry so there's nothing to kick up onto the down pipe.

I'm curious about the front bearings. Maybe they are heating up for some of us and burning the grease? I'll be doing my axle service soon which will hopefully rule that out.

My rotors are pretty new, maybe people who have "the smell" have new rotors in common? We need to figure out what everyone has in common to isolate the source of the smell. It has to be something worth investigating since so many of us have it.

 

[FirstToy]

I can smell this on the passenger side- starting up and after it warms up and gets to norm operating temp it is all clear than it will start to smell on the pass side. I describe it as a 'gas' smell or 'rich'... maybe it's the cats?

this is all w/o moving so the drivetrain is out of the equation. i am not sure if it happens all the time, i just happened to notice it the other day

 

[94SRUNNER]

AdventureBuddies,

That is good point. I wonder if it also could be birf grease being heated up.

Anyone else with some incite

 

[landcruising]

Oil

I have had this same smell and notice it particularly on dry days not wet. I beleive I have traced mine to small amounts of oil leaking from the valve cover . I re-torqued the bolts which were all loose and still have a smell. Maybe old oil still burning. Haven't had the time to replace the gasket yet with $600 of parts from Dan still waiting to be installed. Too many cold so-cal days to work in the driveway. Sorry I had to ad that since all the northeast threads talk about the tempatures in the teens. Its sunny and 70 today in San Diego.

 

[94SRUNNER]

OK, I have something new to throw you all. I was poking around under my truck when got home from work today and didn't smelling anything coming from the passenger side. The keys were still in the ignition and I leaned in from the passenger side to shut the truck off and pull the keys. When I did this the antenna went down and I immediately noticed the burning smell. I smelled the around the antenna and there it was! Seems to me that it is the belt or what ever in the mechanism is rubbing and burning up.

Any body else notice this?

 

[Cj80cruiser]

I don't think it's burning road debris because those of us in non- snow/rain regions are also getting this smell. Our roads are bone dry so there's nothing to kick up onto the down pipe.

I'm curious about the front bearings. Maybe they are heating up for some of us and burning the grease? I'll be doing my axle service soon which will hopefully rule that out.

My rotors are pretty new, maybe people who have "the smell" have new rotors in common? We need to figure out what everyone has in common to isolate the source of the smell. It has to be something worth investigating since so many of us have it.

I'm kinda siding with AdventurBuddies thinking it might be the front bearings. Where did you guys get your front end parts from? Koyos?

 

[bpenn1980]

I don't think it's burning road debris because those of us in non- snow/rain regions are also getting this smell. Our roads are bone dry so there's nothing to kick up onto the down pipe.

I'm curious about the front bearings. Maybe they are heating up for some of us and burning the grease? I'll be doing my axle service soon which will hopefully rule that out.

My rotors are pretty new, maybe people who have "the smell" have new rotors in common? We need to figure out what everyone has in common to isolate the source of the smell. It has to be something worth investigating since so many of us have it.

I agree 100%. Its happened to me when its dry too. By the way, where in LA are you?

I have new rotors, 100-series pads and new wheel bearings as of 1,600 miles ago. I've checked the "tightness" of my bearings twice and there is no play, but I havent reset the preload...so I could do that I suppose. I used Mobil 1 synthetic wheel bearing grease....anyone else?

I can smell this on the passenger side- starting up and after it warms up and gets to norm operating temp it is all clear than it will start to smell on the pass side. I describe it as a 'gas' smell or 'rich'... maybe it's the cats?

this is all w/o moving so the drivetrain is out of the equation. i am not sure if it happens all the time, i just happened to notice it the other day

I also have noticed what I think is a "rich" smell in the AM.

I'm kinda siding with AdventurBuddies thinking it might be the front bearings. Where did you guys get your front end parts from? Koyos?

I used OEM bearings all around. Palladium Moly grease in the knuckle, Mobil 1 synthetic wheel bearing grease in all bearings

OK, I have something new to throw you all. I was poking around under my truck when got home from work today and didn't smelling anything coming from the passenger side. The keys were still in the ignition and I leaned in from the passenger side to shut the truck off and pull the keys. When I did this the antenna went down and I immediately noticed the burning smell. I smelled the around the antenna and there it was! Seems to me that it is the belt or what ever in the mechanism is rubbing and burning up.

Any body else notice this?

I never move my antenna from its half-up position so I dont think thats it.

 

[AdventureBuddies]

I don't think it's the antenna. For my truck, I think the potential sources are:

1 - wheel bearings under friction
2 - oil seeping from valve cover gasket
3 - power steering leakage
4 - New idea - I just discovered an exhaust leak where the manifold joins the Y Downpipe. Maybe exhaust smell that hasn't been through the cats yet? Though it is more of a burnt oil smell than an exhaust smell so I don't know.

 

[FirstToy]

it's going to smell rich at startup b/c the cats aren't hot yet. I have driven a few times and can't recreate the smell... who knows, maybe the wind just pulled the exhaust smell back under there? i'm at a loss to explain it

 

[94SRUNNER]

I tested it agian and the burning smell is definatly coming from the antenna. In the coming days I am going to keep a close watch on that and elsewhere. I am just reporting what I found.

 

[bpenn1980]

I don't think it's the antenna. For my truck, I think the potential sources are:

1 - wheel bearings under friction
2 - oil seeping from valve cover gasket
3 - power steering leakage
4 - New idea - I just discovered an exhaust leak where the manifold joins the Y Downpipe. Maybe exhaust smell that hasn't been through the cats yet? Though it is more of a burnt oil smell than an exhaust smell so I don't know.

I've pulled the PS hub cap and felt the flange cap when I've smelled the hot smell. Didn't feel extremely hot. Drivers side felt similar temperature wise, but I dont know what temp bearing or moly grease would start to smell burnt. I would think if the wheel bearings were under a lot of friction the flange cap would be hot...could be wrong though.

I think I'm going to try the Seafoam and see if I can spot an exhaust leak.

Valve cover leak is a good candidate too. I've noticed a little wetness back there.

 

[AdventureBuddies]

i just applied an engine degreaser and cleaned up the seapage from my valve cover gasket as well as most of my steering fluid leakage and will now look for the mystery smell. If i don't smell it then I figure it's safe to assume that the smell is burning residue from one of my leaks.