Burning smell

[djminfll]

Something very odd and disconcerting happened today - I was driving on I-95 and I caught up to the person in front of me who was only driving 50mph with nobody in front of her. I saw that the lane next to us was open, but it was a tight squeeze, so (very uncharacteristically of me) I stepped hard on the accelerator and went around her. I could hear the engine kick in and kind of roar when I went around. Almost immediately afterwards, I smelled a burning odor that lingered for about 10 minutes. The odor went away and I haven't smelled it since. Does anyone know what would have caused this? And is it something I need to worry about, or bring in for service? I should be able to stomp on the accelerator just this one time, right? Someone suggested to me that maybe it burned off carbon deposits in the exhaust, and it's actually a good thing to do once in a while. Any thoughts or comments from anyone?

[murphy]

Moving at greater than 50 mph you would not be able to smell anything coming out of the tailpipe because it would be far behind your car.

Make sure that the oil cap, the dipstick, the radiator caps, and the windshield washer cap are properly closed.

Edited May 13, 2014 by murphy

[acdii]

I wouldnt worry too much about it, you may have just passed someone burning something at the same time you passed. It can linger quite a while afterwards. Unless it smells like oil or carbon or plastic, it most likely didn't come from your car.

[tr7driver]

Did you loose your cat recently?

[inco]

^{Aside from the possibility of a cat :drop: it might have been some oil or something that rolled onto the manifold. Have you had any work done on the car recently? Might be some liquid that was spilled and the sudden speed dislodged it.}

[acdii]

Well we know it wasn't burning rubber! LOL

[inco]

Sorry Charlie - could have been a belt and most of them are Rubber! :salute: :)

[tr7driver]

Are there belts on the hybrid engine? I was looking at mind Sunday and wondering where they might hide them.

[hybridbear]

Are there belts on the hybrid engine? I was looking at mind Sunday and wondering where they might hide them.

There are no belts in the FFH. All accesories are electric. I'm not sure if the previous gen FFH had belts or not.

[djminfll]

Thanks for all the responses, I love this group!

tr7 driver had my favorite answer, but I think acdii is correct. I did check all the caps, and nothing was leaking or dripping, so I think it was just a coincidence that I smelled the burning just as I accelerated, it was probably some other car nearby. Lord knows, there are a lot of clunkers that drive along I-95 in South Florida!

[Sleddog]

You were just burning the last of the "new" of the motor and exhaust system. There may have been a residue on some thing that needed a high then your normal serving temperature to complete burn off. No worries.

[SteveB_TX]

There are no belts in the FFH. All accesories are electric. I'm not sure if the previous gen FFH had belts or not.

 

If my memory serves, which is questionable, our previous 2010 FFH air conditioning compressor was belt driven. I think. :)

[acdii]

no the 2010 was electric. I know it drove me nuts hearing that thing make a ton of racket when the ICE was off.

 

As far as newness burning off, I doubt it, he has had his car over a year now. :)

[GrySql]

I was driving on I-95 and I caught up to the person in front of me who was only driving 50mph with nobody in front of her. I saw that the lane next to us was open, but it was a tight squeeze, so (very uncharacteristically of me) I stepped hard on the accelerator and went around her. I could hear the engine kick in and kind of roar when I went around. Almost immediately afterwards, I smelled a burning odor that lingered for about 10 minutes. The odor went away and I haven't smelled it since.

This happened to me this morning while we were climbing up I-70E at about 9,000' elevation. I had to make a low speed, rapid manuver to avoid an 18-wheeler semi truck, I floored the go pedal. The ICE rpm's went to redline and the engine noise was pronounced and we avoided the traffic problem.

However, during this 20 seconds the HVAC (on vent) turned off and I smelled that 'hot engine' smell in the cabin.

 

I think the smell got in the cabin from the fresh air intake in front of the windshield when the HVAC was transitioning to the emergency off position. (I'm guessing)

 

After I went back to normal ICE rpm's the HVAC returned to venting the car with outside air and the smell went away in a minute or two.

This situation sounds like normal engine management and has happened to certain of my past vehicles when I was towing or the engines were under heavy loads.

I'm not going to worry about the FFH.

[djminfll]

This happened to me this morning while we were climbing up I-70E at about 9,000' elevation. I had to make a low speed, rapid manuver to avoid an 18-wheeler semi truck, I floored the go pedal. The ICE rpm's went to redline and the engine noise was pronounced and we avoided the traffic problem.

However, during this 20 seconds the HVAC (on vent) turned off and I smelled that 'hot engine' smell in the cabin.

 

I think the smell got in the cabin from the fresh air intake in front of the windshield when the HVAC was transitioning to the emergency off position. (I'm guessing)

 

After I went back to normal ICE rpm's the HVAC returned to venting the car with outside air and the smell went away in a minute or two.

This situation sounds like normal engine management and has happened to certain of my past vehicles when I was towing or the engines were under heavy loads.

I'm not going to worry about the FFH.

Thanks for that answer GrySql, that makes sense, and if I'm not the only one to which this has happened, then I guess that's what it was for me as well. :)