Notices
Maintenance & Repair 350Z up keep and diagnosing/fixing problems

Burning smell after driving

Old 06-13-2012, 03:47 PM
  #1  
mrgsdsjg
Registered User
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
 
mrgsdsjg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: panama city, Fl
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default Burning smell after driving

Hi all, need to bounce some ideas off you guys. I have a burning smell coming from the front of my 350z and I can't figure out what it is. I started noticing the smell after I replaced the front wheel hubs.. Is there a break in period for new wheel hubs? They aren't smoking and are pretty quiet..

Only other thing I could think of is maybe the clutch? It doesn't slip, at least not that I've noticed. Car doesn't seem to burn oil or anything, and I don't see any residue from any liquids or oil leaking anywhere. Anyways, got any ideas?

Thanks!
Old 06-13-2012, 03:49 PM
  #2  
mrgsdsjg
Registered User
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
 
mrgsdsjg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: panama city, Fl
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Btw, wheel hubs were replaced 2000 miles ago, and immediately after changing them I drove the car 6 hours (hwy) to another city. Change the oil and filter 500 miles ago, but noticed the smell before then.
Old 06-13-2012, 03:53 PM
  #3  
mattleegee
Registered User
 
mattleegee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Kent, WA
Posts: 867
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

What does it really smell like?????
Old 06-13-2012, 03:56 PM
  #4  
Italianjoe1
New Member
iTrader: (6)
 
Italianjoe1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Miami, FL
Posts: 1,607
Likes: 0
Received 14 Likes on 10 Posts
Default

Must be something dragging or touching in the front. Maybe something got jacked up in the brake setup when you changed the hubs and they are dragging. Does the car roll freely when they are warm?

Any wiring/shields close to any moving parts?

This is something you are gonna have to get under there and diagnose yourself, too vague of a problem to troubleshoot over the internet
Old 06-13-2012, 03:57 PM
  #5  
mrgsdsjg
Registered User
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
 
mrgsdsjg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: panama city, Fl
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by mattleegee
What does it really smell like?????
Hard to say. I would say it smells like an oil burning, that was my first impression. I'll pay more attention next time I drive it!
Old 06-13-2012, 03:59 PM
  #6  
mrgsdsjg
Registered User
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
 
mrgsdsjg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: panama city, Fl
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by Italianjoe1
Must be something dragging or touching in the front. Maybe something got jacked up in the brake setup when you changed the hubs and they are dragging. Does the car roll freely when they are warm?

Any wiring/shields close to any moving parts?

This is something you are gonna have to get under there and diagnose yourself, too vague of a problem to troubleshoot over the internet
Thanks. Yeah I'll go double check everything. I figured it wouldn't be solved on here, but I'm looking for ideas and things to check, such as what you suggested. Thanks
Old 06-13-2012, 04:09 PM
  #7  
mattleegee
Registered User
 
mattleegee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Kent, WA
Posts: 867
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

make sure your dipstick is seated all the way in also, just for fun
Old 06-13-2012, 04:09 PM
  #8  
laurentj23
Registered User
iTrader: (1)
 
laurentj23's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Duluth
Posts: 333
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Drive for abt 20 mins. Go and smell the wheel hjb area and see whether the smell comes from there
Old 06-13-2012, 06:58 PM
  #9  
Phenom
Toasty
iTrader: (4)
 
Phenom's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: New York
Posts: 13,783
Received 1,382 Likes on 990 Posts
Default

Ran over a plastic bag that melted onto your exhaust? I've done that twice. It stunk for months every time I drove it.
Old 06-13-2012, 07:18 PM
  #10  
xiaolinmonk
Registered User
iTrader: (1)
 
xiaolinmonk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Katy, TX
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by Phenom
Ran over a plastic bag that melted onto your exhaust? I've done that twice. It stunk for months every time I drove it.
Rotfl lolol I ran over a small trash bag that had **** it melted got stuck and it started smelling like exhaust fumes and ****. Had to go under and rip that stinky **** off. Fml
Old 06-13-2012, 09:24 PM
  #11  
reuben350z
Registered User
iTrader: (4)
 
reuben350z's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SoCal
Posts: 444
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by Phenom
Ran over a plastic bag that melted onto your exhaust? I've done that twice. It stunk for months every time I drove it.
+1
I would check this out before going crazy looking for the issue..
Happened to me once as well
Old 06-14-2012, 12:03 PM
  #12  
Phenom
Toasty
iTrader: (4)
 
Phenom's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: New York
Posts: 13,783
Received 1,382 Likes on 990 Posts
Default

The worst part about it is even if you go under there and rip the bag off it still leaves a stinky rotten smelly gooey patch of toasted plastic that is there for the long haul. The second time it happened to me I spent a good hour or two under the car picking at it to get as much off as I could and it was frustrating the hell out of me. Just gotta wait until it burns off.
Old 06-14-2012, 01:57 PM
  #13  
mrgsdsjg
Registered User
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
 
mrgsdsjg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: panama city, Fl
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by Phenom
Ran over a plastic bag that melted onto your exhaust? I've done that twice. It stunk for months every time I drove it.
Haven't run over a plastic bag, but I did run over a dead deer and had some hide/hair stuck on my exhaust that smelled really bad. That was a couple years ago though.

I feel stupid admitting to this, but when I got home from work today I immediately popped the hood and started smelling around the wheels and engine. The smell seemed to be the strongest on the drivers side near the air intake, so I grabbed a flash light. I can see an oily area around where the dipstick enters the tube and I realize the rubber grommet on the end of the dipstick is ripped and it isn't seated properly. Took it out and was able to slide it back in and get a good seal. So I'm pretty sure that is what has been making the car smell.
Old 06-14-2012, 05:47 PM
  #14  
mattleegee
Registered User
 
mattleegee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Kent, WA
Posts: 867
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

.
Old 07-20-2012, 07:12 PM
  #15  
Coyote5ny
Registered User
 
Coyote5ny's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Webster, NY
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

I just replaced my dip stick this week, rubber seal was broken as well... car had a real wierd smell. Seems to have disapeard. My car just seems to get real hot/smell hot after long drives which seems about normal for these cars.
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Obadabot
Maintenance & Repair
16
06-18-2023 11:31 PM
apex locator
Autocross/Road
10
07-23-2021 02:27 AM
350Z_Al
Exterior & Interior
133
10-29-2020 07:44 PM
3vilbunny
Exterior & Interior
24
07-18-2017 05:10 PM
hajwoj
Autocross/Road
27
11-01-2015 05:25 PM


Thread Tools
Search this Thread
Quick Reply: Burning smell after driving



All times are GMT -8. The time now is 10:14 PM.