That smell!
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2019 G70 6MT & 2022 Ford Maverick XL
That smell!
Okay.. so for the past few days, my car stinks after it is driven. Not a sulphur/gas related smell, not a dead-animal smell, but something completely different. It permeates from underneath the car after it's parked and can only be smelled outside the car. A friend told me it smelled like rotten food. To me, it smells sickly sweet & burnt, like burning plastic only sweeter. It's horrible and I can't find the source. I've opened the hood and it isn't coming from there. Just now when I parked it, it seemed like it could possibly be coming from the rear brakes. They are worn out (visually you can see it), but they're not making any noise. My car has no rear pad sensors. It is behaving and driving normally.
Any ideas? It's horrible and I'm worried something is going to happen.
Any ideas? It's horrible and I'm worried something is going to happen.
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From: Saint Augustine, FL
1999 CLK320 (sold), 2007 C230 SS (gone), 2000 Grand Marquis, 2011 CR-Z, stay tuned...
Sounds like antifreeze to me. Anything dripping? Maybe it's just dripping onto your engine and burning off. Sorry, that's all I've got.
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Joined: May 2009
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From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada, eh!
2003 C230 Sports Coupe, Paprika Metallic Red, Auto, Pano, Leather
The only way burning anti-freeze smell could be coming from the rear is if you had a engine gasket leak where anti-freeze is leaking into the engine and mixing with engine oil. 
The engine burns off the anti-freeze,... and you should also be seeing a blu-ish white exhaust smoke coming out of your tailpipe. Put it in neutral,.. idle and gas it,... rev the engine and see if there's any blu-ish white smoke coming out.
Another possibility is that you driven over a plastic bag and it got stabbed/stuck to the bottom of your exhaust system,...
The engine burns off the anti-freeze,... and you should also be seeing a blu-ish white exhaust smoke coming out of your tailpipe. Put it in neutral,.. idle and gas it,... rev the engine and see if there's any blu-ish white smoke coming out.Another possibility is that you driven over a plastic bag and it got stabbed/stuck to the bottom of your exhaust system,...
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From: SoCal. Desert
'16 E350, gone: '03 c230k
Truly hope it's just a bag that got melted (or something else stuck to) the exhaust somewhere. If it is a head gasket and your burning antifreeze you should notice a loss of coolant. Keep a close look for this - burning anti-freeze in the cylinders would not be a good thing...
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a C32 AMG & S-Works Tarmac
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
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2019 G70 6MT & 2022 Ford Maverick XL
It's not losing coolant or smoking from the exhaust in any scenario. But I also don't see anything under the car. Again today it seemed to be coming from rear brakes. They're pretty worn. I should replace them immeditately.
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From: Huntington Beach, Ca.
'17 Jaguar XF
Look at your strut bushings to see if they're leaking. I had a bad smell...not like burned oil, but close....and it turned out to be the silicone in the bushings getting hot. Wasn't leaking bad enough to spot the garage floor. Soon as I replaced them the smell stopped.
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2019 G70 6MT & 2022 Ford Maverick XL
RESOLVED!
I had the rear brakes replaced today, and while the car was on the lift we found a plastic bag stuck to the exhaust mid-way down the car. Gee, you people are smart.
I really didn't think it would be that simple because it never is for me. We removed all the we could and the rest will just have to burn off.
Did I mention that the brakes are really one of my favorite features about this car? They're robust and powerful, not frail and weak. The C230K was the first German for me, replacing a long line of mostly Honda cars. My original rear brakes had exactly 76,401 miles on them today - all that needed replaced were pads. The rotors were within spec and didn't even need machining. My fronts have 23,000 miles on them and are fine. No vibrations, noises.. excellent pedal feedback and smooth, powerful stops. Do you know what a Honda would do to its brakes in this amount of time? Rear brakes on modern Hondas last less than 20,000 miles in my experience. They were shot at 15,000 on my Civic Si (2007) and Accord (2005). I just love it that these brakes work so well and aren't fragile. Sorry, soapbox here..
I had the rear brakes replaced today, and while the car was on the lift we found a plastic bag stuck to the exhaust mid-way down the car. Gee, you people are smart.
I really didn't think it would be that simple because it never is for me. We removed all the we could and the rest will just have to burn off.Did I mention that the brakes are really one of my favorite features about this car? They're robust and powerful, not frail and weak. The C230K was the first German for me, replacing a long line of mostly Honda cars. My original rear brakes had exactly 76,401 miles on them today - all that needed replaced were pads. The rotors were within spec and didn't even need machining. My fronts have 23,000 miles on them and are fine. No vibrations, noises.. excellent pedal feedback and smooth, powerful stops. Do you know what a Honda would do to its brakes in this amount of time? Rear brakes on modern Hondas last less than 20,000 miles in my experience. They were shot at 15,000 on my Civic Si (2007) and Accord (2005). I just love it that these brakes work so well and aren't fragile. Sorry, soapbox here..
