If you smell burning oil coming from your engine, it could be a sign that your oil level is too low. This can also be a sign that the level of transmission oil in the transmission is too low. Finally, it can be a sign that you have an oil leak. All of these things can cause serious damage to the engine or transmission if you continue driving your automobile. Have your vehicle towed to our shop so we can find the problem and fix it. Aside from burning oil, here are other odors you may smell in your engine.
Electricity Odors
Hot electricity odors are an indication that the electrical system is overheating. This can happen if the alternator is malfunctioning and producing too much electricity. Unfortunately, if the electrical system overheats severely, you may end up with an electrical fire in the engine.
Rancid Sulfur
Rancid sulfur smells like rancid eggs. This is an indication that there is too much hydrogen sulfide in your vehicle’s exhaust. Consequently, this means that the catalytic converter is not doing its job. As such, we may need to replace the catalytic converter in order to resolve the problem.
Sweet Syrup
If you smell sweet and musty odors coming through the vents, you may have a coolant leak in the engine. Specifically, your coolant contains ethylene glycol, and this is the chemical that resembles the odor of maple syrup. The coolant could be leaking from the cooling system or heater core.
Damp Odors
Talking more about damp and musty odors, this is also a sign that your ventilation system has mildew and it. Thankfully, provided the mildew growth is not too severe, you can resolve this issue by drying up the mildew. To do this, turn on the fan at full force and leave it on.
Burnt Paper
We are also going to discuss strange odors that come from parts other than the engine. For example, if your clutch facing is burning away, you will smell burnt paper inside your automobile. We may be able to resolve the problem by rebuilding or replacing the clutch.
Burnt Carpet
Finally, burnt carpet odors are a dangerous sign. This is an indication that the brake pads are too hot and your brake system is overheating. You may also smell burning chemical odors if this is the case. Unfortunately, an overheated brake system may fail.
Give us a call today so we can set up a service visit for your automobile if it is producing strange odors.
