CAR SMELLS

Car Smells: Burning Oil Smell & Bad Car Smells | ACDelco

Learning to pinpoint strange vehicle odors can help your automotive technician diagnose the real cause of the problem. Here are a few common car smell complaints.

TYPE OF CAR SMELL

POSSIBLE PROBLEM

 
 
 
 
Sweet smell, usually accompanied by steam from under the hood
Antifreeze or coolant leak
Clear liquid with a smell
Brake fluid leak
Heavy, thick smell, possibly accompanied by smoke from under the hood or from the exhaust
Burning oil
Acrid smell, like burned toast
Electrical short
Continuous, heavy sulfur smell, like rotten eggs
Emissions
Burning material or rubber smell
Overheated brakes or clutch
Metallic smell, usually accompanied by antifreeze/coolant smell
Overheating