Burning Smell???

[aled]

Hi

I was hoping somebody might beable to help me?

I have a standard Mark II registered in April 2002.

I have recently noticed a burning smell coming from the rear of the car. I have had the wheels off and it is not the breaks which was my first place to check.

I only have to drive the car for 5 minutes and the smell appears!!!

It doesnt matter how hard I drive either!!

Could it be something to do with clutch??

Or maybe something to close to the exhaust??

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

[gfun]

Whats it smell like - plastic, resin, oil, paint?

[Bonce]

- Can you track it down to any particular region?
- Any signs of smoke or vapour? If so, what colour?
- Stick your head well inside the engine bay and look all around with a torch - any signs of any fluids leaking or dripping anywhere that you can see?

[waspygill]

posterd soem questions re this on seloc but you disappeared, did you find it?

Gill
@Sinclaire

[aled]

No vapour smoke or anything else

Smell is at rear but not one particular region

Smell is an asbestos/rubber smell not oil

Havent found the thread on Seloc but am going to look now

[Martin_S]

aled said:

No vapour smoke or anything else Smell is at rear but not one particular region Smell is an asbestos/rubber smell not oil Havent found the thread on Seloc but am going to look now

Sounds like it could be the clutch - very distinctive smell, difficult to describe, but asbestos/rubber is as good a description as any.

I get the odd whiff of clutch now and again and don't worry about it, but if you are getting it constantly it may be that the clutch is slipping.

[gfun]

Echo comments on clutch - but only if its working hard - laying rubber etc - otherwise sounds like its slipping.

[aled]

Thats what I thought!!

Might be clutch!!

But as I had at a Lotus garage I thought they might have checked that!!!!!!!

Also would I not notice something when driving??

[Bonce]

When my clutch started going it was pretty obvious. Just watch your tacho for revs rising too quickly and falling back when you stop accellerating.

I found myself doing 7000rpm in third gear but only 50 miles an hour.
It never slipped in 1st and 2nd for some reason, but if I booted it in fifth gear at 70 it would slip.

[fergusd]

Bonce said:

It never slipped in 1st and 2nd for some reason, but if I booted it in fifth gear at 70 it would slip.

. . . because . . . contrary to popular belief maximum load is on the _CLUTCH_ in higher gears . . . not lower gears . . .

;-)

Fd

[Bonce]

I know, a chap called FergusD taught me that a few months ago.

[aled]

Its not the clutch then!!

Drove from Northampton to Bedford about 20 miles!!

No problem!!

Performed as it always has!! Awesome!!!

Thats with 2 esprits behind me as well!!

[Bonce]

Could they smell anything?

[aled]

First on tuesday last week they said they couldnt but I made them go out in it again!!

Then on thursday the head of servicing said he could smell something!!

When I went to pick it up on Saturday they made me go for a test drive with one of the servicing engineers because they could not smell anything unusual!!

When we came back from the test drive the engineer admitted that there was an unusual burning smell!!

But said he didnt know what it was but he didnt think it was anything major!!

Which is why I will never be going back to Orchard and advise everybody else to stay clear!!

I think they service more protons than lotus!!

[Bonce]

Hang on, you say that you're never going back to Orchard because they don't think your car has a major problem... what if they're right? What if there's nothing at all wrong? Bit unfounded isn't it?

Please respect Ted's naming and shaming policy on the forums.
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/rules.htm

[dragstar]

Bonce said:

Bit unfounded isn't it?

does yours have an unusual burning smell?

[Bonce]

My car make all sorts of unusual smells and noises. Kind of like my girlfriend.

[dragstar]

[aled]

Its not weather there right or not!!

Its there attitude!!

They had the car for a week!!! And still had no idea what the smell was!!

[aromaT]

It could be the camblt rubbing on the plastic casing - this is not that uncommon and can do esactly what you describe.

It would be worth inspecting inside the cam belt cover through the rear RHS wheel arch.

If it is this it needs sorting. They usually rub over the RHS as youlook at the belt in position.