This is ODD.. Burnt Smell while driving fast

[KaziKai]

OK Ill try to explain this as best as i can!

When im on the freeway, starting from the on ramp.. I step on the gas pedal to get it to 65MPH. after about a few seconds... I can smell like burnt hair smell.. its coming from my vents... but if I close my vents... I can smell a lil of it...

Tonight... I was thinking if that could be transmission fluid that is burning. I know it cant be the belts cause I just had them all changed... it cant be oil... cause burnt oil does not smell like that. anyone has any idea what that might be please let me know!

[criz067]

Over the weekend i was driving my girlfriend's car down the interstate and smelt a burning smell...then the car started shaking...then the tire blew out. All that was in a relatively short amount of time so that may not be your problem.

But to be on the safe side you could check to see if anything was rubbing the tires b/c the one that blew out on me was only a year old with a lot of tread left but for some reason it blew out.

[Stepsascend]

My car smells like rotten eggs or something when I really step on the gas. At about 5500Rpms it starts to smell like complete ass, id like to know why too..maybe its just the smell of the gas.

[shovelman]

My car smells like rotten eggs or something when I really step on the gas. At about 5500Rpms it starts to smell like complete ass, id like to know why too..maybe its just the smell of the gas.

thats your catalytic convertor, get it replaced.

[Stepsascend]

Crap.

[JoeRad]

how much are they, because i too suffer from high speed ass smell

[Stepsascend]

Im looking at a magnaflow cat for $89 but im going to look around a bit more. That seems kinda cheap.

[qnz]

maybe you have a plastic bag melting on your exhaust

[johnygezony]

Or something fell in the vents ?

[G-spot]

like a rat?

[Joshua42007]

I just experienced the exact same problem today, the burnt hair smell. I began to smell it while driving on the highway going 55-60 Mph. When i noticed it, first thing came to my mind was this post on TGC. Lol hopefully we can resolve this situation.

[WhiteGalant]

how much are they, because i too suffer from high speed ass smell

Lolololol high speed ass smell

[KaziKai]

like a rat?

lmao!

[KaziKai]

I just experienced the exact same problem today, the burnt hair smell. I began to smell it while driving on the highway going 55-60 Mph. When i noticed it, first thing came to my mind was this post on TGC. Lol hopefully we can resolve this situation.

Yeah I cant figure it out yet... I looked around and under my car.. my tires are not hitting anything.

I just wonder could it be the transmission cause awhile back I checked the tranny fluid it had a lil scent of burning but not as much as if I were to go 55-70mph.. and for it to go thru the vents.. its odd.. I dont see where the tranny would be connected to the air vent...

I might just go try to change my tranny fluid and see if that might be the reason I will keep this updated!

Unless anyone can figure out what it might be!

[Rach3T8G]

Would it be better to get a hi-flow cat to fix this? cuz i have the same problem

[KaziKai]

haha!

Im not the only one that has the same problems!

Anyone has solved this problem yet?

[JoeRad]

i dont have a good solution, but i have a cheap one.

get a good air freshener and ignore

[ricky_db]

eeeh agin? for peets sake its just the neighborhood lol

[Joshua42007]

Yeah I cant figure it out yet... I looked around and under my car.. my tires are not hitting anything.

I just wonder could it be the transmission cause awhile back I checked the tranny fluid it had a lil scent of burning but not as much as if I were to go 55-70mph.. and for it to go thru the vents.. its odd.. I dont see where the tranny would be connected to the air vent...

I might just go try to change my tranny fluid and see if that might be the reason I will keep this updated!

Unless anyone can figure out what it might be!

i dont think its the tranny, but i could be wrong. I have an 02 I4, i did a complete tranny flush/ fluid change, oil change with filter, new air filter, new spark plugs, clean MAF sensor and cleaned throttle body. I think the problem might have went away, but again i could be wrong. Ill keep you posted to see if it went away for good or not.

[G-spot]

How does burnt heater core smell like?

[tjones156]

If you have no car malfunctions and the smell is coming from your vents, then im pretty sure its your interior ventilation filter. Its right behind your glove box and only 2 bolts hold it in place on the cover. When I changed mine the smell went away. Its a very inexpensive fix, so I would try that first.

[Joshua42007]

If you have no car malfunctions and the smell is coming from your vents, then im pretty sure its your interior ventilation filter. Its right behind your glove box and only 2 bolts hold it in place on the cover. When I changed mine the smell went away. Its a very inexpensive fix, so I would try that first.

Is that the little piece of foam above where the cabin air filter is supposed to be?

[tjones156]

Is that the little piece of foam above where the cabin air filter is supposed to be?

Its not foam, its an actual flat air filter cartridge. Follow what I said and you'll see it soon as you take your glove box out or refer to the Haynes Manual for our whip section 1-20

[beam514]

Yea I would say check your in cabin air filter (if you have one). Or at least clean it. When I took mine out to clean a couple years ago (the first time since we bought the car in 1999) there was a whole load of junk on there: bees, rocks, flowers, leaves, etc. That stuff could probably end up smelling weird after awhile.

And to answer G-Spot's question, I'm assuming burnt heater core smells sweet, because it uses coolant and burning coolant smells sweet, at least once it comes out the exhaust.

[KaziKai]

If you have no car malfunctions and the smell is coming from your vents, then im pretty sure its your interior ventilation filter. Its right behind your glove box and only 2 bolts hold it in place on the cover. When I changed mine the smell went away. Its a very inexpensive fix, so I would try that first.

Do you have the photo of where it is? cause I looked. I dont see anything with 2 screws that would have an access to the cabin filter.
I do have an 03 8G

[Reelax]

Do you have the photo of where it is? cause I looked. I dont see anything with 2 screws that would have an access to the cabin filter.
I do have an 03 8G

u don't have a cabin filter. only '99-'01 had them.

[KaziKai]

u don't have a cabin filter. only '99-'01 had them.

Yeah thats wat I thought..

so I guess im back to square 1

[KaziKai]

ok So.. I think its just the burnt heater core... cause when i switch it over to cold and have the ac on.. and drive.. i dont smell it as strong as it was when i had in on the heat side. So that might be the smell problem... I could be wrong...

And why an 03 8g does not have a in cabin air filter? or is it there but not able to be reached?

[tamim13]

Mine's an 03 as well, ES. It doesn't have a cabin filter, but you can buy the tray and the filter from the dealer and install it, it has all the mounting points for one, just have to break the plastic cover away.

[Rach3T8G]

it cant be the cabin filter if you smell it outside your car

[Corey2kG]

you may be burning oil i had an oil leak and the issue i fixed the leak n it went away

[G-spot]

no you can smell burning oil and it smells like, you guess it, oil. And coolant smells like sweet corn syurp. This smell like something is burning within the vents and if you check under the hood, all is normal.

[KaziKai]

No its not oil.. I dont have a leak anywhere...

As for the cabin filter.. that interesting.. anyone one got a photo of where its located?

[G-spot]

behind the glove box. 1999-2000 models have two phillip screws attached to the filter while the 2001-03 has a plastic blank in place of it. You can get it converted with just a flat head screwdriver and a hammer but I'm too lazy to write up a tutorial right now.

[mattienorton]

To me it deff. sounds like tranny burning. I had a 95 eclipse rs that experienced this same smell. I don't know if its a stick or not, but i do know that i mistook that smell in the eclipse for just oil, and it turned out to be my clutch. It was just lightly burning the fibers and for some reason it smelled like burnt hair. If i WAS you. I WOULD deff. just go get a tranny flush, and then monitor and watch my clutch.

I havn't had this problem yet on my 04 galant but then again its an auto. Check out the oil, then come back and let us know.

[KaziKai]

To me it deff. sounds like tranny burning. I had a 95 eclipse rs that experienced this same smell. I don't know if its a stick or not, but i do know that i mistook that smell in the eclipse for just oil, and it turned out to be my clutch. It was just lightly burning the fibers and for some reason it smelled like burnt hair. If i WAS you. I WOULD deff. just go get a tranny flush, and then monitor and watch my clutch.

I havn't had this problem yet on my 04 galant but then again its an auto. Check out the oil, then come back and let us know.

Ah ok.. I want to change my tranny fluid myself.. but I cant get that damn bolt off.... its STUCK I might just have to take it in to a shop.. really dont feel like it... But thanks for the advise.. I have changed all the fluids in the car and I had a feeling it was the tranny but thats a sealed system... so I never thought it would be that.. Im going to do that tmr and will let everyone know... I do have an auto still...

[Brianfly]

sounds like the issue I'm having, but I'm smelling burnt plastic.

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o143/WorldWideVitamin/DSC03354.jpg

I checked my A/C fan speed switch connector and saw it melted. It happened after I had all the belts and sprockets replaced. I got 143,000 on it, and the only problem I've had with this car is 2 good size cracks between the exhaust manifold and the cat.

Check behind the A/C module, remove the fan speed connector and check it for burntness. btw, I'm in a 01 galant 2.4 I don't know why this is getting so hot.

[joegalant]

i love how every1 know what burnt hair smells like