Plastic burn smell when opening driver door. Cannot smell inside cabin. Oil full, brakes ok.
This smell started suddenly, seemingly after I used the steering wheel heater one night. I got out of the car, smelled it, ran errands, returned to car, smell gone, drove home, got out, smell again. Opened hood, no smell. Checked all four brake surfaces, cool to touch. 4,6L AWD. Every accessory except HUD. Suspect electrical short, maybe fuse, but cannot figure out which fuse it's connected to.
My car has 60000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Hi there. It is very difficult to "guess" as to the cause of a smell like you’ve described without being their to inspection the car personally. I would highly recommend having a professional mechanic complete a smell in the car inspection; especially if you believe it to be an electrical short.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :
Burning Plastic Smell: This usually means that another part of your vehicle is contacting the exhaust and is melting. If you ran over something on the road, this can be burning on the exhaust, or if a part of your vehicle is loose, it might be touching it.
Phantosmia is a condition that causes you to detect smells that aren`t actually in your environment. It can happen in one nostril or both — and the odors may be foul or pleasant. Common causes include colds, allergies, nasal polyps and dental issues.
Why Does My Car Smell Like It`s Overheating, But It`s Not? When you get a burning smell, even when your car isn`t overheating, it could mean you have a coolant leak. The leak could occur from a loose or faulty coolant reservoir cap or a more serious fault. You could also get a burning smell from a defective heater.
Plastic Burning Smell in House
Faulty wiring or an overheated appliance can have an odor that smells like burning plastic. If it`s coming from your HVAC system, it could be from an overheated blower motor — possibly due to heavy dust buildup or a clogged air filter.
Why does my house suddenly smell like burning plastic? The burning plastic smell is an indication of an electrical fire. If your AC gives out such a smell, shut it down immediately and unplug it. Next, call your HVAC technician.
“What you`re probably smelling is from the condensation that comes from the evaporator inside your heating and cooling system. Basically, water collects in that area and, if it sits long enough, creates the musty smell,” explained Consumer Reports` Mike Monticello.
That being said, an electrical fire can smell like the following: Burning Plastic: The acrid odor of an electrical fire is often described as that of burning plastic. This is because wiring insulation, connectors, and many other electrical components are made of plastic materials.
Car burning smell
Should this happen, it will indicate that you have a burnt out fuse, the air conditioning unit has overheated, or maybe your brake pads have worn down and need replacing immediately.
If you notice a burning smell from your heater, it could be due to dust or debris in your vents that smoke or heat up, causing a burning smell. You may also have problems in the heater system, including a bad motor, rotten heater core, or another issue that may cause antifreeze to leak into the system and burn.
It is extremely harmful to you, those around you and the environment. Very harmful toxins are released when burning plastic and can significantly increase the chances of cancer, respiratory illnesses and birth defects. It can also greatly damage internal organs and the hormonal system.
Carbon monoxide has no smell. It is an odorless, colorless gas that`s a byproduct of combustion. Because carbon monoxide can leak from your gas furnace, stove, dryer, water heater, wood stove or gas fireplace, it is essential to put safeguards in place for immediate detection when a leak occurs.
Methamphetamine addiction is dangerous. When meth is smoked, it emits a potent odor that many say smells like chemicals or cleaning products; others say meth smells like burnt plastic. Additionally, after someone goes on a meth binge, their sweat may start to smell similar to ammonia.
Reason #3: Bad Catalytic Converter
It can stop breaking down the sulfur made during combustion. As a result, excess sulfur in the exhaust gas can often be detected in the cabin as sulfur has a distinct rotten egg odor.
A pretty common issue that occurs with engines that are running low on oil is a strong burning oil smell. If you`re driving and you start to smell an oily odor coming from somewhere, that`s usually a pretty good sign your vehicle is due for an oil change.
Failing Catalytic Converter (Sulfur Smell)
Over time, the catalytic converter can become overheated, contaminated with gasoline in the exhaust or simply wear out. When this happens, you`re likely to notice a rotten egg, sulphurous smell coming from the exhaust. You may even smell it in the cabin.
Phantosmia: What causes olfactory hallucinations? Phantosmia is when a person smells something that is not actually there. The smells vary between individuals but are usually unpleasant, such as burnt toast, metallic, or chemical smells. Possible causes range from nasal polyps to a stroke.
Electrical Burning
A smell like singed wires likely indicates an overheating metal component, while a more metallic smell may come from a damaged rubber component. To prevent an automatic shutoff and reduce the risk of fire, turn off the furnace until a professional can find and replace the overheating components.
The oil is probably leaking down onto the hot exhaust system and burning off — leaving an odor but no drops. As long as the oil level doesn`t drop below a safe level, this leak isn`t harmful. But if you`re going to keep the car, I`d recommend having the gasket replaced.
If you notice the smell in your car, there`s most likely a coolant leak, which can be caused by the engine overheating and/or having other performance issues. Check underneath your car for moisture and condensation as well as puddles under your engine compartment.
Generally speaking, burnt oil will have a thick, acrid odor. Its unpleasantness will stand out during your drive, and more often than not, you won`t be able to overlook its presence. When this happens, you should safely pull over to examine your engine and check for the cause of the foul smell.
Plastics have a taste and smell because they aren`t as inert as we would like to think they are. Common plastics exude their more-volatile components – plasticisers such as bisphenols, for example. These can be smelled and tasted by us, and can also mimic oestrogen.
There were eight main classes of odors from PVC-overlaid MDF: aromatic, fresh scent, fruity, sour, sweet, grassy, pungent, and special scent.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
Plastic burn smell when opening driver door. Cannot smell inside cabin. Oil full, brakes ok.
ANSWER : Hi there. It is very difficult to "guess" as to the cause of a smell like you’ve described without being their to inspection the car personally. I would highly recommend having a professional mechanic complete a smell in the car inspection; especially if you believe it to be an electrical short.
Just found out that my vehicle has been leaking oil for at least 2 yrs. Would smelling that burning oil smell cause health issues?
ANSWER : Hi Larry. As the co-founder or a non-profit that focuses on education, awareness and screening for respiratory diseases targeting the automotive community, I am happy to answer a few questions for you to clear up some facts. First, there are multiple materials, chemicals, and substances on a vehicle that are emitted from the mechanical actions of the vehicle that MIGHT reduce respiratory function and lead to a diagnosis of COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) or other respiratory diseases. However, it is nearly impossible to prove the precise source that can cause respiratory problems. Whether due to excessive exposure to these substances, social choices (smoking), workplace environment, indoor air quality in the home, even certain genetic conditions, it is possible for lung function to decrease over time. At Right2Breathe.org, we always recommend that anyone that is experiencing any breathing issues, visits their primary care physician and have them complete a spirometry exam (a non-evasive breathing test). This will allow them to measure your lung’s function and begin the official diagnosis process. Thank you very much for asking this important question. Feel free to contact us if you have further questions.
Hi both of my doors of my 04 350z will not open from the outside but if window is open I can open from inside handle. Sounds elec
ANSWER : Hi there. It is possible that the problem with your doors is electrical, however, there are multiple individual components that make up the electric door locks, ranging from solenoids, to relays, fuses, control module and the door lock itself. Before receiving a price quote on what it would cost to fix it, it would first require an inspection to properly diagnose what is damaged and needs to be fixed. I would recommend having one of our professional mobile mechanics come to your location and complete a door will not open inspection first, so they can pinpoint the source of your issue and recommend the right repairs.
Hi Kelly, we have a 1999 bmw 323i and the driver side door won ‘t open from the outside but opens from the inside. While our 2006
ANSWER : Hi Rachel. Thanks for contacting YourMechanic.com about the door problems that your BMW and Volvo are experiencing. Our process for completing repairs is a bit different than most garages, dealerships or repair centers. Since we are mobile, the first thing we suggest is setting up an inspection to determine what exactly is damaged and causing the problem. On most cars, trucks and SUV’s sold today, there are more five individual components and systems that must all work together – just to open a door. Knowing what item is broken and requires replacement is the best way to ensure the repair is done efficiently and you save money. Since there are two different cars, with two different door issues, it would be best for you to set up a door will not open inspection first; which will allow us to diagnose each component failure, secure the right replacement parts and complete the repairs for you at your location.
The driver side door wont open even though its unlocked what part do I need to get to fix the problem?
ANSWER : The drivers door inside panel will need to come off to reconnect the latch handle control arm. Sometimes the plastic clips that hold the rod on break and rod fall off and jams the door shut. The latch rod can be released by using a locksmith kit and lifting up on loose rod. Have a locksmith get the door open then a mechanic like one from YourMechanic can remove the door panel to get to and fix the broken clip or handle.
Drivers door won’t open with fob and no beep when door is opened, or when it is accidentally left open
ANSWER : The reason is the driver’s door lock actuator is not working properly and will need to be replaced before anything else is tested. I recommend having a mechanic, like one from YourMechanic, come and replace the door lock actuator and check the latch for you.
Door unlocked alarm, no power window or door lock on driver door only, interior light comes on with L turn signa
ANSWER : Hi there. In general, wiring harnesses are sold by the manufacturer as a whole harness; not individual wires. It is much easier, cost-efficient and safer to replace the entire harness if it’s determined that it is faulty and the source of your alarm / door issue. It would be best to have one of our mobile mechanics come to your location and complete an electrical problems inspection though, as it’s possible that this issue is related to an error code trapped in the ECU. If this is the case, simply clearing the code will resolve the problem. If the issue is determined to be the wiring harness or an exposed wire, they can recommend and most likely complete the repairs as well.
lost all oil pressure, replaced the oil pump, low oil sensor, oil pressure sensor, oil pan gasket,
ANSWER : The fuel pump will not stay on if you loose oil pressure. This is why it is shutting off. The loss of oil pressure may be from bad crankshaft bearings or camshaft bearings. The engine oil pan should be removed and the oil pump needs to be checked to ensure that you put in the pick up tube seal to the pump and connected the pump to the block. Then remove at least one main bearing cap and inspect the bearings for excessive wear and crankshaft damage. If you need some help with this, consider YourMechanic, as a certified technician can help diagnose the issue with your oil pressure firsthand and help you fix it accordingly.
