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burning plastic smell

S

SVTJON87

Hard-core CEG'er
Joined
May 29, 2006
Messages
3,682
Location
Glen Ellyn, IL
yesterday while driving to the store with the heat on i smelled a burning plastic like smell. this smells like plastic not rubber. almost like a plastic bag got stuck on my exhaust. i even looked to see if there was a bag stuck. no bag. well today it happened again. after i got home i popped the hood and sniffed around, nothing just a lingering smell. started the car and looked, smelled and listened around. everything checked out good. as far as the motor goes nothing is rubbing (like i belt). i was able to smell it in the drivers front wheel well. felt around the tire to see if anything was warm, again nothing. then i stuck my nose in the wiper cowl. i could smell it there stronger. I'm wondering if this has something to do with the heat on. again the smell is like burning plastic. not rubber, not electrical, not oil. I'm kinda at a loss here. i don't really want to drive it much as i kinda just kinda fear a fire.

thanks everyone. if i have left something out that could be helpful let me know.
 
Do you have all the speeds on your heater fan control? Maybe the blower motor resistor burnt up.
 
yeps everything works.

i think i might be able to rule out the heat/air. i let it warm up before heading out and i smelled it again with the blower/heat off. i smelled it sniffing around the drivers front fender.
 
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that was the next thing i was going to look at. damn i want my garage heater.

this may sound stupid but what should i be looking for? discolored wires to indicate heat, and cut wires touching others, etc? along those lines?
 
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Yes, and oil leaks (trans, steering they have odd smells). Radiator fluid smells sweet, that is probably not it.
 
Burning Smell

Burning Smell

Had similar smell/problem on my 98 SE for a couple of months...during the summer though. I had all speeds on my fan, so initially didn't think I had a blower resistor problem...however, all of a sudden one day the fan only had low and high, and went I went in to replace the blower resistor, it was burnt pretty bad - black, charred, etc. Pretty sure this was the source of the smell - and i wished I had replaced it sooner for $30 and a bit of labor, given what was going on...
 
its not the blower. it smells like it outside the car with no blower on. and I'm not getting the smell anymore inside. right now I'm thinking the left fog light might be it. or its the underside of my fuse box. i have yet to look. but i have not been driving my car.
 
what's with the fog light? I had a bulb explode inside my passenger side one but never a burning plastic smell from it. Are your wires melting around it or something?
 
i have no idea. the smell is coming from the drivers fender. like smelling around the tire. i have not looked yet. i was hoping to barrow my Buddy's heater but i haven't seen him.

I'm going to remove the tire after the car is has warmed up and take off some splash shields.
 
Tony2005 said:
Check below the Power Distribution Box next to the battery.
Click to expand...

Id be looking there first...

My SE looks like the previous owner may have had a problem with some melted plastic/wires at one point.:laugh:
 
yea its not the brakes. I'm sure its the fuse box. i just need to jack it up and pull the fender liner out for a better look around there. because the smell is coming from there. i also would not be surprised if its the end of a plastic push rivet from when i took the hood liner out along time ago. there was a end of one floating around inside my hood. it could have fell out within the last week. cause thats the last time i heard it moving around.

the reason I'm going to pull the fender liner out is because with the hood open i cant smell it around the fuse box.
 
good luck whatever it is. hopefully it's just somethin small and quick unlike the leaking valve cover and oil pan gasket on my mystique.
 
i know its not those. the only thing leaking at all is my timing chain cover. but its not enough to justify the horrible replacement of the gasket.
 
nope. smells just like if you burnt a plastic bag. i now reason to believe that it may be drive/ steering related. i will try and take a good look tomorrow
 
Would it be possible that you are burning fluid...say, power steering fluid, perhaps? It seems like an unlikely longshot, though.
 
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