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Burning plastic smell?

  • Thread starter Thread starter scupking
  • Start date Start date Jul 12, 2008

scupking

Active Member
Sep 18, 2005
1,186
1
36
Enfield, CT
Jul 12, 2008
#1
  • Jul 12, 2008
  • #1
Waxed her and then took her for a 20 mile hard run around town seeing as its a nice day. I notice as I was getting close to the end of my cruise when I would stop I would smell a strong burning plastic sent. What could it be? I crawled around trying to figure out where it was coming from and it seems to be by the front brakes.
 

Silverstang02GT

New Member
Sep 30, 2002
60
0
0
Ft. Myers FL
Jul 12, 2008
#2
  • Jul 12, 2008
  • #2
This is probably not it but i had a similar problem going to work one morning. the burning smell was coming from the front and was actually smoking also. the fog light worked its way out and was resting on the plastic. i had them on so it was hot and was melting the plastic. just a thought.
 

98COBRA281

10 Year Member
Nov 24, 2007
1,348
30
59
Port St. Lucie, Florida
Jul 12, 2008
#3
  • Jul 12, 2008
  • #3
i had one on those plastic wire loom things melt on my exhaust...
 

scupking

Active Member
Sep 18, 2005
1,186
1
36
Enfield, CT
Jul 12, 2008
#4
  • Jul 12, 2008
  • #4
Silverstang02GT said:
This is probably not it but i had a similar problem going to work one morning. the burning smell was coming from the front and was actually smoking also. the fog light worked its way out and was resting on the plastic. i had them on so it was hot and was melting the plastic. just a thought.
Click to expand...

I didn't have my lights on so this isn't it.
 

Stark77

Member
Jun 11, 2008
501
0
16
Tallahassee, FL
Jul 12, 2008
#5
  • Jul 12, 2008
  • #5
Did you check your belt? Did you recently paint your brake calipers or installed anything new on the exhaust side?
 

BurningRubber

10 Year Member
Dec 6, 2004
1,865
24
58
Jul 12, 2008
#6
  • Jul 12, 2008
  • #6
I had something similar happen, except I wasnt running the car hard.

One of the wire looms on my front passenger side o2 sensors slipped off and got stuck on my catalytic converter (still had stock H at this time) and started melting/smoking. It smelled so bad I pulled over, thought the car was on fire.
 

scupking

Active Member
Sep 18, 2005
1,186
1
36
Enfield, CT
Jul 12, 2008
#7
  • Jul 12, 2008
  • #7
Stark77 said:
Did you check your belt? Did you recently paint your brake calipers or installed anything new on the exhaust side?
Click to expand...
Openend the hood and couldn't smell anything bad. I checked the belt. The last thing added was about 6 months ago.

BurningRubber said:
I had something similar happen, except I wasnt running the car hard.

One of the wire looms on my front passenger side o2 sensors slipped off and got stuck on my catalytic converter (still had stock H at this time) and started melting/smoking. It smelled so bad I pulled over, thought the car was on fire.
Click to expand...

hmmmm.... the only thing I can think of is that I ran over some news paper that flew in front of me. I gues that could have knocked something out. I had checked to see if the paper was stuck anywhere but I couldn't see anything. The thing is the smell was strongest by the brakes.
 

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell
Mod Dude
Feb 18, 2001
43,179
17,883
224
Massachusetts
Jul 12, 2008
#8
  • Jul 12, 2008
  • #8
I once ran over a plastic bag that hooked over the top of my h-pipe and metled.

Car smelled like burning plastic for weeks
 
B

BLKsteeda

New Member
Jul 12, 2004
236
0
0
Anywhere
Jul 14, 2008
#9
  • Jul 14, 2008
  • #9
Mustang5L5 said:
I once ran over a plastic bag that hooked over the top of my h-pipe and metled.

Car smelled like burning plastic for weeks
Click to expand...


+1 happened to me a few times...just a small bit of plastic bag melted on your exhaust will stink for a few days
 
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