Most vehicles start out with a “new car smell,” but there are other specific odors that motorists should never ignore.

Identifying these suspect smells early on can help car owners be car care aware and avoid the hassle and expense of an unexpected breakdown, says the Car Care Council.

“Unusual smells can be the sign of serious, and potentially costly, trouble for your vehicle. By acting quickly and making necessary repairs, you’ll be able to breathe easy knowing there is no harmful damage to your car,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council.

The Car Care Council recommends a sniff test of your vehicle to identify any unusual smells, including the following six warning signs:

1. The smell of burnt rubber could be slipping drive belts or misplaced loose hoses that might be rubbing against rotating accessory drive pulleys. Do not reach in if the engine compartment is hot.

2. The smell of hot oil could mean that oil is leaking onto the exhaust system. To verify the leak, look for oil on the pavement or smoke coming from the engine area.

3. The smell of gasoline is likely the sign of a gas leak in some area of the vehicle such as a fuel injector line or the fuel tank. Any smell of fuel can result in a possible fire hazard, so immediate attention should be given.

4. The sweet smell of syrup may be a sign that your car is leaking engine coolant from a leaky component related to the car’s cooling system. Do not open the radiator cap when it is hot.

5. The smell of burning carpet could be a sign of brake trouble and a safety hazard. Have your brakes checked right away, especially if this smell is happening during normal driving conditions.

6. The smell of rotten eggs is never a good one and, if you smell it coming from your vehicle, it could mean a problem with your catalytic converter not converting the hydrogen sulfide in the exhaust to sulfur dioxide properly. This smell can also be attributed to a poor running engine, causing the catalytic converter to become overloaded and fail due to meltdown.

“When you smell any peculiar odor, you should not ignore it. Instead bring your vehicle to a professional service technician that you trust to get an informed opinion on the nature of the odor,” concluded White.

Can I take it to Kazeem

U didn't include d commonest and most frequently occuring one,d smell of an overheating engine.
Smell like vaporised water,like d kind of smell U encounter when U forget boiling water on d stove.
Then there's also d smell of improper combustion/rich mixture.Smells as if petrol /diesel itself is leaking into d cabin of d car.
There's also d unmistakable smell of electrical fire wc smells like burning rubber.

Hi

d

Bookmarked till I have my dream car

beautiful232:
Hi

Hello

dokyOloye:
U didn't include d commonest and most frequently occuring one,d smell of an overheating engine.
Smell like vaporised water,like d kind of smell U encounter when U forget boiling water on d stove.
Then there's also d smell of improper combustion/rich mixture.Smells as if fuel/diesel itself is leaking into d cabin of d car.

kk fanks

But I have a power bike

Do you Have any tips for me? :

Oh.very helpful

Thumbs up. This is the type of topic we need on FP.

Very informative

Interesting but how will you be able to differentiate the smell as some of them may bear similar odour.

This is informative especially for car owners, don't just ignore and think its normal.

Thumb's up.

.

@OP, good one..

Op, thanks for educating us

Thanks

Don't argue with me,you should be a mechanic

dokyOloye:
U didn't include d commonest and most frequently occuring one,d smell of an overheating engine.
Smell like vaporised water,like d kind of smell U encounter when U forget boiling water on d stove.
Then there's also d smell of improper combustion/rich mixture.Smells as if petrol /diesel itself is leaking into d cabin of d car.

I dont have a car yet but I have a gf who's mouth runs faster than a car engine and her demands drains my pocket like v8 engine consumes fuel.......
Plz advice me which smell I can detect from her

beautiful232:
But I have a power bike

Do you Have any tips for me? :

Yes, the colour of your exhaust e.g blue is dangerous

ikombe:
Hello

baranzy:
I dont have a car yet but I have a gf who's mouth runs faster than a car engine and her demands drains my pocket like v8 engine consumes fuel.......
Plz advice me which smell I can detect from her

The smell of her perfume

becuz kazeem cheap abior becuz for kazeem workshop u dey eye kafila wey her mama dey sell moi moi and ofada rice with assorted meatna big yansh go kill u ,after kazeem go scatter ur motor commot ur thermostat..we are waiting for u here to laugh at u..lol

ministeriallist:
Can I take it to Kazeem

movingforward:
Don't argue with me,you should be a mechanic

Lol,some of us started driving as a precocious 13yr old wt an old jalopy wc was overheating from time 2 time and hadn't a functioning temperature guage,so U gotta b agile/super observant.
The motor sef,na roll and start(battery is always dead or dying) ,so if d engine stall on U,U r on ya own.

ministeriallist:
Can I take it to Kazeem

Kazeem the real Kazeem or Kazeem like the Cynthia Whyte of MEND or the Abubakar Shekau of the Haramites.

baranzy:
I dont have a car yet but I have a gf who's mouth runs faster than a car engine and her demands drains my pocket like v8 engine consumes fuel.......
Plz advice me which smell I can detect from her

Mouth odour. Lolz.

beautiful232:
But I have a power bike
Do you Have any tips for me? :

Depends on your definition of "tips". I might have something for you. #winks.

What if u are enjoying the sweet smell of syrup?