Why does my car smell like something’s burning?
Been driving along Te Rapa Straight or out to Morrinsville Road and copped a whiff of something burning through the vents? Happens a lot more than people think, especially with all the stop-start stuff we get in Hamilton traffic. At Grimmer Motors, we see this heaps, especially after a run-in with those bumpy suburban streets round Nawton, or the odd pothole out in Rototuna. If your car smells like it’s burning, don’t just hope it goes away. It’s usually telling you something’s wearing out, or getting too hot somewhere under the bonnet.
Common reasons you might notice a burning smell
Worn clutch – A lot of folks driving manuals, whether it’s an old Suzuki Swift or a Volkswagen Golf, will tell us they smell burning when they’re shifting gears, especially after tackling Dinsdale’s hills or doing a bit of towing down to Cambridge. A cooked clutch can stink pretty bad. Sometimes it’s just wear, other times the clutch plate or pressure plate’s warped, so it starts cooking itself.
Overheated brakes – If you’re always slamming the brakes hard on Ulster Street, or arriving late for school runs in Chartwell, you can overheat your brake pads. Makes a horrible hot smell, and if it’s been going a while you might have a sticking caliper (seen this a lot on Mazda Demios, but it can happen on most things, even late-model Nissan X-Trails). When brakes drag, they’re not just noisy, they get real hot and start to stink.
Burnt oil smell – Noticed a burnt oil smell after getting your Honda Fit or Peugeot 308 serviced? Sometimes an oil leak will drip onto the exhaust, especially common on older BMWs and Subarus we see from Raglan or Te Awamutu. If the oil looks fine and you’re still getting a hot smell, your engine could be running low and starting to work overtime to keep cool. Careful here, you don’t want it seizing!
Low engine coolant – Hamilton gets a bit of everything weather-wise, right? If your coolant’s low in those hot summer backups on Wairere Drive, your engine can start to overheat and give off that tell-tale hot smell. Seen lots of Toyotas roll in like this after a day stuck in city traffic.
Overheating catalytic converters – Happens a bit with older Audis and late-2000s Mazda Axelas. If your check engine light’s on and you smell burning near the exhaust, could be too much unburnt fuel going through. Converters aren’t cheap to replace (can be over a grand), so best to keep up with regular car servicing here in Hamilton.
Rubbing tyres – Ever hit too many speed humps out in Flagstaff, or clipped a kerb turning into The Base? Sometimes you’ll bend a bit of plastic or a mudflap, and it starts rubbing on the tyre. If you smell burning rubber, have a look at the wheel arches—seen it all from Honda Civics to Ford Rangers.
Electrical burning – That sharp, plasticky burning? Usually a dodgy wire. We get all sorts: late-model Hyundai i30s with fuse box issues, or a Toyota Aqua coming in with a melted relay. Bit of Hamilton moisture and an old battery, that’s all it takes.
What should you do if you notice burning smells?
Point is, burning smells mean something’s not right—and over time, it only gets worse (and usually more expensive). Whether it’s your clutch, brakes, a bit of dodgy wiring, or just an old gasket leaking oil, best to get it checked early. We see a good mix of drivers—heaps of women coming in with their daily runners, blokes with trade utes, the odd retired couple in their Volvo or Corolla.
Bring your car to us at Grimmer Motors. Our technicians have diagnosed pretty much every car smell going, and we’re quicker at sorting car problems because we’ve seen it all—from WOF Hamilton to hybrid repairs. We’re happy to have a yarn, help you understand what’s going on, and get you back out on the road safe as.