6 Vehicle Warning Smells you Should Know About

Smell something fishy in your car when you haven’t been eating in it? These strange smells may be indicators of a bigger problem within your vehicle. Here we have compiled 6 vehicle warning smells you should know about, in the event that there are pressing problems with your car that you are unaware about.

1) Burnt rubber

The smell could mean slipping drive belts or misplaced loose hoses that may be rubbing against rotating accessory drive pulleys.

(Caution: Do not reach in if the engine is hot.)

2) Hot Oil

The smell of hot oil could indicate that hot oil is leaking on to the exhaust system. To verify the leak, look for oil on the pavements or smoke emitting from the engine area.

(Caution: Turn off the engine before checking for a leak.)

3) Gasoline

The smell of gasoline is a likely sign of a gas leak, possibly a fuel injector line or the fuel tank.

(Caution: Any smell of fuel is a possible fire hazard, so immediate attention is required.)

4) Syrup

The sweet smell of syrup may be a sign that the car is leaking engine coolant from a component related to the car’s cooling system.

(Caution: Do not open the radiator cap when it is hot.)

5) Burning carpet

The smell of burning carpet could be a sign of brake troubles. Have your brakes checked right away, especially if the smell can be detected during normal driving conditions.

(Caution: Brake troubles is a serious safety hazard that needs to be treated.)

6) Rotten eggs

This smell could indicate that the catalytic converter is not converting hydrogen sulfide to hydrogen dioxide in the exhaust properly.

(Caution: A poor running engine can cause the catalytic converter to be overloaded and fail due to a meltdown.)