Weird Car Odors and Their Causes

When you own a car, over time it?s likely that you?ll eat, drink, or smoke in your vehicle. The longer you own your car, the likelier it is that some different smells might arise. Luckily, bad odors in your car can give you an indication of something wrong that could be an easy fix, and you should not ignore it

Read on to know more about the types of different car aromas and their causes.

1) ?????Sweet: Antifreeze (ethylene glycol coolant) is very sweet, smelling like a delicious treat when there’s a leak inside your car. When you smell it from outside the car, it?s coming from the radiator itself but if you can strongly smell it in the passenger compartment or inside your car then it means that the leak could be from the heater core. You would also know if the coolant is leaking when there?s a filmy fog forming in the windshield once the heater is turned on. This sweet smell is toxic and could be a health hazard so it should be promptly addressed and should never be ignored.

2) ?????Musty: When you turn on the heater or the air conditioner and you get that nostalgic whiff of some gym socks, then it could be mildew forming inside the air conditioning evaporator system. Mold and mildew usually grow in the moisture condensing inside evaporator resulting to that musty aroma. Even though running the fan on high speed would help to dry out the system, there?s no assurance that it won?t happen again. This is because the stuffy smell can also be due to some water leaks dripping into the carpet or the interior.

3) ?????Electrical: Once you smell something like burnt toast inside your car, it should alarm you. A short circuit in an electrical component or overheated insulation usually causes this type of odor and it should be addressed immediately as it can cause fire, leading to serious harm and damage.

4) ?????Gas: Although it?s quite typical to smell a little gas when a cold engine is first started due to incomplete combustion, there are other potential causes of such a smell. Leaky fuel and injection lines may lead to gas leaks, causing the smell. Tracking down gas smells and identifying the source should be done thoroughly as it can possibly lead to fires.

5) ?????Rotten eggs: Fuel-injector problems usually cause this type of smell. A failed catalytic converter is not able to convert Hydrogen sulfide to sulfur dioxide resulting in a smell like rotten eggs in the exhaust system.

6) ?????Burning: Burning smells are usually caused by brakes and clutches. When you do aggressive braking or leave the parking brake while driving, it could surely cause your car to smell like this. Also, riding the clutch can cause it to slip, be worn out or overheat and cause a burnt smell similar to that of brake pads that got too hot.

Oil could be oozing onto a hot part of the engine or exhaust system. Objects like leaves, rodents, or oozing oil in the hot engine compartment or exhaust system can also cause the burnt smell in cars.

In regards to burning rubber smell, this is usually because of an overheated clutch plate, a hose that?s rubbing on any moving part or a worn accessory drive belt slipping in a broken pulley.

7) ?????Decomposing groceries: Aside from the mechanical breakdown that could be causing all the weird smells in your car, you might want to check some grocery items which may have rolled under your car seats from last week. These can also cause unpleasant odors.

Whatever is causing the odor in your car, it surely indicates some problem. To learn more about how you can protect your car, contact Velox Insurance for quality and affordable insurance coverage in Georgia. Call us at 770-293-0623 or visit our office today. You may also get a free quote by clicking here.