How to Diagnose Automotive Vehicle Smells and Odors

Vehicles often give off odors and smells that help to indicate that something is wrong with the car or truck. What are these smells and how can they give us clues as to what could need a car repair?

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sense of smell

1. The smell of burned toast may indicate an electrical short with subsequent burning insulation material.

2. A rotten-egg or sulfur smell could indicate a dangerous emissions system leak.

3. The smell of gasoline could mean a leak in the fuel system. If you have just attempted to start the car and failed a few times, it could just be the engine is "flooded" with gas.

4. A strong chemical odor could mean that the brakes or clutch have overheated.

5. A sweet odor could indicate a coolant or antifreeze leak.

Tips & Warnings

• All of these odors and smells are warning signs
• Take the vehicle in for service and to get these odors correctly diagnosed

[Karenc1972]

on 6/29/2008 Thanks for sharing!

[MidniteWriter]

on 6/28/2008 Found out one smell similar to burning plastic was a cracked manifold. Your article is very useful!

[amylaine]

on 6/27/2008 I will have to email this to my sister. Great info.