What’s That Smell? Knowing Your Car’s Downfalls By Scent!

There are a million and one problems that can go wrong with your car; but did you know you can define most of them by smell? Here’s what your car scents are telling you!

Burnt Rubber
This smell could mean slipping drive belts or misplaced loose hoses that might be rubbing against rotating accessory drive pulleys. Remember to not reach in the engine if it’s hot!

Hot Oil
A hot oil smell can mean that oil is leaking into the exhaust system. To verify the leak, look for oil on the pavement or smoke coming from the engine area. Make sure you turn off the engine before checking for a leak.

Gasoline
This may be a sign of a gas leak, possible a fuel injector line or the fuel tank. Note: keep in mind that any fuel smells are potentially a fire hazard, so don’t wait to fix this issue!

Syrup
If you smell a sweet syrupy smell, this could be a sign that coolant is leaking from the car’s cooling system. If the radiator cap is hot, don’t open it!

Burning Carpet
This is a sign of brake trouble! If you smell this at any time, get your brakes checked. If you smell it during normal driving conditions, then find assistance immediately!

Rotten Eggs
What a yucky smell! This scent probably means the catalytic converter is not converting hydrogen sulfide in the exhaust to sulfur dioxide properly. If the engine is poorly running, the catalytic converter can become overloaded, fail and have a meltdown!

While our main purpose at U Wrench It is to sell used parts and buy used cars, our main priority is SAFETY! If you have any questions about your car, contact us!