| Author |
Message |
    
Martin Cutler
Frequent User
Username: martin
Post Number: 23
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Monday, 10 January, 2005 - 09:21: |    |
Hi guys,
I have a burning rubber smell that drifts into the cabin on a totally random basis. It can happen once in 50 miles, or 2-3 times. On saturday it happened 3 times, and this morning it happened once. I have checked all the obvious things, the rubber hoses for the heater going back to the heater core are well clear of the exhaust, there is nothing close to the exhaust anywhere. I checked the relay and cutout, nothing happening there, I am stumped where this smell could be coming from. What is rubber under the bonnet of a Mk VI that could melt? |
Robert Wort
Frequent User
Username: robert_wort
Post Number: 29
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Monday, 10 January, 2005 - 14:00: | |
Hello Martin,
If youv'e checked everything under the bonnet, have you checked the exhaust mounting brackets, engine mounts etc.? There could also be another area that may not be quite so obvoius, but it did happen to my Cloud a few years ago and that was tyre scrubbing. Have you checked to see if the inner walls of the tyres are rubbing up against the inner guard? I didn't realise that I had some damage in that area but it happened shortly after I travelled along an unsealed road and something must have been picked up by the tyre and thrown against the inner guard. It was easily fixed but I only noticed it when a burning smell was coming from the inner tyre wall. Hope this helps.
Robert |
Martin Cutler
Frequent User
Username: martin
Post Number: 24
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Monday, 10 January, 2005 - 15:29: | |
Hi Robert,
I just went through the exercise of changing the big cross plys for smaller radial tyres, 215/70/16 Falken's. I carefully checked the old tyres, and also carefully checked the new ones, as the smell had been coming through with both the old and the new tyres. No scrubbing evident, and I checked front AND back, as well as full lock. It's weird how the smell comes and goes, usually when travelling in a straight line on smooth roads at a constant speed, say 60 km/h.
Marty - fire extinguisher at the ready...... |
whunter
Grand Master
Username: whunter
Post Number: 133
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Monday, 10 January, 2005 - 16:45: | |
Hmmm.
Suggest:
Inspect exhaust system, is it to close to any rubber or body panel = heating or melting rubber floor matting under carpet.
Get an infrared hand held temperature gauge, and use it to check engine temperature, next time you smell rubber burning.
Look for loose drive belts, also remove drive belts and check for stiff bearings on water pump, etc.
Check for exhaust restriction, get an infrared hand held temperature gauge, and use it to check manifold and exhaust temperature, next time you smell rubber burning.
Use your infrared hand held temperature gauge on the dynamo, voltage regulator, bonnet wiring and dashboard wiring, a short = hot spot, some older wire smells like rubber burning. |
Patrick Lockyer.
Grand Master
Username: pat_lockyer
Post Number: 213
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Monday, 10 January, 2005 - 17:31: | |
Hi Martin.
Do check the fan belt,if it is a wide section belt they can slip at a certain speed.
On the first start up does the amp meter show a good '+' reading and show a slow return.
Is the amp meter fairly stable on a run when engine warmed up.
There are several other things to chech out but let us know about these first. |
Robert Wort
Frequent User
Username: robert_wort
Post Number: 30
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Monday, 10 January, 2005 - 22:53: | |
Hi Martin,
All of the above look like good suggestions. Perhaps Rob Chapman could also be contacted by you via the contact utilities.
Good luck Martin. Hope it's solved quickly.
Rob |
Martin Cutler
Frequent User
Username: martin
Post Number: 25
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, 11 January, 2005 - 07:38: | |
Good suggestion re the fan belt, didn't think of that! Put the car back in the shed last night, drove home and no burning smell. Will get it back out on the weekend and check my fan belt. The car does charge properly, and the fan belt is a noisy one, which has seen a fair bit of WD-40 to try and quieten it down. Think I have a suspect! Thanks guys. |
Patrick Lockyer.
Grand Master
Username: pat_lockyer
Post Number: 214
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, 11 January, 2005 - 09:21: | |
Martin i would suggest maybe first remove the belt and check the dynamo and water pump bearings as a possible cause of a noisy smelly belt,unless the belt is running slack.
If all is well check the charging rate,should be about 14.2 volts. |
Martin Cutler
Prolific User
Username: martin
Post Number: 31
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Monday, 24 January, 2005 - 07:50: | |
Hi guys,
Did a wedding to mosman yesterday, checked out the fan belt on saturday, all OK. It is noisy when you first start it up, but soon quietens down when it warms up. I checked the tension when warm, still ok, not too tight, but you can't move the fan by pulling on the blades, so can't see how it could be slipping. The burning rubber smell happened twice on the way to Mosman, and then about half way home, about 1/2 an hour into the trip, the smell came back and didn't go away. I stopped several times to check under the bonnet, exhaust mounts, etc, nothing.
Whats in the crankshaft damper? Any rubber? Next wedding isn't till the end of february, so I have some time to find it, but starting to be a bugger! |
Patrick Lockyer.
Grand Master
Username: pat_lockyer
Post Number: 252
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Monday, 24 January, 2005 - 08:04: | |
Hi Martin When you say it is noisy on start up, is it a squeal or some other noise.
What is the amp meter doing on start up to when you have the noise.
Dont know if the damper can let go but the amp meter should point to that.
Have you 14.2 volts with the engine at 3000rpm
with the headlights heater motor on.
You will need a volt meter to do this.
|
Martin Cutler
Prolific User
Username: martin
Post Number: 32
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Monday, 24 January, 2005 - 11:52: | |
Hi Patrick,
The belt is squeaky for the first 5 minutes, then the noise gradually dies away. It is better than the last belt which just kept being squeaky all the time.
Ammeter is showing a charge, and cutcut warning light working properly, etc.
I will check charging rate, but I had the generator overhauled not long ago, as it had a noisy bearing, so I know what that sounds like. Being Lucas special equipment it runs sealed bearings, unlike my daily driver MG Magnette, where the Lucas generator has bronze bushes. I run the belt as loose as possible, as I have no spare armatures left. WHen the bush gives up, the armature gets destroyed.
I haven't organised a hand held temp gauge yet, but a freind of mine has one down at Bowral, he can tune triple's by probing the header and setting the carbs accordingly, groovy tool!
Problem with the MK VI is everything gets so hot under the bonnet, they really do produce some heat, so pin pointing a wiring hot spot could prove interesting.
Ran home with the lights and wipers on, so if I was going to burn out something, you would think it would have gone up last night.
Marty |
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