Q: Burning smell from under the hood

asked by on January 22, 2016

I detected a burning smell coming from my car. I smell it when I open the hood after I've run the car. There is no smoke coming out of the car and I didn't have the AC, heat, or any other devices on.

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Hello. A lot goes on under the hood and many of the components can reach high temperatures. Any fluid leaks coming into contact with these hot components can burn the fluids and cause an odor. An example would be a failed valve cover seal leaking oil all over the engine’s exhaust manifold and burning the oil. Have a mechanic, such as our YourMechanic experts, take a look around under the hood to pinpoint the cause of the burning smell.

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