Shade Tree Automotive Diagnostics and Care, Part III: Smell No Evil

 

Learning a little more about how to better care for your vehicles is a beneficial idea for any number of reasons. It enables you to identify if an unscrupulous mechanic is trying to overcharge for your repairs, which can result in significant cost savings. It can prevent you from making unnecessary repairs, and that will save you money. It can help you locate a problem and fix it early, thus saving more money—sometimes a whole lot of money. It allows you to be more independent in an era where people are entirely too dependent on others to survive.

We must start right away to ensure we have enough time to cover everything.

It may sound strange that smelling your vehicle can be a useful maintenance activity, but believe me, it is. And I'm not just referring to the need to purchase one of those adorable little green trees that fill your vehicle's interior with the scent of pine—or something similar. Actually, you've probably already experienced this at least once—the smell of gasoline. And we'll cover that herein.

Let's begin with the smell of smoke. If your vehicle is smoking anywhere at any time, it's time to get some service immediately. It doesn't matter if you smell the smoke or see it—you need to deal with the problem ASAP. Smoke coming from anywhere is never 'okay' in a vehicle, though you may just have some spilled fluids on a hot engine surface or some oil that splashed into your wheel assembly. Regardless, it's important to have it checked to confirm the cause.

The smell of gas is most often associated with a flooded engine: too much gas for the spark to ignite. The gas remains in the engine, causing the odor to intensify briefly before rapidly dissipating. This tends to happen only when you are starting the engine. The smell of gas at any other time, or the constant smell of gas, is indicative of another type of problem, and one that is potentially serious or dangerous: a leak in the fuel system. You should have this checked out by a qualified mechanic as soon as possible.

The smell of rotten eggs, usually associated with sulfur or burning sulfur, is likely a problem with your catalytic converter. Servicing a catalytic converter is highly technical and will require the attention of a trained technician or mechanic. You should make an appointment for your vehicle as soon as possible. A misaligned or malfunctioning catalytic converter may be causing you to lose valuable mileage!

The smell of burning bread, sometimes referred to as 'burnt toast,' is most often associated with an electrical short circuit or possibly the burning or melting of the insulation around the affected wires, fuses, or connections. If there are any secondary signs, then you should not run the engine until a qualified technician resolves the issue. Left unchecked, electrical shorts can affect many of the systems in your vehicle.

A sweet odor, especially when mixed with the smell of hot rubber, usually means there's a coolant leak or a problem with the cooling system. If you are driving, stop and visually check the engine and the radiator. Driving a vehicle with an overheated engine can do untold damage to all sorts of things and turn a simple repair with a modest cost into a nightmarish expense that prevents you from using your vehicle for days or even weeks.

The smell of burning oil is a pungent, acrid stench that can be very slight or quite pronounced. In either case, you need to check your engine to make sure you don't have an oil leak and to ensure that you have the recommended amount of oil in it. Usually, the smell of burning oil is something minor, such as a small spill on the engine, a slight overflow that got blown onto a hot engine part, or low engine oil. Ensure to use an Engine Sentry® when changing your engine oil.

Okay, you've completed the final step in becoming a full-fledged automotive diagnostician—or something like that, anyway. You've undoubtedly improved the condition of your vehicle, and you should have acquired knowledge to maintain its optimal performance for an extended period. If you haven't already, check out Part I, See No Evil, and Part II, Hear No Evil.

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