Burning smell coming thru heat vent

[Frank8]

It’s been real cold for a long time. Yesterday I briefly noticed a faint small, like burning rubber or insulation coming thru the heat vent.

Today, after the engine got good and warm I noticed it again, but much stronger. On the way home it was again very strong, like insulation or rubber burning. Opened the hood and couldn’t smell anything there. I took it back onto the interstate and it was gone. No smell.

Anyone have any idea what I should look for or just ignore it?

A few days ago I removed the front plastic shield covering the tow hook. Could slush have gotten blown up onto the hot engine or exhaust? I don’t know where the heating air intake is.

Thank you

Frank

 

[ryanjl]

Your neighbors missing their cat?

 

[Frank8]

Yeah, but it wasn’t made of rubber.

Frank

 

[PaulLR3]

I was thinking cooked mouse. Better to fry that critter before it chews through $1000 of windshield washer tubing like a mouse did to our LR4.

 

[Frank8]

Sorry, it doesn’t smell like cooked animal.

It smells like rubber or insulation cooking.

That’s what bothers me.

Where is the outside air intake located for the heating system?

Frank

 

[ryanjl]

I believe it's near the cowl, or more or less under the back of the hood. Make sure you don't have any old dead leaves in there. You can also check your cabin air filter super easily. It's behind the bottom glove box.

 

[Frank8]

Holy crap! I drove home this AM and the burning smell was very strong. Had to shut off heat.
Drove into garage and the garage filled with the smell.

I felt the front brake rotors and they were scorching hot. The rear ones w ere barely warm

I couldn’t touch the front ones, both sides. The smell was coming from the front wheels, not from within the engine compartment.

Anybody have any ideas? Can the brakes drag?

I gotta drive to NYC 5+ hrs each way) soon and am worried

Frank

 

[cperez]

Definitely have your brakes checked or maybe it's your hubs themselves. At least now you've located a more specific area where the problem is originating.

 

[roverman]

Well you'd probably be crazy to drive it that far without getting them checked wouldn't you think? I'm surprised you haven't heard any noises at all, squealing grinding etc?

 

[ryanjl]

Seems like either bad brakes or bad bearing/hub assembly.

You own a jack? You know how to check for bad bearings?

Has the vehicle felt sluggish to you at all?

That said, something is really odd if both front wheels are that hot and smelly. The odds of either both hubs or both brake calipers going bad ad the same time are pretty long.