Intermittent burning smell?

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RyanRR

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2013 LR4
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I've put 10k on my LR4 since I bought it in October of last year, it spends 95% of it's life cruising @ 70-75 mph.

In the past 2-3 months, I've noticed an issue where I get a somewhat strong odor of something burning from the front end, and I notice it most easily when I have my heat on. Turn the heat off and the smell goes 90% away, but I can still smell it even after parking. Next morning the smell is gone from the garage, and I don't smell anything after starting it up and driving to work (45 minute commute each way).

Initially I thought it may have been the odor of coolant, but after a few moments I realized it didn't have that distinct burning coolant smell. Coolant levels are fine, and my oil looks fine when I changed it a couple weeks ago.

I've probably experienced the smell 3-4 times in those 2-3 months. Each time I had the heat on somewhere between 65-72*.

I can't see any leaking fluids anywhere in the engine bay or underneath. I have newer rotors and pads and nothing looks oddly worn (dragging brakes, etc), and it doesn't really smell like brakes anyway.

I'm at a loss as to where I should be looking next, any suggestions would be great!
 

Jimmy Brooks

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Weird, I only smell the slightest of burning when my heater is on. Does everything feel like it’s running well, trans, engine, differentials?
 

f1racer328

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I don't use my heater anymore (for the most part) but I do recall it has always had a smell to it. Very slight though, unlike other vehicles I've driven.
 

RyanRR

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Weird, I only smell the slightest of burning when my heater is on. Does everything feel like it’s running well, trans, engine, differentials?

Temps all look great, all fluids (minus brake fluid) were changed when I got it, and the fluids I removed all looked like they were in pretty good condition.

I don't use my heater anymore (for the most part) but I do recall it has always had a smell to it. Very slight though, unlike other vehicles I've driven.

It's weird because I thought it was just the heater, or a bad cabin filter, etc... but the fact that it seems to be very intermittent is what's really throwing me off.

I don't think it's an electrical smell either, I had an old BMW that used to have a burning copper smell when the HVAC stuff started failing
 

jlglr4

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Does it smell like oil? Maybe valve cover leak dripping onto manifold? Do you smell it outside the car, or only inside?
 

RyanRR

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Does it smell like oil? Maybe valve cover leak dripping onto manifold? Do you smell it outside the car, or only inside?

It could possibly be oil I'm smelling, but I checked around the manifolds and didn't see anything discolored or wet, and my oil level is still perfect after changing it 4500 miles ago.

Mostly smell it inside, but after driving I could smell it outside the car too
 

Jimmy Brooks

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It could possibly be oil I'm smelling, but I checked around the manifolds and didn't see anything discolored or wet, and my oil level is still perfect after changing it 4500 miles ago.

Mostly smell it inside, but after driving I could smell it outside the car too
random question but do you smell it when your inside the car or do you smell it on the outside. if it only smells on the inside I wouldn’t stress it but if you smell it on the outside I’d worry a bit more.
 

RyanRR

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random question but do you smell it when your inside the car or do you smell it on the outside. if it only smells on the inside I wouldn’t stress it but if you smell it on the outside I’d worry a bit more.

The last time it happened (day before I posted here), I could smell it inside my car about 30 minutes into my 45 minute commute. I made it home and parked in the garage, went inside, and came back out about 10 minutes later. When I came back out, I could smell that something was warm (which is pretty rare for me, my sense of smell is trash), which is also kind of odd given the temp in my garage was probably 40-45*.
 

jlglr4

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Since you smell it outside sometimes, my guess is that it is not the HVAC and it’s something under the hood. The HVAC draws air from just below the windshield, so if you have some fumes coming up from under the hood, they can get sucked into the cabin when the HVAC is on, but the smell will be reduced when the HVAC is off. If the problem was in the HVAC itself, I don’t think there is any way you’d smell it outside the car.

You mention that you checked the manifolds and don’t see anything. I’m not sure how you are checking, they appear to be completely shielded on my car - I can’t see any part of the exhaust manifold itself, and its pretty tough to get a look all along that lower edge of the valve cover as well. Might be able to see with a borescope. Valve cover leaks seem to be pretty common in these cars, and generally don’t leak enough to change the oil level (just a seep) until they get pretty bad.

The other thing that occurs to me is a slipping belt, which can cause a burning smell.
 

16FujiDisco

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I’ve smelled burning PS fluid or Transmission fluid (hydraulic type smell) once or twice, usually on long interstate trips once I get off on an exit. Transmission states it will vent excess fluid and it happens to drip on the exhaust.
 

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