Intermittent burning smell?

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teamwentorf

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Mine does have a new windshield, installed immediately before I bought it, I'll check that!




I just installed new brake pads and rotors about 5k miles ago, including greasing up the pins and cleaning them up really well. I haven't noticed any wear marks or other indicators of brake issues.




That could definitely be it, you nailed the smell as well! I'll start poking around and see what I can find in there

Did you ever get to a solution on this problem? Just started to notice this on my LR4 and need to start chasing this down....
 

teamwentorf

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So I just had this same issue and fixed it. I take it your smell is almost like antifreeze smell but instead of being sweet it smells bitter like plastic or some other really bitter smell mixed in?

Here’s what it came down to:
I already changed the cross coolant pipe so you can check that one off.
Next the tensioner pulley bearing exploded, so replaced the tensioner and new belt (huge pain in the @ss to get the belt over the water pump pulley). I only noticed the smell after I heard my fan clutch going. Start the car cold and hear the thuuup tuuup thuuup a few times, and then it goes away. Sometimes it won’t make the noise at all. Anyway it turns out it’s the fan clutch making that horrid smell. The clutch burns out and most likely starts burning up the electronics inside as well. So you’ll get the smell while the car is under load but after you park the smell goes away in 20-30 mins.
Do you happen to know what part number for the tensioner? Want to make sure that I order the right part?
 

Jimmy Brooks

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I still get an intermittent burning smell while I have the heater on but I’ve always had it for as long as I can remember so I assume it’s just the heater. Since I live in California I only notice this in the winter. some times I’ll notice it after I get on the gas a little and I assume that my exhaust manifold sheered a bolt and has a very small leak that will cycle thought the heater intake every once in a while. I also have a either a leaky upper timing over or a leaky valve cover so it might be that too. I’ve never really worried about it, unless it smells very bad and actually makes you nauseous I wouldn’t stress about it either.
 

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