9 Reasons Your Car is on Fire
If your car is on fire, there’s a good chance that something is literally burning. But the question is, where is the smell coming from and what is causing it?
The truth is, there are a few possible causes (making donuts being the most obvious). It’s important to figure out exactly what’s going on in order to resolve the situation as quickly as possible. To help you troubleshoot, here are the 9 most common causes of a burning smell coming from your car.
Common Causes of a Burning Smell from Your Car
The most common causes of a burning smell coming from your car are a short circuit or a damaged air conditioning compressor, but these aren’t the only possible causes. Check each of the causes below and take a look at your car. It may be exactly what you need to find the problem and save a few dollars at the shop.
1) Burnt Electrical Component/Blown Fuse
If your car smells like a burnt electrical component, it may be that the electrical component is burning. This is one of the most common causes of a burning smell in your car.
Electricity produces a lot of heat, and that heat is usually all contained in the wiring and various components. However, if there is a short circuit in the system, this heat is concentrated in one place. A short circuit can eat away at plastic and various other components, causing a burning smell inside your car. This can also have very serious consequences. If the short reaches a more flammable component, it can ignite, and the short circuit can heat up and damage other wires.
2) Overheating of the air conditioning compressor
Does your car smell like it’s burning after you turn on the air conditioning? If so, the problem is most likely a faulty air conditioning compressor. Your car’s A/C compressor is driven by a belt. If there’s an internal problem, that can cause a burning smell in two different ways.
First, the entire A/C compressor may stop working. When it engages, the belt can get stuck, causing the belt to heat up and wear out. This will not only cause the drive belt to wear out prematurely, but it will also cause a burning smell.
However, a more common problem is that your A/C compressor is still spinning even though there’s an internal problem. The compressor runs, the belt spins the compressor, and the damaged component starts to spin inside the compressor. This creates a lot of friction, which generates heat and starts to burn.
3) Stuck brakes/wrong driving technique
There are several reasons why your car’s brakes can burn out, and none of them are good. Let’s start with a mechanical failure – stuck brakes. This could be the parking brake or the service brake. If they don’t release as intended, it creates a lot of friction and causes overheating.
If enough heat is applied, brakes can burn and reduce stopping power. But burnt brakes don’t necessarily mean you have a mechanical problem. You could have accidentally left the parking brake on or you could be driving improperly.
This can happen in two ways. First, you can drive with your foot on the brake. Many new drivers do this, but if you’re constantly on the brakes, they can overheat quickly. The second problem occurs when driving on very steep terrain. Many drivers slam on the brakes hard when going down a steep hill, which can cause the brakes to overheat.
This is more common in larger vehicles, which is why truck drivers have emergency brakes on steep hills. If the vehicle slams on the brakes long enough and hard enough, the brakes can overheat.
4) Broken or Stuck Belt
Another common problem that can cause a burning smell in your car is a stuck or broken drive belt or power take-off belt. This smells like burning rubber and is a serious problem. There are many different causes for this problem, including stuck pulleys or PTO sprockets, or a stuck or damaged belt.
It’s also important to note that if the belt breaks completely inside your car, you may smell a burning smell. This is because your car’s cooling system uses a belt-driven water pump. If the V-belt doesn’t work properly, your engine will overheat.
5) Fluid Leaks
Transmission fluid, power steering fluid, oil, and even coolant will burn if left on a hot enough surface. This isn’t a problem, but you want to make sure all the fluid stays in place. This can happen if you have a leak or if you add too much coolant or other fluid.
Pockets in the engine and the top of the exhaust pipe can both get hot enough to burn fluid if left for too long, which creates a burning smell as the fluid burns.
6) Burning Clutch
Another issue that can cause a burning smell is the clutch. The clutch puts the transmission in neutral and allows you to change gears by pushing on the pressure plate. However, if you don’t fully disengage the clutch before and after changing gears or pressing the clutch pedal, the clutch will overheat and burn out.
This is common when drivers learn to drive a manual transmission car, but it’s also important to learn to be gentle with your clutch. If you don’t, you’ll have to replace it sooner than necessary.
7) Debris in the Heater
Yes, you can have a burning smell when you turn on the A/C, but what’s it mean when it only happens when you turn on the heat? Well, most of the time it means something has found its way into the vents and is burning. We’ve found M&Ms, plastic bags, and even old rags in heater vents – and all of these things can create a burning smell when you blast the heat.
8) Old Fluids
When was the last time you changed your oil or transmission fluid? When the oil is fresh, everything runs smooth, but as it ages, it thickens up, loses its ability to absorb heat, and most importantly, stops lubricating parts as efficiently.
All of these things add up to trouble. Not only will everything get hot – which can lead to a burning smell – but it can also scorch and damage different components. If you leave the old fluid in long enough, engine damage will result.
9) Loose/Damaged Splash Shield or Wheel Well Liner
If a splash shield or wheel well liner comes loose, it can come into contact with moving parts on your vehicle, such as the drive shafts, axles, tires, or wheels. As the plastic rubs against these components, it creates friction, which generates heat. This can eventually cause the plastic to produce a noticeable burning smell.
Even worse, if a dangling splash shield comes into direct contact with your extremely hot exhaust system, the plastic piece touching it is going to quickly melt or burn and result in a strong odor.
Can You Drive Your Car If It Smells Like It’s Burning?
While you can technically drive your car with a burning smell, you absolutely should not! That’s because every potential cause of a burning smell in your vehicle is serious, and it can quickly turn into a dangerous situation.
In fact, these problems are so serious that the very next stop in your car needs to be to the mechanic. Burning smells can start fires, total engines, and take out your brakes. Get your vehicle to a mechanic or repair the underlying issue – but don’t keep driving your car!