Six Vehicle Warning Signs Your Nose Can Recognize
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Six Vehicle Warning Signs Your Nose Can Recognize
Most vehicles start out with a
“new car smell,” but there are other specific odors that motorists should never
ignore. Identifying these suspect smells early on can help car owners be car
care aware and avoid the hassle and expense of an unexpected breakdown.
“Unusual smells can be the sign
of serious, and potentially costly, trouble for your vehicle. By acting quickly
and making necessary repairs, you’ll be able to breathe easy knowing there is
no harmful damage to your car,”.
At SOARS, we recommend a sniff test of your vehicle to identify any unusual smells, including the
following six warning signs:
1. The smell of burnt
rubber could be
slipping drive belts or misplaced loose hoses that might be rubbing against
rotating accessory drive pulleys. Do not reach in if the engine compartment is
hot.
2. The smell of hot
oil could mean
that oil is leaking onto the exhaust system. To verify the leak, look for oil
on the pavement or smoke coming from the engine area.
3. The smell of gasoline is likely the sign of a gas leak in
some area of the vehicle such as a fuel injector line or the fuel tank. Any
smell of fuel can result in a possible fire hazard, so immediate attention
should be given.
4. The sweet
smell of syrup may
be a sign that your car is leaking engine coolant from a leaky component
related to the car’s cooling system. Do not open the radiator cap when it is
hot.
5. The smell of burning
carpet could be a
sign of brake trouble and a safety hazard. Have your brakes checked right away,
especially if this smell is happening during normal driving conditions.
6. The smell of rotten
eggs is never a
good one and, if you smell it coming from your vehicle, it could mean a problem
with your catalytic converter not converting the hydrogen sulfide in the
exhaust to sulfur dioxide properly. This smell can also be attributed to a poor
running engine, causing the catalytic converter to become overloaded and fail
due to meltdown.
“When you smell any peculiar
odor, you should not ignore it. Instead bring your vehicle to a professional
service technician like us that you trust to get an informed opinion on the nature of
the odor,”.
