Whats the probable burnt smell after reaching 120km/h on 2005 honda jazz/fit (L15 vtec)?

Question

after reaching about 120km/h and decelarating to about 80km/h - 60 km/h i can smell a burnt odor inside the car.

thanks guys.. but i realized i had my annual rust proof treatment on nov 2006, maybe some of the rust proof liquid got in some part of the engine.. I plan to let my honda dealer check on it.. thanks guys.. really appreciate it..

Answer 1

You have to qualify the "burning smell".

I've raced endurance races at high speeds and there are a lot of things that can cause a burning smell.

- Electrical: This has a unique smell and will cause malfunctions.
- Exhaust: A catalytic converter that is overheating will have a "ceramic" smell that you only catch wiffs of when changing speeds becuase the source is below or behind the air intake.
- Braking: If you are too hard on the brakes, they will smell like they are burning. You should gently touch them for a second before fully engaging them.
- Mechanical: If an exposed rotating part (e.g. driveshaft, steering rod, or belt) comes into contact with something, it will melt what it is touching. This could happen during deceleration due to the weight shift of slowing down.
- Frame / Body: Again, slowing down causes things to move. A pinch-point may cause something to get close to a hot surface or moving part.
- Tire: If a tire touches a fender wall, it will smell like either part is burning. However, this will be accompanied by a loud noise that changes with the speed.


Keep in mind that at those speeds, most scents will be past the car before you can detect them. The source will most likely be from the engine area or front of the vehicle.

I disagree that it could be water not in the engine. An overheated engine will lose power immediately. If it continues, it will ruin the head / head gasket and steam will be visible behind the car. But you will not smell anything from inside the engine. Same with not enough oil / lubricant.

Have a mechanic do a physical inspection and look for signs of extreme wear or melting.

Answer 2

Mechanically, if you have the burning smell even when driving moderately and for short distances, I would first check to see whether you have water inside your radiator (as mentioned above), but this is usually indicated by a guage inside the car. If this is the case, your temp guage would have shot up because the engine would have overheated. Here the burning smell would have been the least of your problems though. Also check that the fan is still working, if i'm not mistaken it is an electric fan on that model, so you won't have a fan belt.

Answer 3

Have you recently changed the oil? perhaps you spilled some onto the motor?

Answer 4

i will tell u what it is u dang speedin fool. u dun ran over my beagle and sucked him up into the cold exhaust. we found billy bobs collar on the third turn. please come back and get the rest of the cats next time.

Answer 5

Start with basics - check if there is anything stuck to the exhaust system.

Answer 6

maybe your burning oil or your trans needs looking at

Answer 7

bad news :)