Strange smell in my car, any ideas?

Hi Guys,

Lately when I've been driving and the engine is warm, on restarting the car there's this strange smell in the car for about the next 10km. It sort of catches the back of your throat and makes it difficult to breath. Initially I thought it was the AC but it does it even when I'm not using it. Could it be exhaust fumes?
This is probably unrelated but my stereo normally goes for a loop at about the same time, whenever I hit the throttle only the rear speakers work and when I lift off the fronts start working again and like the smell after about 10km it's back to normal.

Any suggestions welcome
Ralph

Ralph,
If the smell (which you don't describe in too much detail) is really acrid, you might be smelling *burning* plastic, specifically *wiring*. Keep a fire extinguisher in the car just incase. There are many stories of our older cars having serious electrical fires.
Those fumes are toxic, too.

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Doug
'81 SC Coupe (aka: "Blue Bomber")
Canada West Region PCA
members.home.net/zielke/911SC.htm

sounds like an overcharge problem. bizerk voltage regulator. check your voltage when it happens. 17V will raise quite a sulphury stink out of your battery. either that or there's something on your shoe.

definately sounds electrical. Do you have a battery kill switch installed? Might be a good investment. I have one install right under my ignition switch, it interrupts the negative cable. Anything starts smokin and you hit the switch. Convenient for working on the car too, easier than disconnecting battery cable and in case of emergency a whole lot quicker.

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Robert Stoll
83 SC
83 944

Try Degree or Right Guard. It might be overkill but a little Hugo Boss cologne might do the trick too...

Usually with electrical you'll get funky thick white smoke and it should go away when you turn the car off. I don't the radio thing is a coincidence.

Adam Roseneck

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1978 911SC 3.0
roseneck@cyberbeach.net

I've heard Beeno works good!

I would agree with John Walker. You might also check the engine compartment heater blower fan. Had a car that smelled like melting plastic or resin. The blower was going out and getting hot. The smell was getting blown right in the cabin. Your description sounds more like the overcharging that John suggested though. And it make sense with the electrical problems you have.

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Tyson Schmidt
72 911 Cabriolet
92 C-2 Cabriolet

Hi Ralph, daai rook wat jou keel brand klink soos n elektriese probleem. Ontkoppel die radio se sekering en kyk of die probleem dan weg gaan. N elektriese probleem is geen grap nie en indien jou hoof elektriese kabel-bondel uitbrand (weens n radio kortsluiting ens.), dan het jy uiters duur ervaring wat op jou wag.
Groete
Stef

Zomzing iz wrong here.

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Robert Stoll
83 SC
83 944

Happened to me last year, that same back of the throat acrid smell. The battery was being overcharged by the alternator.Check the output w/ the car running at the battery terminals. I believe it should be about 13.7 at 2500 rpm.