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6 Common Car Smells and What They're Telling You

Your vehicle can tell you a lot through the odors it emits. If you don't know what those scents are or what they mean, you can react to them correctly. Learn more on the subject with this post by Lee ; Rita Downhill in Frankford.

The world is full of information, and our senses are the way in which we experience them. This allows us to make decisions and take action to react to those stimuli and information properly. That's why, when you see that the sky is cloudy and it smells of wet dirt, it's about to rain, and you need to get your drying clothing off the clothesline and into your home. However, what happens when we can identify something but don't have enough information on it to take the right steps? It can be confusing, to say the least. That's why, if you don't know what your vehicle scents are trying to tell you, you need more information on them so you can maintain your vehicle in perfect working shape for longer. To help you out in this respect, the post below has collected the most common car smells, along with their meaning and what you should do about them.

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What These Scents Are Telling You

The Waft of Sulfer/Rotten Eggs

We wouldn't wish this scent on our worst enemy (only because it stinks so badly). Still, the reason for it can be that the catalytic converter is failing. As you may know, it's in charge of controlling the emissions your vehicle makes. That nasty smell means that something is wrong with it. Take your vehicle to the mechanic to have that looked at.

The Aroma of Maple Syrup

The sweet scent of maple syrup can make you crave pancakes, coffee, bacon, and eggs. Still, if you smell it in your vehicle (lest you've dropped maple syrup in it), the coolant may be leaking. The cooling system is crucial as it regulates the vehicle's temperature. The scent of maple syrup, plus seeing green liquid on or around your vehicle, means the cooling system should be professionally serviced.

Call Lee ; Rita Downhill at (613) 398-1144 or browse AMSOIL's online store to find the highest-quality products for your vehicle's maintenance, including the best synthetic oil in Frankford.

The Stench of Burnt Carpet

If you start smelling like a carpet is burning, it may be that there's something wrong with your braking system. The scent occurs when the brake pads start overheating. Still, this could happen if the hand brake is on as you drive or if you're driving down a hill. If this isn't the case, then take your vehicle to a mechanic who can fix the brakes promptly.

The Reek of Burnt Oil

If you ever get the sense that oil is burning around you when you drive, it may be your engine trying to reach out to you. In some cases, it could be something simple, like it's time for an oil replacement. In others, it can be something more complicated. If the scent is accompanied by smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe, take your vehicle directly to a mechanic who can help.

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The Funk of Burnt Rubber

This one's easy: the smell of burnt rubber means that there's rubber burning. Pop open the hood of your car and notice if any rubber and metal components are close together (as the metal pieces heat, the rubber will burn). If you do notice this situation, wait for your engine to cool before you reposition the components. But, as with any other scent, it's a good idea to go to a mechanic so they can verify all is working as expected.

The Whiff of a Dirty Gym Bag

Finally, this smell is not only nasty but kind of dangerous too: if you smell of a dirty gym bag in your vehicle (with no dirty gym bag in sight), it could be that mold or mildew is growing in the vents. To protect your and your passenger's health, you have to take your vehicle to be serviced and deep cleaned to take care of this situation.