Burning rubber smell

[macakfric]

Recurrently in couple of situation, mostly after trying to get out from the snow everybody in the car were able to smell something like burning rubber. Those were situation like moving out from parking spot covered with the snow: front wheels were slipping just for the short time (less then sec) until Haldex send torque to the rear wheels and car went out easily. Smell was most intensive when I tried to get over steep hill. In that case wheels were slipping for 5 sec before car manage to get over the hill, even smoke came out from under bonnet. After that adventure, cars were smelly all day.

I am wondering if this is smell of burning tires because front wheels need to slip for a bit before Haldex sends torque to the rear wheels or something else is overheating (clutch or breaks(if ESP activates)). I have Michelin Alpin A4 tires.

[Llanigraham]

To get a burning smell off the tyres you would need to have had them spinning enough to get them smoking, so doubtful.

You weren't slipping the clutch were you?

[BillN_33]

a slipping friction plate smells (different) - much more "chemically" than burning rubber

The smell of a slipping clutch will "stay around" for quite a while

you should be able to tell the difference between the smell of "burning rubber" and that of friction plates, (the clutch)

but "smoke from under the bonnet"

[macakfric]

To get a burning smell off the tyres you would need to have had them spinning enough to get them smoking, so doubtful.

You weren't slipping the clutch were you?

If you mean I didn't fully release clutch, probably since I didn't want car to jump when trying to get out from the snow. So I need to be careful to release clutch fully before wheels starts spinning. Don't have experience with this since this is my first 4x4 cars so with previous car didn't get in situation where wheels were spinning too much.

[macakfric]

a slipping friction plate smells (different) - much more "chemically" than burning rubber

The smell of a slipping clutch will "stay around" for quite a while

you should be able to tell the difference between the smell of "burning rubber" and that of friction plates, (the clutch)

but "smoke from under the bonnet"

I think it was different kind of smell (but it's hard to tell since it was mixed with smell of burning tyres) when I was trying to go over that hill and it lasted for whole day (that was probably friction plates overheating). Other times it was more like burning rubber and lasted for short time.

[freedie]

If a new car get dealer to check fan belt(s); if not new check them yourself?

[rockhopper]

To me sounds like DPF regeneration.

Mike

[macakfric]

To me sounds like DPF regeneration.

Mike

It would be strange coincidence DPF regeneration almost every time when I was getting out from little bit deeper snow. I just hope friction plates weren't damage too much when I was trying to get over that hill.

[grayson]

I had similar experience with my Tiguan. The Dealer investigated and replaced the propshaft under warranty

[The Plumber]

Are you using the off-road-button :wonder: as this is supposed to limit RPM to 2500 to protect the clutch from wear. Otherwise it's likely to be a one or a combination of the above mentioned observations.

If it doesn't settle down, probably advisable to speak to your service agent.

Regards,

TP

[Yeti_Man]

Are you using the off-road-button :wonder: as this is supposed to limit RPM to 2500 to protect the clutch from wear.

TP

Really?! Didnt realise that!

[Agerbundsen]

I am wondering if this is smell of burning tires because front wheels need to slip for a bit before Haldex sends torque to the rear wheels or something else is overheating (clutch or breaks(if ESP activates)). I have Michelin Alpin A4 tires.

It's most likely the ESP limiting wheelspin, so the smell is from hot brake pads.

I have had that happening in a couple of "difficult extraction" situations this winter, like trying to pull a trailer around my garden in a very tight turn - hadn't realized the snow was 20 inches deep in places. Should have used the off-road button.

No ill effects afterwards.

[Rob666]

Are you on winter or all season tyres? In Germany in the snow I've noticed a smell of burning rubber when I've been around cars with winters just after they have been driven.

Edited 10 March, 2011 by Rob666

[macakfric]

Are you using the off-road-button :wonder: as this is supposed to limit RPM to 2500 to protect the clutch from wear. Otherwise it's likely to be a one or a combination of the above mentioned observations.

If it doesn't settle down, probably advisable to speak to your service agent.

Regards,

TP

I didn't use off-road button over that hill, but I did last time when getting out from deeper snow and I still felt it.

Are you on winter or all season tyres? In Germany in the snow I've noticed a smell of burning rubber when I've been around cars with winters just after they have been driven.

Winter tyres (Michelin Alpin A4)

It's most likely the ESP limiting wheelspin, so the smell is from hot brake pads.

I have had that happening in a couple of "difficult extraction" situations this winter, like trying to pull a trailer around my garden in a very tight turn - hadn't realized the snow was 20 inches deep in places. Should have used the off-road button.

No ill effects afterwards.

The AWD coupler is a sealed unit; it doesn't have any breathers to allow gas/smoke to escape. Not to mention the fact that it's a wet clutch like an automatic transmission's, unlike a manual transmission's dry clutch. Even if it was overheating and boiling its oil and/or venting gas/smoke into the air where you could smell it.

I would suspect the smell you're noticing is from the brake calipers (assuming you have ESP on your car). In snow, You've gotten your brakes so hot from ESP intervention that I've boiled my brake fluid! And yes, there was the expected hot brake/clutch smell.

You are smelling brakes. It is from the ABS modulating the brakes to prevent wheels from free-spinning and allowing the open differentials to distribute torque to only one wheel. This just means the ESP system is doing its job, perhaps too much. Of course, if you turned it off, you may notice the car gets stuck easier in situations when all of the wheels don't have the same amount of traction. For example, ESP provides an advantage when half of the car is in slush or ice and at least one of the wheels on the other side of the car has dry pavement or more-packed snow to bite on to.

I've always noticed funny smells on all my vehicles when driving in the snow. Part of it, I think, is the dirt and salt and general road grime that gets kicked up onto the hot exhaust from the slush and snow. I don't think the rear diff coupler will get hot enough to burn that crud, but the 600-degree exhaust will burn just about anything that gets thrown up onto it.

This is explanation friend found for me on the other forum. According to this you can't smell friction plates overheating even if they are. I will try to turn off ESP next time when trying to get out from deeper snow. If it smells again I will visit service and will tell them to check prop-shaft.

[ejstubbs]

This is explanation friend found for me on the other forum. According to this you can't smell friction plates overheating even if they are.

I doesn't say that. It says that the Haldex (i) is a sealed unit and (ii) uses a wet clutch, so there's no way for any vapours to escape if it does overheat, and it's much less likely to burn its friction plates anyway.

What BillN_33 was referring to was the main clutch between the engine and gearbox, not the Haldex. Having fried a few clutch plates in the past myself (not in the Yeti) I can assure you that overheated fiction plates certainly do smell, and as BillN_33 says the pong tends to hang around. Unless the clutch has gone seriously out of whack, the most likely cause of overheating plates will be the driver slipping the clutch. In a car like the Yeti with all its funky driver aids, there shouldn't be any need to be overly tentative with the clutch. (Pussyfooting around with the clutch while using a leaden right foot is always likely to be upsetting, whatever the car.) I'm not saying that's what you were doing, just clarifying an apparent misunderstanding of the advice from the other forum.

Overheating brakes from an overworked ESP does sound like a possible cause of the smell you experienced. OTOH, according to page 164 of the owner's manual, EDL is supposed to switch itself off if the brakes start to overheat, so then again maybe not.

I will try to turn off ESP next time when trying to get out from deeper snow.

You can't turn off ESP, only TCS which is just one function of the whole ESP package. TCS modulates the engine speed to limit wheelspin, it doesn't use the brakes (page 165 in the owner's manual). It's EDL which brakes individual wheels if they start to spin, and you can't turn that off. However, the off road button changes the way that various of the ESP functions (TCS, EDL and ABS) work to make them more suitable for loose surfaces. That would seem to be more likely to make a difference than the TCS button if the smell you are experiencing is actually due to overheating brakes.

Edited 10 March, 2011 by ejstubbs

[macakfric]

I doesn't say that. It says that the Haldex (i) is a sealed unit and (ii) uses a wet clutch, so there's no way for any vapours to escape if it does overheat, and it's much less likely to burn its friction plates anyway.

What BillN_33 was referring to was the main clutch between the engine and gearbox, not the Haldex. Having fried a few clutch plates in the past myself (not in the Yeti) I can assure you that overheated fiction plates certainly do smell, and as BillN_33 says the pong tends to hang around. Unless the clutch has gone seriously out of whack, the most likely cause of overheating plates will be the driver slipping the clutch. In a car like the Yeti with all its funky driver aids, there shouldn't be any need to be overly tentative with the clutch. (Pussyfooting around with the clutch while using a leaden right foot is always likely to be upsetting, whatever the car.) I'm not saying that's what you were doing, just clarifying an apparent misunderstanding of the advice from the other forum.

Overheating brakes from an overworked ESP does sound like a possible cause of the smell you experienced. OTOH, according to page 164 of the owner's manual, EDL is supposed to switch itself off if the brakes start to overheat, so then again maybe not.

You can't turn off ESP, only TCS which is just one function of the whole ESP package. TCS modulates the engine speed to limit wheelspin, it doesn't use the brakes (page 165 in the owner's manual). It's EDL which brakes individual wheels if they start to spin, and you can't turn that off. However, the off road button changes the way that various of the ESP functions (TCS, EDL and ABS) work to make them more suitable for loose surfaces. That would seem to be more likely to make a difference than the TCS button if the smell you are experiencing is actually due to overheating brakes.

Thanks ejstubbs for explain explanation So I will need to visit service and check if something other then "Pussyfooting around with the clutch" cosing this.