What the hell is that smell

[Jamesdixon]

Day 2 of the new TDI vrs. Cars great but on a couple of journeys now (normal driving) I have noted a strong smell of burning rubber or plastic (not the tyres). I rang the dealer in a panic and they have said that it's coatings? Etc that would of been applied during manufacture burning off and it's nothing to worry about.

Has anyone else noticed this or can anyone offer reassuring explanations lol

[john999boy]

It's probably just doing a regen so is normal. Could you describe it as rotten eggs?

[Jamesdixon]

No eggs. Just burning plastic/rubber

[gadgetman]

Outside by the engine bay?

Complained about the works Sharan, and VW said it's normal

[Jamesdixon]

Yes around the engine bay is where it's coming from. Maybe coincidence but the fan stayed on for a long period after turning the engine off on both occasions.

[rover220]

itll be the waxy coatings burning off engine and exhaust etc.

 

nothing to worry about

[Jamesdixon]

That's what I'm hoping on.

[TheWanderer]

Have you opened the bonnet to check the engine?

 

Is there any sign of anything amiss such as singeing/burning, if the answer's no then like the other posters have said it's nothing to worry about & it's just the engine bedding in.

 

The time to worry is when there's smoke either bluish or grey and flames! 

[vrsCR]

Burning smell + fan = DPF regen

[littleade]

+1 on vrsCRs comments. Fans come on because the dpf increases it temperature during a regen and you've switched the engine off before its finished. Tell tale sign is an increase in tickover to around 1000 rpm while ones in progress.

[Neily03]

Defo a regen, mine did a few before 1k miles, settled down now.

[silver1011]

Just  to add to the concensus...

 

100% the DPF (Diesel PArticulate Filter) is performing a 'regeneration', the giveaway is the fans staying on after the engine is turned off...

 

http://www.skoda.co.uk/SiteCollectionDocuments/Brochures/19246_Skoda_DPF_Leaflet_v7.pdf

[CharleyB]

+1 for the regen, when I first got mine it went through a regen within the first 250 miles, nothing to worry about.

[Jamesdixon]

But surely I would only get the smell during the regen? I got it once this morning and once when I got home. But no issues in between.

[silver1011]

How do you it wasn't mid-regen 'this morning' and 'when you got home'?

[James I]

it will just be newness burning off, my Yeti stank for about a week from new. Wouldn't worry about it.

[ssfan]

I noticed same initially. No smell for a long while.

[Honkycrash]

Day 2 of the new TDI vrs. Cars great but on a couple of journeys now (normal driving) I have noted a strong smell of burning rubber or plastic (not the tyres). I rang the dealer in a panic and they have said that it's coatings? Etc that would of been applied during manufacture burning off and it's nothing to worry about.

Has anyone else noticed this or can anyone offer reassuring explanations lol

Congrats on yours, got mine yesterday. Same smell. I used the oil temp readout to keep it easy going. When my oil temp went over 100 C for more than 5 minutes I backed off for a while (so 65 instead of 80mph). It't not very confidence inspiring on your new car. Took me back to some of my 90's new cars, now they really did have some protective coatings. Always been mechanically sympathetic for the first 1000 and my cars runwell over 100k with little trouble. I'm mixing my journey types and doing a 30 minute constant speed on dual then a few town/A road drives, rather than one blast where everything gets really hot.