Strange smell from engine - after driving at high speed for extendedperiod of time

[stonej]

This past weekend I drove my 2001 Subaru at speeds of 75-80 MPH on a
trip for an extended
period of time (couple of hours) and a few days later the engine is
giving of a strange kind
of chemical smell (but not an electric smell). I checked the oil
level and it is fine but I noticed
the the coolant was very low.

Question: could the smell be from a low coolant fluid level and the
engine overheating? I filled the coolant
and that seemed to reduce the smell.

The check engine light is not coming on.

I will be taking it to a dealer to be checked out.

 

[1 Lucky Texan]

This past weekend I drove my 2001 Subaru at speeds of 75-80 MPH on a
trip for an extended
period of time (couple of hours) and a few days later the engine is
giving of a strange kind
of chemical smell (but not an electric smell).   I checked the oil
level and it is fine but I noticed
the the coolant was very low.

Question:  could the smell be from a low coolant fluid level and the
engine overheating?  I filled the coolant
and that seemed to reduce the smell.

The check engine light is not coming on.

I will be taking it to a dealer to be checked out.

A smell of burnt marshmallows/burnt sugar can indicate an issue with
coolant.

But a 'nasty' smell can be CV joint grease, slung onto the exhaust,
from a split boot.

Another nasty smell is burnt clutch. I suppose your RPMs were normal
at cruising?

let us know what you find out.

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

A smell of burnt marshmallows/burnt sugar can indicate an issue with
coolant.

But a 'nasty' smell can be CV joint grease, slung onto the exhaust, from a
split boot.

Another nasty smell is burnt clutch. I suppose your RPMs were normal at
cruising?

let us know what you find out.

I get that from my '89 GL...the trans has a 'breather' tube on it, and
tranny fluid drips out of it...right onto on of the Cats! It makes a weird
smell, for sure!

 

[Tim Conway]

This past weekend I drove my 2001 Subaru at speeds of 75-80 MPH on a
trip for an extended
period of time (couple of hours) and a few days later the engine is
giving of a strange kind
of chemical smell (but not an electric smell). I checked the oil
level and it is fine but I noticed
the the coolant was very low.

Question: could the smell be from a low coolant fluid level and the
engine overheating? I filled the coolant
and that seemed to reduce the smell.

The check engine light is not coming on.

I will be taking it to a dealer to be checked out.

Sounds like my 2000 Forester. I've been told I have a leaking head gasket.
I repeatedly have to add coolant and I smell the coolant. Maybe that's not
your problem, but I"m afraid it's a possiblity.

 

[Tim Conway]

This past weekend I drove my 2001 Subaru at speeds of 75-80 MPH on a
trip for an extended
period of time (couple of hours) and a few days later the engine is
giving of a strange kind
of chemical smell (but not an electric smell). I checked the oil
level and it is fine but I noticed
the the coolant was very low.

Question: could the smell be from a low coolant fluid level and the
engine overheating? I filled the coolant
and that seemed to reduce the smell.

The check engine light is not coming on.

I will be taking it to a dealer to be checked out.

If it is a head gasket issue, you can probably drive it for quite a while
just making sure the coolant and oil is topped off. I've been quoted $2300
to fix it along with a timing belt change. ouch. If it's leaking on the
exhaust side, it's possible it won't pass the environmental part of your
state's inspection.

 

[stonej]

I found the cause of the smell:

A plastic grocery bag was melted onto the exhaust system under the car
and I was dragging the
bag around for a couple of days without realizing it, I got on my
back to squeeze under the car
and when I got it off I noticed the part that attached to the exhaust
system was partly melted
and the melting plastic was the cause of the smell.

I'm glad it was nothing more serious than that.

 

[Frank]

I found the cause of the smell:

A plastic grocery bag was melted onto the exhaust system under the car
and I was dragging the
bag around for a couple of days without realizing it, I got on my
back to squeeze under the car
and when I got it off I noticed the part that attached to the exhaust
system was partly melted
and the melting plastic was the cause of the smell.

I'm glad it was nothing more serious than that.

Glad to hear. Also other advice given was good as to what other
problems might develop.

 

[Frank]

If it is a head gasket issue, you can probably drive it for quite a
while just making sure the coolant and oil is topped off. I've been
quoted $2300 to fix it along with a timing belt change. ouch. If it's
leaking on the exhaust side, it's possible it won't pass the
environmental part of your state's inspection.

I had same problem on '03 Forester and complained to Subaru. No
response from SOA or dealer after over a month.
First, a year ago, they blamed water pump and replaced it and did timing
belt at same time for $700. Then a year later it was head gasket for
$1,400. This after only 40k miles.

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

I found the cause of the smell:

A plastic grocery bag was melted onto the exhaust system under the car and
I was dragging the
bag around for a couple of days without realizing it, I got on my back to
squeeze under the car
and when I got it off I noticed the part that attached to the exhaust
system was partly melted
and the melting plastic was the cause of the smell.

I'm glad it was nothing more serious than that.

ROFLMAO!!!!!

Well, at least you got some good advice out of it!

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

Sounds like my 2000 Forester. I've been told I have a leaking head
gasket. I repeatedly have to add coolant and I smell the coolant. Maybe
that's not your problem, but I"m afraid it's a possiblity.

For you HG guys, I used that Bar's Head Gasket repair successfully in my
'89, but I had a leak on the INTAKE side. My '97 has a leak on the EXHAUST
side...no luck there...but I did the repair three years and 15,000 miles
ago, and it'a still not leaking.

If you try this FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE LETTER, and FLUSH FLUSH
FLUSH! Coolant causes the gasket repair to congeal and mess up your
cooling system. You want to flush it until the water runs clear, then fill
the system using the HG repair, let it sit overnight, then FLUSH FLUSH
FLUSH again until the water runs clear. Also, I bypassed the heater core
to keep it from getting gummed up.