Hi guys, on my KH Verada 3.5, I'm getting a burning type of smell from around my radiator area. It has been going on for a few weeks.

I took it to Zupps Mitsubishi (Brisbane) and the mechanic said that it could be the detailing products burning off, because I had had the engine bay degreased and detailed recently. However I didn't think so, and rightly enough, the smell still lingers on a month on.

I have checked radiator & overflow bottle - both are topped up. Likewise for engine oil, transmission oil, and other associated fluids.

There are a few insects caught on the radiator, but it doesn't block the radiator at all, so I don't think this is affecting it.

Has anybody else experienced this problem?

The only other I can possibly think of is the brakes. I know I need new brake pads on the front, but do worn brake pads give out a smell?

Any help would be much appreciated

Thanks
Justin

I'd say all is well with you car if all temperatures and fluids look normal. I remembered hittting alot fo insects one night and my car smelled badly for a few months after that.
you may also have inadvertantly driven over a carcass splattering some fluid/flesh onto the underside of the car/engine that will cause this.

Hey

I've had the exact same thing. Every time I come home i'd smell this burning rubber kinda smell when i got out of the car. On the weekend I checked around the engine bay.

The radiator hose that goes from the radiator into the engine (not the big on up top, but the lower one, on the right) had slipped off. The black plastic clamp still looked tight but for some reason it had slipped off and coolant was everywhere below it. I had like a mountain of white/green flakey stuff built up everywhere under the leak, and my radiator fluid level was pretty much 0. WEIRD!

Anyhows after realising how close i was to killing my car, topped up radiator fluid, re-secured the hose and it was all good. no more burning smell.

For you, since you've checked everything...no idea. Brakes? Tyres? I think it could be some kind of random fluid somewhere though.

Sometimes i get the same smell, not sure where its coming from, definitly the engine bay. But the car still drives fine, all guages say everything is fine, all levels are topped up. So i'm guessing it's just a normal smell, kinda smells like burnt electrical smell (but different).

your radiator might be leaking coolant behind the fans where you cant see it probably not leaking alot but enough to let off a smell when the radiator gets hot
the mechanic should have washed off the detailing stuff that was there and tested it really bad mechanic i reckon probably lazy i would have kept looking for the problem

plastic bag melted on exhaust somewhere???

I've had a plastic bag melted on the exhast before. Damn thing reeks :mad:, and it bloody hard to get rid of. Might be worth a look to see if this is the cause.