Strange "hot burning tarmac" type smell, what can it be ?

hubert72 · Jul 26, 2017

Drove from Leeds to Dorset on Monday, every now and then after about 2 hours of driving we could smell a strong strange smell that I can best describe as the smell of new hot tarmac when you drive through roadworks, a kind of burning smell but not easy to describe. Didn't think too much of it and assumed it was an outside smell until we parked up at the services and kept getting a whiff of it while round the van stretching our legs, we were both going round the van sniffing it trying to home in on the smell but couldn't, we must have looked like a right pair of weirdos sniffing the van. Set off again and kept on getting the smell but haven't been able to pin point where it's from. The hot tarmac smell was still around for a couple of hours when we eventually got parked up at the site in Ringwood but has not appeared since. We had 2 new tyres fitted the day before travelling, could that be anything to do with it ?

Max-Felix · Jul 26, 2017

DPF regeneration??

bvddobb · Jul 26, 2017

Max-Felix said:
DPF regeneration??

Most likely!

T6 CFO · Jul 26, 2017

Hopefully the DPF which would be a good thing. Is this first good run in a while?

Mike

SallyW · Jul 26, 2017

We had an intermittent burning smell from our California on a recent trip to Devon. A few weeks later (of not much van use) the power steering failed. The burning smell we now assume was the auxiliary belt gradually deteriorating. We were fortunate that we were at home when the belt finally went. In retrospect we should have called out the AA when we first noticed the burning smell. Hope this is not the problem but this was our experience. (We now carry a spare auxiliary belt in the kit)

AlanC · Jul 26, 2017

SallyW said:
We had an intermittent burning smell from our California on a recent trip to Devon. A few weeks later (of not much van use) the power steering failed. The burning smell we now assume was the auxiliary belt gradually deteriorating. We were fortunate that we were at home when the belt finally went. In retrospect we should have called out the AA when we first noticed the burning smell. Hope this is not the problem but this was our experience. (We now carry a spare auxiliary belt in the kit)

Just what I was thinking.

If you were running the Aircon on that trip, that will put additional strain on a worn belt. I would get that looked at to rule it in or out.

Alan

hubert72 · Jul 27, 2017

Just an update, used van every day while down in Dorset Monday to Wednesday, few short trips up to an hour at a time without a whiff at all. Set off back today, made first services stop for a leg stretch after about 2 hours and noticed a smell coming through the vents when stopped, didn't seem lime the same smell at first but this time smelled more of a blocked drain type smell. After another 3 hours of continuous motorway driving and getting caught in standing traffic now and then we noticed the smell coming through the vents quite strong, this time it was back to the hot tarmac (possibly burnt rubber) type smell. While travelling at speed we could not smell it but as soon as traffic slowed down to a standstill it was whafting through the vents. By the time we got home (about an hour ago) the van stinks rotten all around, we are sat in the kitchen and with the garage door open the smell is filling the house. I still can't seem to pinpoint it, obvious one is that all the wheels seem to smell really bad but it could just be whafting through the wheel arches. I am going to speak to VW in the morning to see what the say, thing is that it won't smell when I take it in unless I do a 2-3 hour run on the motorway first. Will keep you updated.

hubert72 · Jul 27, 2017

AlanC said:
Just what I was thinking.

If you were running the Aircon on that trip, that will put additional strain on a worn belt. I would get that looked at to rule it in or out.

Alan

Is the belt one that you can see ?

andyinluton · Jul 27, 2017

Any one of the wheels really hot? it could be a wheel bearing on way out / or brake dragging.

AlanC · Jul 27, 2017

hubert72 said:
Is the belt one that you can see ?

That is a main belt that drives the alternator and aircon compressor.

From what you have said in your previous post, I wonder if the smell is bacteria in the aircon.

That would come from the vents and smell blocked drainish and if you don't run the air con all the time, can build up on the pollen filter and the fan vanes only to smell when you do run the aircon, such as on the motorway.

Alan

hubert72 · Jul 28, 2017

Booked in for 8th August, will let you know what they find.

Grey one · Jul 29, 2017

hubert72 said:
Booked in for 8th August, will let you know what they find.

hubert72 said:
Drove from Leeds to Dorset on Monday, every now and then after about 2 hours of driving we could smell a strong strange smell that I can best describe as the smell of new hot tarmac when you drive through roadworks, a kind of burning smell but not easy to describe. Didn't think too much of it and assumed it was an outside smell until we parked up at the services and kept getting a whiff of it while round the van stretching our legs, we were both going round the van sniffing it trying to home in on the smell but couldn't, we must have looked like a right pair of weirdos sniffing the van. Set off again and kept on getting the smell but haven't been able to pin point where it's from. The hot tarmac smell was still around for a couple of hours when we eventually got parked up at the site in Ringwood but has not appeared since. We had 2 new tyres fitted the day before travelling, could that be anything to do with it ?

We had a similar smell. Eventually concluded it was something to do with aircon. We concluded that as, whilst the smell came and went, the one connection was that whenever it came the aircon was on. We used to turn aircon on and off as required but since leaving it on all the time the smell has not come back.

hubert72 · Jul 30, 2017

Grey one said:
We had a similar smell. Eventually concluded it was something to do with aircon. We concluded that as, whilst the smell came and went, the one connection was that whenever it came the aircon was on. We used to turn aircon on and off as required but since leaving it on all the time the smell has not come back.

I tend to have the air con turned on all the time and it was on all the time while driving down south due to the nice hot weather. After speaking to the guy at VW in Wakefield and mentioning the few possibilities mentioned on this forum he seems to going down the drive belt route. The plan is to take it in and let them look, if they don't see anything obvious I have to go on a 2 hour run down the motorway and then back to the garage so they can smell it. I just hope it is a hot day on 8th so I can simulate the same conditions as we had last week. I will look a bit of an idiot if I can't make the van smell.

Niborn · Jul 30, 2017

On the hire vehicle I had for two months , which I got from Kamper Hire , I had the same thing . It was a new Ocean 150 DSG . Never figured out what it was , turning off the air vents helped. Did a big mileage never had a problem driving just smelly . Looked inside / around engine found nothing to indicate an issue. Mark at kamper hire never heard about such a smell too . My wife thought it wasn't from outside but the inka seat covers reacting when the seat heating was on . I don't think it was these but they were smelly anyway , a bit like the amazon dog seat cover for the car boot I bought which was smelly as described for months . That amazon cover smell really wasn't pleasant .

GrannyJen · Jul 30, 2017

hubert72 said:
I tend to have the air con turned on all the time and it was on all the time while driving down south due to the nice hot weather. After speaking to the guy at VW in Wakefield and mentioning the few possibilities mentioned on this forum he seems to going down the drive belt route. The plan is to take it in and let them look, if they don't see anything obvious I have to go on a 2 hour run down the motorway and then back to the garage so they can smell it. I just hope it is a hot day on 8th so I can simulate the same conditions as we had last week. I will look a bit of an idiot if I can't make the van smell.

I don't think you will look an idiot. A lot better than drive belt failure

hubert72 · Aug 10, 2017

Smelly update .....
Van went in to VW Wakefield this week, as I had been using the van on short journeys all week and the smell did not re-appear I thought it would be wise to take it out on a good long run before pulling into the garage, hoping that the smell would re-appear after a long journey and make things easy for them.

Fuelled up and set off on a good 2 hour drive, sod's law, not even a slight whiff when I pulled into VW. The van man at VW was convinced that it would have just been the DPF regeneration (hat's off to you guys who said that's what it would be) and said it can get really smelly if the van is mainly used for short journeys then has a very long run.

He checked the computer and said it shows that it did do a full regen about 300 miles ago which would have tied in with our trip down to Dorset. I feel a little better now as the warranty deadline fast approaches.

Worth a mention that Paul the service manager at VW Wakefield is a very nice bloke, very friendly and seems genuinely interested in trying to help. They didn't charge me for the visit too which was a bonus.