Burned Rubber Odor Eminating From 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee After Towing

[chuckster52]

Originally Posted by LostDutchman

This is more of an FYI, but still interested in knowing if anyone else has experienced this:

Since the very first time we towed our 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit behind the motorhome, we have noticed an odor of burned rubber emanating from the Jeep after disconnecting it from the motorhome and driving it for a bit. It is generally most noticeable after braking but also during normal driving.

It was worse when the Jeep was brand new, but much less yet still noticeable now, after having put 3500 miles on it.

I’ve had our Jeep dealer take a look at it - nothing unusual found. We also had the installers of the Blue Ox/Invisibrake sytem go over everything - again nothing found.

We’ve since discovered other models of Jeep and other makes of cars also experience this.

Consensus is that road debris and microscopic rubber particles get kicked up and settle on the Jeep during towing... including disc brakes and exhaust system components. When the Jeep is disconnected from the MH and driven, exhaust parts heat up, as do the brakes when applied, resulting in the odor of burning rubber. The odor greatly diminishes after the car has been driven awhile, and almost completely disappears if the car has not been towed for a period of time.

Just wondering who else may have experienced this, what your thoughts are, and what actions, if any, were taken.

Thanks in advance. Bill

I would GET that type of smell with a Lexus 300 we towed awhile back...then I would start it up and out in park first thing when I started to unhook...let it sit and run while I disconnected it and put all Tow items away before moving it. Been doing the same for the last 2 Cherokees and never had another smell...C

[FIRE UP]

Originally Posted by barmcd

We pull a Jeep Cherokee on a dolly and don't have any smell. I'm skeptical that this is road debris.

First off, even based on this thread alone, the majority of posters DO smell it after disconnecting from being towed and driving their toads for a short while. Second, there's been multiple threads for years on the same subject and, they always refer to the cause as "road debris/dust/mud/tire dust" or anything that can or has the ability to even lightly be deposited on the COLD exhaust system of a toad. And third, some folks don't get it (the smell) as much as others. There's all kinds of reasons why. How well the exhaust system is protected, a tow dolly might deflect much of whatever might be deposited on the system, how well a vehicle is sealed up which means less chance of a driver to notice the smell, how fast one attains speed right after disconnection which means, the small cannot permeate the interior of the vehicle due to the speed of the vehicle, and many other reasons.

Does EVERYONE get this smell, no. Do some get it more than others, yep. All the variables come into play here.

Originally Posted by TurtleKent

I've always had the same smell towing a 96 RAV, an 06 CR-V and an 07 CR-V. Sometimes I wonder. If I'm burning off some ATF, but it happens on every trip, whether 500 or 600 miles.

"...burning off some ATF..."? Well Sir, I don't know about the Toyota RAV since I'd been lead to believe that about 98% of the Toyotas are not authorized to be flat towed. But, again, I'm no expert on those. Now, as for the CRVs, about 98% of those have been flat towable for years and years. And being that they're flat towable, your notion of burning off ATF is kind of falce too. The reason being, Honda designed the trans to accommodate flat towing. That means there should or would, be no ATF escaping from any orifice/vent etc. due to flat towing.

Even if you were right, WHERE would the ATF come from, the vent? And, how would it get deposited on the exhaust system which, is the only thing that would get hot enough to "burn" things off of it? If any ATF were to leak onto any other part of the undercarriage, you'd not know it unless dripped enough for you to see it after you'd parked someplace. Now, all this really doesn't make your assumption wrong. Heck, you could have a leak and, it might be possible that some drips are getting onto the exhaust system. But, if that were the case, as stated earlier, you'd see evidence where you might normally park.

Originally Posted by chuckster52

I would GET that type of smell with a Lexus 300 we towed awhile back...then I would start it up and out in park first thing when I started to unhook...let it sit and run while I disconnected it and put all Tow items away before moving it. Been doing the same for the last 2 Cherokees and never had another smell...C

Well, as stated earlier, some might get more of the smell and others, well, they get more. We've been getting it on all 9 Jeeps that we've towed over the last 35 years and, we got it on the '11 Honda CRV we towed about 5 years ago and, we get it on both of our present toads, an '11 GMC Sierra 1500 Extended Cab 4x4 and, a '15 Jeep JKUR. It's so routine, it's not even thought about when we get in the toad to use it after it's been towed.
Scott

[F4Gary]

Originally Posted by Polyian

I was getting that smell and debris dust all over the toad until I removed the debris brush from the rear of the motorhome...the one that is supposed to prevent debris kicking up. It was actually dusting the road as we traveled and kicking everything onto the toad. PO had installed it, it was ugly and useless.

This. I still get a little smell, but not nearly as much as when I still had the full width mud flap across the back of the motorhome.
I get a lot less sand and dirt on the car now too.

[CJ7ole]

I tow a lifted Jeep CJ-7. After a long trip I crawl under to reconnect the driveshaft. You can feel the crud on the muffler and exhaust pipes. 250 mile trip not a problem, 1200 mile trip I notice it. You still get it while driving the toad (ever wonder where the stuff go to that wears off your tire tread?) but it gets burned off a fast as it accumulates.

[FIRE UP]

Originally Posted by CJ7ole

I tow a lifted Jeep CJ-7. After a long trip I crawl under to reconnect the driveshaft. You can feel the crud on the muffler and exhaust pipes. 250 mile trip not a problem, 1200 mile trip I notice it. You still get it while driving the toad (ever wonder where the stuff go to that wears off your tire tread?) but it gets burned off a fast as it accumulates.

CJ,
You're still climbing under your Jeep to re-connect a driveshaft after towing? Man, I gotta hand it to ya, I wouldn't do that if I was paid to. But, it's your choice so, keep up the good work. As for the highlighted statement above, you just asked what I've been asking for decades and as of yet, there has never been in the past, lately, or, doubt there will be in the future, an ANSWER to this delima.

I mean, there are a few zillion tires (equal to the U.S. debt)in use, and ever since tires began use on our roads, and will be for years to come, but no one can answer where all THE TIRE DEBRIS is. I mean, logically, in the chemical world, tires are a solid, they are not a liquid that, when boils off, becomes a gas and evaporates. Tires DO NOT EVAPORATE! So, where's the tire dust/debris etc?
Scott

OP. Sorry, don't mean to hijack the thread, not intended.