Jeep burnt rubber smell

[txdutt]

we make sure the vent control is off & the vents themselves are closed in the Jeep--that has seemed to help although not eliminate it as occasionally we'll still get "that smell" after a trip...

[Sepisllib]

Answer to everyone's question ----- here is is!!!!

Ever wonder just where your tires go????? How many "Tires" have YOU worn out over the many years of driving vehicles on our highways and byways???

The answer is: Microscopic Particles rub off from your tires as you drive on the highway - these tiny little particles have to go somewhere (and this is the WHERE).

These particles blow away in the swirling of air that result from the wind, our vehicle passing on the roadway, other vehicles and etc ---- most of the particles are swept away into the countryside and travel sometimes hundreds of miles. However, a large percentage of the particles simply are deposited on or around the roadway, shoulders, ditches and etc.

When towing a vehicle behind another one the resultant turbulence swirls the air up, into, around and through every little crevice of the "Towed" vehicle - this turbulent air contains minute parts of these microscopic rubber particles - and in some of the less active areas of the towed vehicle the microscopic particles are "Deposited" to remain there until that vehicle is started and the resultant engine developed heat causes them to melt and evaporate.

Thus ------- The smell of "Burning rubber" - because it is, indeed, burning rubber as from YOUR tires, but most likely the tires of thousands of previous vehicles.

Simple ------

Best thing is --- there is no cause for alarm, however most of us are concerned at first because it is not a normal thing to start your vehicle and then smell burning rubber.

God Bless

Bill

[ChileRick]

Glad to read this thread! We had the same smell in Denver, we were about ready to take the car to Toyota.
Thinking back, we went to Denver from Mesa Verde, where we towed over a lot of new roadwork and fresh oil and gravel.
Could explain why that stop was particularly pungent !

[Sepisllib]

Most likely - microscopic rubber particles are not the only things thrown up and deposited onto the frame and engine of your vehicle.

Just think of that "Skunk" you could have hit ------!!!!!!

God Bless

Bill

[jwwing]

I went looking for the experience of others when our 2009 Jeep Liberty gave off a burned rubber smell a couple of times after we towed it the last 3 weeks. (We had towed a 2003 Liberty previously but had never noticed the smell.) When I started the 2009 to unhook, I noticed the odor for a little while, but not severe - just a hint. It is rubber, not Bakelite or wire covering - and it is not inside the car. I do disconnect the battery completely and the motorhome's power is used to operate the lights and the Patriot supplemental braking system without connection to the Jeep's ground or battery.

[lp5151]

Originally Posted by jwwing

I went looking for the experience of others when our 2009 Jeep Liberty gave off a burned rubber smell a couple of times after we towed it the last 3 weeks. (We had towed a 2003 Liberty previously but had never noticed the smell.) When I started the 2009 to unhook, I noticed the odor for a little while, but not severe - just a hint. It is rubber, not Bakelite or wire covering - and it is not inside the car. I do disconnect the battery completely and the motorhome's power is used to operate the lights and the Patriot supplemental braking system without connection to the Jeep's ground or battery.

tire rubber debris from the road gets thrown up under the tow car and onto its exhaust, catalytic converter, etc and then burns off when car is driven... usually goes away after a few miles of driving, then collects again when it's towed.

[jwwing]

Ip5151: I hear you and it seems the most plausible, but I still have a niggling feeling that something else is going on. We towed a 2003 for several years and never noticed the odor (behind an Itasca Suncruiser diesel pusher). The only thing was that we didn't have supplemental brakes. I checked the brakes on the Jeep after we arrived by touching the rotors, but they were cool like no braking had occurred. The smell is like burnt tires, but I can see no evidence of scrubbing on the Jeep's tires and they too were cool (not too surprising really, probably cooled off before I got to them). I didn't smell the odor until I started the Jeep which supports your conclusion, but why didn't I notice it on the 2003 when I unhitched? I don't think we smelled the odor every time we unhitched either, which also seems odd.

Just hoping that if someone did experience something like this and it ended up being something they could have avoided, I would like to know. On another forum, a guy claimed that they same odor was from the transmission getting ready to fail (according to his trusted mechanic buddy) - I really doubt that, but I can't check the tranny oil to look at it either.

[georgetown350]

My parents tow a jeep liberty... they get that smell and it goes away after driving the jeep for a bit to burn the rubber off the exhaust... not an issue unless the smell is unbearable for you....

[dennis45]

Originally Posted by lp5151

we have a 2009 Jeep Wrangler unlimited, that we tow. tow system is a road master system with roadmaster brake. the problem is that when we drive the jeep after towing, there is a burnt rubber smell that comes in through the venting system (A/C and/or defrost vents). it will last for a day or so then go away not to be "smelled" again until after it is towed again. we have ruled out tires, and have had it to the jeep dealer twice, but can't find out why we get that smell, only after towing.

anyone have this problem???

This is a condition that effects ALL toad vehicles not just Jeep. It is raw rubber residue off the tires and highway debris that is normally burned off while driving and goes unnoticed but acumulates during towing and then burned off when you start driving again. Just roll down the windows for a few minutes.

[Stretch]

Here is the test. Do you smell the burnt rubber just after you stop for the evening? My guess is no.........You start smelling it after you drive the toad for a few minutes. If it was a transmission problem you would smell the burnt rubber from the outside of the toad as soon as you parked....................

[Sepisllib]

I don't know why I bother to post the answer to this continuing question here. There is always one that doesn't believe the answer, regardless of how many times it is posted.

On my Malibu I did not use any type supplemental braking system to (cause the burnt smell from red hot brake pads),,,,,, The smell was there sometimes worse than others.

I KNOW what the cause is, as for some of you - keep searching. Hopefully one day you will reach a conclusion that you can, personally, live with.

God Bless

BIll

[georgetown350]

I don't know why I bother to post the answer to this continuing question here. There is always one that doesn't believe the answer, regardless of how many times it is posted.

The person in question said that we are most likely correct in our assumption but smartly suggests that it is possible especially with the fact that we have not seen the vehicle in question that there could be another cause for the smell. It was suggested in at least 15 posts before yours that the smell could be road grime but that doesn't make it fact in the ops case.

[stuhly]

You will smell it more on newer cars because the cat converter is flat and collects more crap of the road. A liberty has two cat converters making it even worse. My Tahoe smells terrible until you drive it for a couple of hours.

[Wayne M]

Originally Posted by Arch Hoagland

Normal smell.

The rubber particles on the road surface get up into the engine compartment and cook off.

.........................

Exactly!

2007 Saturn Vue. Changed the fan belt out just in case. Still had it with the new fan belt. Now I have a spare fan belt.