Burning Smell

[konaboy]

So I noticed Saturday after a short drive I was getting a bit of a burning odor that I could smell from inside the car. Thought I saw a puff or two of smoke but that could have been the beater next to me at the drive through. Got home and popped the hood checked all the fluid levels and everything is fine. Oil, tranny,brake,power steering, radiator...all good. No signs of leaks on the driveway. Drove it again tonight and same thing, you could only smell it when you came to a stop, wife was with me and noticed it too. Checked all around again and only visible moisture I can see underneath is this, the tranny fluid is a nice red color and not brown and it's to the full level on the dip stick. Can you guys give me some ideas?

1997 XLT V6 SOHC 104,000

 

[madbrad104]

Condensation from running your ac on your vehicle

 

[deweyville65]

Most likely a bit of a seal leak. Either rear main or torque convertor. Could also be from lower intake manifold, or valve overs. What does it smell like?

 

[konaboy]

Ac wasn't on either time.

As for smell, it's not that normal "celery" radiator smell as if there was a leak. Radiator was my first thought, then I thought maybe one of the calipers was locking up and a brake was dragging but as I went around the vehicle the smell wasn't coming from a wheel, seemed most notable when I opened the hood. Stronger on the left side (if you are standing in front of the vehicle) of the engine from what i could tell. Engine compartment was completely dry. The smell was like something was burning off, a fluid or possibly something overheating. kind of hard to describe. Wish we had Smellovision!

not feeling anything odd as far as it running or shifting, not hearing anything like a metallic sound of something grinding or metal on metal.

 

[deweyville65]

Check your valve covers.