New Smell, I need help

[sarnold]

My roommate "borrowed" my '03 Explorer Sport and since its return I can smell what smells a lot like burning brakes but it feels like it is in the transmission/clutch. When I open the hood the smell is much stronger from the left side than it is from the right. I can't figure out where exactly it is coming from but it is very troubling. My best guess is that he either drove it for a long time a too high an RPM or rode the clutch for a long time. If you have any troubleshooting tips for such a problem, please let me know.
Thanks

 

[n2epv]

From your description, it sounds like the clutch is slipping. I believe that clutch frictional material is very similar to brake pads - and smells just like brakes when it gets hot. The problem is that, unlike your bakes, there's no cooling fins or air flow to get rid of the heat. If you drive it any distance with it slipping, the heat just builds up and causes other components in the area to fail. Then you need to call a towing service