Clutch "Smell" with Auto Transmission

I have an '11 DCSB Offroad with AUTO transmission. I was recently in Northern Maine and took the truck on heavy rutted and washed out dirt logging roads. I had the truck in 4wd HI and the tranny in 2 or 3, but at no time needed 4LO to navigate the roads. At the end of each day I would drive down the logging road and then go on a smoothed dirt road for about 3-4 miles to my camp. When I got back to the camp I noted a "burned clutch" (brake?) type smell, but could not localize it to an area on the truck.

As I have an auto transmission I can't figure out what the source of the odor could have been. Any suggestions?

 

Hmm. Hot brakes from the traction control system?

 

Could have been the brakes. Usually you can walk around to each wheel and tell which one it's coming from when they are really stinky. Of course I've had mud caked on exhaust before that smelled like all kinds of unpleasant things.

 

I had a similar thing happen , I put it down to excess grease from the front driveshaft U joints getting spun out onto the exhaust

 

From what i understand it's recommended not to drive around continuously with the tranny in the lower gears... downhill for engine braking is fine but up hill will overheat the transmission. It's better to drop down into into 4.

The owners manual states " Do not continue hill climbing or hard towing for a long time in the 3,2, or L position. This may cause severe automatic transmission damage from overheating.

Even on level ground i'd only use those lower gears for short distances.

 

I'll just have to disagree with toyota, i think lugging around in a gear too tall would create more heat and wear than driving around in the gear that is designed for that speed. The only time I would think that statement is true is if you were on the rev limiter, not allowing the tranny to upshift, maybe then it would cause excessive heat.
I shift my automatic all day, its always in the gear i want it in, not the gear it was programmed to be in. I rarely even put it in 5th, unless i'm on the highway.

OP, could you have gotten mud or water in your rear brakes? Or possibly is it your E brake? Without removing the wheels and doing a visual check on parts, very hard to diagnose.

 

Sounds like the breaks were being over worked. I would recommend a transmission oil gauge with any automatic transmission.
Here is a chart showing the temps that damage the transmission.
http://www.txchange.com/heatchrt.htm

 

Did you ever figure out what it was OP??

 

Probably the A-FAP kicking in and destroying your brakes.

 

ATRAC only works in 4LO , no ?

 

Oh maybe, didn't think about that.