Burning Smell using 4H?

Hey everyone,

Picked up my 2017 TRD Off-road Access cab Auto last Monday. Loving it so far.

We had a pretty reasonable amount of snowfall during the afternoon rush yesterday. Highway had iced over in certain areas (stop and go would result in traction control kicking in immediately in 2WD). So I put the truck in 4H for the first time. About 20mins total. Highest speed I got to was about 65km/h.

When I got home, noticed a very strong "burning" smell from the truck. Only noticable once the door was opened but it certainly was there. Took a hour or so for it to disapate. Certainly doesn't seem normal. Initially I figured it was just a new truck being put in 4WD for the first time but now I'm not sure.

Anyone else have something similar happen?

Thanks in advance guys and gals.

 

It's the smell of buyers remorse.

Seriously just the "new" cooking off of the motor, coated metal, rubber and plastic parts, etc.

 

No way in hell. Love the truck. Have wanted a Tacoma ever since the 1st gen.

 

Thats the smell of the payments burning a hole in your wallet.
Enjoy your new Truck.

 

Hey OP sure you didn't fart a little?? Maybe ya squeezed one out and you didn't realize it.... perfectly normal characteristic of 3rd Gen Tacoma owner (while in 4wd). You'll be fine.

Seriously.. likely the traction control burning brake pads in the rear brakes. We had a blizzard yesterday and we went X-country skiing.. woohoo icy conditions .... anywho... in 2wd my rear was slipping on one side and the traction control kicked in a few times... put into 4WD-hi like you. When we got home I could smell it too.. but for me it smelled more like dirty socks and my wife noticed it too.. actually come to think about it, could have been dirty underwear. Didn't spend a lot of time figuring up whose undies smelled....

I did get a sweaty there.. usually against my religion to sweat but made exception for snow.

 

smell of 2wd crying.

 

....wut?

 

That's funny. I've had mine sine June and have taken it off roading a good bit. But I've only run it maybe 1-2 miles or so at a time just when it seemed like I would need it. I've had it in 4lo for about 5 cumulative miles, just in certain tricky areas, and no smell noted in any of those situations.

Yesterday, I was out and drove for a good 2-3 hours or so in 4hi on snow and ice covered back roads. I did smell a burning when I got out as well. but it wasn't a worrying burning smell. hard to describe what I mean by that. but there are just some burning smells off a car that makes you a little concerned and others that don't? Maybe because I had a good number hi mileage fords/mercuries I didn't know how to take care of in the early 90's and I burned through SO MANY THINGS, I know what bad burning odors are like? Damn I was stupid back then.

It just didn't smell like a worrisome burn. It had a plastic-like odor to it. Like I was just burning crap off that needed to be burned off. I don't know. Took it out again today and no problems with 4hi. no problems, no binding, no noise, so I'm happy. gonna change the front/rear diff and t-case in another 4k or so, I guess I'll see then.

 

It's that beaster you're smoking. My truck smells like kind in 4hi.

 

stopped doing that in the 90's too.

 

Excess grease thrown onto the exhaust

 

I felt like mine smelled like that for a few days after I drove it off the stealership lot. No worries.

 

don't think it was grease.

I've slung my share of grease on the exhaust from the rear zerks after I grease the u joints and I use the same grease on the front. Didn't smell like cooked red/tacky. This was a different burning smell. Maybe it's that special 75W t-case fluid that sells for $50 a can, that's cooking.

 

I got a weird smell too on my trd or when I first used 4WD, have no clue what it was from though... I already had about 3k miles at that point but it was the first time I used 4HI

 

By any chance...were you on the way home from the Taco Stand...where you ate 6 bean burritos and quaffed about 5 beers...?? If I'm close on this one,.... I think I have found your problem... (did you have the GF in the truck)..? That could also be the source of your problem..??

Just saying... trying to help here..!

 

Front diff has a overtemp warning/failsafe.

 

I got to join the burning rubber smell in 4WD-Hi club last night!!

21 Degrees F in Minnesota last night, roads were glare ice, threw it in 4-hi on a freeway stretch when 4-5 of us in heavy traffic decided to go perpendicular. Drove a few miles with 4wd engaged, no sharp turns, 6-30 mph. I get to my destination and the front grill area and wheel wells stank like burning rubber. No buzzing/screaming at me, no warning lights, came in and out of 4wd normal, no grinding sounds, nothing.

45k on the truck, used 4WD plenty of times in its lifespan so far. Never had this smell. Ever, winter or summer. I tried every heater blower combo, never came into the cab at any point. All wheels were cool to the touch.

Did some research and there are a few possibilities:
• Slung grease from front drive-shaft zerk maintenance, sat on something that gets hot in 4wd (diff/t-case/etc)>
• City may use Magnesium Chloride, which from what I learned online, slings up on the front parts, gets hot due to 4wd and stinks like burning rubber.
• Could have a stuck CV boot, cooking away as the shaft turns.

I plan on:
• Checking fluids (leveled them off when I changed them with Toyota brand, till they barely dribbled out). See if anything stinks, looks like I'm grinding parts, etc.
• Checking CV boots to see if they're hung up.
• Checking my AC drain line mod (heater hose) to see if its laying up against a hot front drive component.
• Stopping in at the dealer for the blower recall soon so I'm also going to make them aware, get it documented and have them check so at least I have paperwork saying it was all good and cleared if something ends up being f*cked down the road.

I'm leaning at the moment toward the Mag Chloride being the culprit as the conditions matched Minnesota's Highway Dept. outline for using it.

Hope you figure out what's up with your ride as well, cheers!

 

So far only people to mention noticing the smell were driving on icy winter roads so I would guess that the slung road de-icer getting hot is the most likely.

 

I was on a dirt road in San Diego, pretty much as far from snow as you can get...
but the smell went away so I guess its got something to do with break in process of the 4WD...

 

Sorry over looked yours only thought it was two guys mentioning it.