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Burnt plastic smell from under vehicle

Discussion in '2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015)' started by Kotah, Jan 4, 2018.

  1. Jan 6, 2018 at 9:19 PM
    #21
    Pigpen

    Pigpen My truck is never clean

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    Since it's an auto, I'd guess sticky caliper. I just greased mine this fall. The pins weren't sliding as easily as they should.
     
  2. Jan 7, 2018 at 7:20 AM
    #22
    Kotah

    Kotah [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Ill pay special attention to the hub areas when i drive it today, should be able to get the odor of the back side of the wheel if thats the case
     
  3. Jan 7, 2018 at 11:16 AM
    #23
    Tacosail

    Tacosail Well-Known Member

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    Go for a little drive, stop, feel the lugnuts on all four wheels, if one wheel is hotter than the others, there is a good place to start. You could feel the rotors and drums, but if there is a bad one it could burn you.
     
    Sub_Par likes this.
  4. Jan 7, 2018 at 1:02 PM
    #24
    Kotah

    Kotah [OP] Well-Known Member

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    I tested it today and the smell is obviously more strong the more you use the brakes, you can let it idle and there is no smell, a bunch of hills by my house and when i braked on them and stopped the smell was strong, its on the driver side front, i tried feeling the rotors but they both get hot, guess ill have to pull off the front wheel and grease the slides. First time i have ever smelled a plastic burning smell from the brakes, id say pigpen is on to something.
     
    CurtB likes this.
  5. Jan 7, 2018 at 5:30 PM
    #25
    Kotah

    Kotah [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Are you talking about the 2- pins that hold the brake pads in
     
  6. Jan 7, 2018 at 6:47 PM
    #26
    Pigpen

    Pigpen My truck is never clean

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    Yes

    The smell could also just be from brake dust. I noticed mine smelling a little funky the last couple days. Your thread had my mind in it and I noticed a faint smell from the brakes.
     
  7. Jan 8, 2018 at 1:26 PM
    #27
    Kotah

    Kotah [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Mine has a pretty strong smell the first few minutes after i stop, hopefully this ice and freezing rain wikl get out of here so i can pull off the wheel, i did have it on one of those alabama red clay and rock roads 3 weeks ago it is full of sand also
     
  8. Jan 8, 2018 at 1:29 PM
    #28
    Pigpen

    Pigpen My truck is never clean

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    Ice and freezing rain will cause your auto LSD to activate quite a bit, heating up the brakes. That would explain your smell right there.

    My ABS isn't working at all currently, so I'm guessing there's just crap in my brakes making them stink.
     
    scottalot likes this.
  9. Jan 8, 2018 at 1:45 PM
    #29
    Kotah

    Kotah [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Well today is the only day we had the ice, the smell was occurring with real cold dry temperatures so that rules that out.I do notice if i come to a quick stop itsounds like the abs orsomething cycling like a pump or something like if im going down a steep hill.
     
  10. Jan 9, 2018 at 5:27 PM
    #30
    Kotah

    Kotah [OP] Well-Known Member

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    I shot the temperature of each wheel, hub, rotor and caliper and they was with in 5 degrees of each other, actually the side that did not have a odor was warmer on the rotor, the side that had been smelling did not have an odor today, only difference was it rained yesterday and was drove in the rain, there was not as much braking this time as i came in a different way but if something was sticking you would think it would still be doing it, hopefully i can catch it with the odor and get a temperature reading then.
     
    TomTwo likes this.
  11. Jan 9, 2018 at 8:19 PM
    #31
    Pigpen

    Pigpen My truck is never clean

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    I'm fresh out of ideas
     
  12. Jan 10, 2018 at 12:58 PM
    #32
    Kotah

    Kotah [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Im keeping the temp gun in the truck and going to get the temps again when it smells, if it dont maybe it had a pebble or something hung in there and driving in the rain washed it out
     
  13. Jan 10, 2018 at 4:30 PM
    #33
    Kotah

    Kotah [OP] Well-Known Member

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    I got the smell back after braking down a long hill, shot the rotors and the one on the side the smell is was 212 degrees f and the other side was 132 f, dont know if thats enough difference to pin point a problem or not sunce the rotors get hot anyway, the rims felt the same nothing felt hot just warm, brake calibers were the same
     
  14. Jan 10, 2018 at 4:31 PM
    #34
    Bagel

    Bagel Well-Known Member

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    I had that problem one time when I literally ran over a plastic bag and part of it melted onto hot parts under my engine. You can just grind off the plastic in that case.
     
  15. Jan 11, 2018 at 2:20 PM
    #35
    Kotah

    Kotah [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Hopefully ill get the wheel off soon and see what it looks like, i looked pretty good for melted plastic underneath and did not see none unless somehow it got on the rotor
     
  16. Jan 12, 2018 at 8:15 AM
    #36
    Tacosail

    Tacosail Well-Known Member

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    80 degrees difference between sides is reason enough to investigate further. Does it pull one way or the other when braking?
     
    Clearwater Bill likes this.
  17. Jan 12, 2018 at 1:22 PM
    #37
    Kotah

    Kotah [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Does not pull or make noise, seems braking down hills causes it to smell, flat roads not so much
     
  18. Jan 13, 2018 at 11:01 AM
    #38
    Topojijo

    Topojijo Active Member

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    The truck has a plastic bed. Have you looked at the formed ribs under the bed? Are any spots near the exhaust system?
     
  19. Jan 14, 2018 at 4:53 PM
    #39
    Kotah

    Kotah [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Got around to pulling the driverside front wheel today, the brake pads looked good, pulled the 2- slide pins they had some surface rust but was able to slide them out by hand with no problem, polished them up and applied a coat of high temp grease and reinstalled, checked all the brake lines for leaks and the cv joint boots and looked at every thing visible from that wheel well and nothing stood out, inner plastic fender well was clean no signs of any fluids slinging on it. Spun the tire and it was free no noise, spun the rotor by hand after the wheel was off and no noise or any abnormal drag. Went for a short 10 minute drive up and down the hills by the house and the burnt plastic smell is still there. Shot the lugnuts and rotors and the lugnuts were 54 degrees f and the rotors around 70 degrees on both the front sides.
     
  20. Jan 14, 2018 at 7:27 PM
    #40
    10MGM

    10MGM Well-Known Member

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    Swap the brake pads from side to side and see if the smell follows.
     

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