What the hell is that smell?

This is the first 4-wheel drive vehicle I've owned. I used the 4-wheel a few times so far mostly in the snow this winter. I have a very steep driveway that I needed to back into yesterday to do a dump run with stuff from my garage. I need the 4-wheel to get up the driveway in reverse or else my tires just spin. The driveway is really thin (about 8 inches on either side is a 5 foot retaining wall) so I have to back it in slowly so I have enough room to get out. When I got out I noticed a burning smell coming from my truck, it wasn't the tries because I know they hadn't spun at all. Is there anything that any of you can think of of what this might be? It's happened to me twice doing the same thing in the same place...any help is appreciated. Thanks!

Sorry, forgot to add it's a 2002 regular cab 4x4 SR5 manual trans.

 

your upper lip.














hahaha. man i think im so funny.

 

Agreed. Probably the clutch.

Going slow on such an incline and backwards, you're probably playing with the clutch a lot and feathering it near the friction point, causing the clutch plate to slip. Depending how bad it is, you could either end up burning through clutches pretty quick, or it could just be slightly excessive wear and it'll last you years doing it like that.

Personally, I think I would rethink how you're going about doing things. Maybe go forward up the driveway and back down when leaving. Brakes are a lot easier to change than a clutch.

 

im guessing you have a dirt driveway when you said the tires spin without 4wd, but if it is asphalt, it could be something to do with the 4wd because its not supposed to be used on solid surfaces.

i dont know all the mechanics, just its only for loose surfaces

 

clutch

 

What's it smell like?

Aside from the clutch, another idea that maybe - and depending on how steep it is.... if the gear oil had worked its way out the breather tube. Gear oil smells horrible and definately different than a clutch smell. Crawl under the truck and look at the breather - if its wet with gear oil, then you'll know it oozed out.

 

if it smells more like dead fish then it would be the clutch.

 

I can't pull up and back out of the driveway because its so narrow that I would have to carry everything around the side of the truck to get to the bed and there's not enough room to get through. I wish I had a pictures, you would understand...The driveway is asphalt with two tracks of concrete, the concrete is what my tires are on. I'm not very mechanical so I don't know what I am looking for as far as the breather.
It smells almost like rubber burning but a little stronger then that. The truck just hit 60k miles so I initially thought that it couldn't be the clutch but maybe I am wrong.


and my upper lip....HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA

 

yeah im not the most mechanical either but my first guess was the 4x4 somewhere. i know other people have had problems on dry pavement. never heard of a smell though, just broken shit and grinding noises

 

Does it still smell even after doing the work?
If no...then its probably the clutch. After a work-out like that on a hill, it can slip & smell. If everything is working fine now (after the fact) and you don't smell anything anymore....I wouldn't worry about it.

As for the diff breather... here's a picture of where its located/approx.
http://www.tacomaworld.com/gallery/data/500/medium/breather3.JPG
Look at where the yellow hose is connected to - although, your truck won't have a yellow hose. It'll have a little metal looking cap instead.

 

stick shift=clutch

 

No, the only time that it had smelled like that was just the two times that I had to get it into the driveway backwards...As long as I shouldn't have to worry about it I'm good

Thanks for all the help!