The typical odour that motorists associate with owning a vehicle, and will never be worried about, is the new car smell. But this scent only lasts for a time. The longer you own your car, you likely will come across a variety of other odours. While some smells may be innocuous, others could be a system of something critically wrong with your vehicle. Ignoring these odours can lead to irreparable damage to the different systems in your car and this will result in engine replacement of the engine, transmission and so on. This piece outlines just three of the odours from your vehicle are indicative of the need for car servicing.
1. Burning rubber
When you catch a whiff of burning rubber, your first instinct would likely be that your tyres are in jeopardy. However, if you inspect the tyres and do not find anything wrong with them, you should investee other components of the vehicle. In some cases, displaced drive belts can cause this odour. On the other hand, if the hoses have slipped and are rubbing against the drive pulleys the friction created will emit this odour. You may be tempted to inspect the engine but this is inadvisable. It is best to set an appointment for a car service so that a mechanic and determine the cause of this smell.
2. Fuel
You should never be able to smell fuel when you are driving. It's a warning of a leak that needs to be diagnosed and remedied as soon as possible. In some instances, the fuel could be leaking from the fuel injector line. Fuel may also begin to leak out of its tank. It is crucial to bear in mind that a fuel leak poses the immediate threat of a fire hazard. Therefore, when you notice this odour, you need to stop driving your vehicle until the problem is identified and fixed.
3. Sickly sweet aroma
A sweet aroma may not be as noxious as the odour of rubber burning but this does not mean that this smell should be taken lightly. The sickly sweet odour is indicative of a coolant leak. If you check the spot where your car is parked, you may notice a few droplets of the coolant. When you ignore this odour, you face the risk of your engine overheating and possibly facing a break down in the middle of the road. When you take your car for servicing, your mechanic will clean the radiator and refill it with coolant.