TheSamba.com :: View topic - Hot smell outside, electrical, clutch or?

Mon Apr 14, 2014 9:25 am

Hello all,
Just as I was thinking everything could not be better with the van, yesterday shortly after I pulled into the garage following a 20 minute drive I could smell this electrical fire type of smell. I could not smell it inside the van where most of the electrical stuff is so I started to wonder if it could be the clutch. I did a few checks and everything feels good; pedal travels normally, fluid level is good, no apparent leaks anywhere, clutch feels solid on acceleration and on uphill departure.
One other possible culprit is the high temp RTV I used on the exhaust gaskets when I replaced them a little while ago. I tried to burn some of the same RTV from the tube just to see if the smell was similar, although it is similar I can’t say for sure it is the same, but I am hopping it is. I did not drive the van much since the exhaust work so maybe it is still "cooking" under the heat, although I drove 3 or 4 times before and did not smell it.
Anyone else experienced a strong hot electrical like smell from using RTV on their exhaust gaskets?
Thanks,
Alex

Mon Apr 14, 2014 1:32 pm

if you drove it after you put the RTV on the exhaust for 3-4 times then your not going to be smelling it now. My thinking is it would have cooked by now and if you used the high temp RTV you might not be burning it. Think it's 600° for the red RTV?

Do you have a Fire Extinguisher on board?

Were there any systems you used on the last drive that you hadn't used in the last few drives- rear window defogger for example, but anything different from the previous drives that is going to pull an electrical load?

Is the smell coming from the engine compartment-
-when you shut it off is there a smell rising up out of the fresh air intakes on the sides at the rear or is it all around the rear in general. It would take a few moments for the heat to rise up through the intakes.

It might not be a good idea to put it in the garage in case you do have a fire situation brewing.

Mon Apr 14, 2014 2:41 pm

I had a smell for awhile, with the van. I also smell but that's another thread.
I couldn't tell if it was brakes, trans fluid, coolant or clutch .
Ended up that the coolant cap gasket was just fubar enough that it would
Weep end trickle down onto the exhaust. Changed the cap and allwas well

Mon Apr 14, 2014 3:26 pm

Remember that sweat smell of the coolant.

Pay attention next time you are driving down a big hill and a tractor trailer drives by, those are breaks.

Burning oil, if you don't know already, drop a few drops on the exhaust.

Mon Apr 14, 2014 6:10 pm

nemobuscaptain wrote:
Pay attention next time you are driving down a big hill and a tractor trailer drives by, those are breaks.

So true...