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Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:56 pm

I do!
Mmmmm

So, just recently my heat started smelling like burning plastic - any ideas?

I've used it for the past two or three weeks and it's been fine but just in the past few days it started smelling a little burnt after a little while.
I'm not sure where to start looking.

Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:18 pm

My whole van smells like a combo of burning plastic, burning oil, burning coolant, burning gasoline, hot dogs, surf wax, and foot.

Good luck finding the source, though.

Sat Dec 09, 2006 12:09 am

At least I'm not alone.

Sat Dec 09, 2006 8:05 am

The reason it smells like burning plastic is because you don't have what kind of van it is posted in your signature.

Andrew

Sat Dec 09, 2006 12:53 pm

Better?

Maybe it will stop burning now.

Sat Dec 09, 2006 3:53 pm

I wonder if you might have picked up a plastic bag somewhere during your travels and its now stuck to your muffler? :shock:

Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:58 am

If you had posted an air-cooled I would have said it was normal. :P

Did one of your kids drop a piece of crayon into one of the heaters?

Andrew

Tue Dec 12, 2006 10:26 am

Andrew A. Libby wrote: If you had posted an air-cooled I would have said it was normal. :P

Did one of your kids drop a piece of crayon into one of the heaters?

Andrew

Why ? I own a couple of aircoolers, and haven't smelled this smell ? Fill a brutha in ! And I have bought auction beaters, that had crayons down the heat pipe, smelled very bad yes .

Tue Dec 12, 2006 8:06 pm

I was just describing when the oil leaking from the valve covers gets into the heater boxes and boils/burns or when the fumes coming off the engine are recirculated through the heating system back to the passenger compartment. :wink:

Andrew

Tue Dec 12, 2006 9:02 pm

Andrew A. Libby wrote: I was just describing when the oil leaking from the valve covers gets into the heater boxes and boils/burns or when the fumes coming off the engine are recirculated through the heating system back to the passenger compartment. :wink:

Andrew

Oooooooh oil smell, cough cough cough , I thought I was missing out ! I figured my van was broken, cause it didn't smell of burning plastic . Just checking . :lol:

Tue Dec 12, 2006 9:06 pm

[quote="blackglasspirate"]I do!
Mmmmm

So, just recently my heat started smelling like burning plastic - any ideas?

Oh shit ! I just noticed this post was about heat smelling like plastic . What the hell do I know about this....... I don't even have heat ! Guess that's why I asked . I will try to read these forums sober from now on .

Tue Dec 12, 2006 10:29 pm

you might have a condom stuck on your exhaust system...most likley by the CAT/muffler area

Wed Dec 13, 2006 4:26 pm

blackglasspirate wrote: I do!
MmmmmSo, just recently my heat started smelling like burning plastic - any ideas? I've used it for the past two or three weeks and it's been fine but just in the past few days it started smelling a little burnt after a little while.
I'm not sure where to start looking.

Leaking heater core? Smell some coolant then see if that is it. Then look under your rear carpet. Otherwise, heater fans?

Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:46 pm

Does you burning smell only come about when the heat is on or does it persist with the fresh air on? Is it on a paticular fan setting. For example, if it only smells on low, the resistor can be contacting somthing plastic in the heater case and melting it. The resistor they use is a wire wound affair, which is essentially a minature heating grid. If the smell corresponds to really loud rock music, then your amp is melting. If it is coincident with paying for a recent engine rebuild, then it is your credit card melting.

Thu Dec 14, 2006 6:46 pm

I double checked - no condom in the muffler. So, that's down.

It doesn't smell when the fresh air is coming in, but I'm not sure about whether it's a particular fan setting - I'll have to check.

There is a weird thing with the toggle for fan settings for the front heating though that may have something to do with it. Settings 1 and 2 work fine, but when switched to 3 it turns off completely. I found that if I hold the switch between 2 and 3 it will work at the full speed. I didn't really think anything of it, but maybe there's a relation?

I'll have to check on a few things. I haven't worried about it lately because it got warm again. The weather here has been crazy; 30 one day and then 65 the next.

Tue Jan 23, 2007 7:56 pm

what did you find out. i have that same burning plastic smell with the heat on.

1970 fasty

Tue Jan 23, 2007 8:09 pm

Actually, I haven't looked into it much because it's been pretty warm here and I rarely use the heat, so the issue has been on the back burner.
Either way, hopefully it will be cool this weekend and I'll have a look at it. I'll post what I find out.

Tue Jan 23, 2007 11:38 pm

aurorakooba wrote: what did you find out. i have that same burning plastic smell with the heat on.

1970 fasty
I know exactly what that is! It is the blower fan or the switch for the blower fan melting because the blower fan is drawing too much amperage. Because the fan bearings need to be oiled. There was a thread a while back about using laser surgery techniques to make a hole in the housing and oil it. Use your own judgement as to whether this will work. It is a big job to change the blower fan . I've done several, and it is about the only way to do it. Since you are already doing about $500 worth of work, perhaps spend a few hundred more dollars and put in a new heater core. The heater output from a new one is amazing!
Al

Wed Jan 24, 2007 12:24 am

I cant get over the concern about heaters & heat from you yanks.lol In 'downunderland' everything is hot,hot,HOT.
The vanagon must be one of most unsuited vehicle for hot climates ever devised. I have not turned my heater control (I am afraid to in case something breaks!) to on in over 4 years. So all I can do is feel sorry (Tee Hee)for you guys that suffer with all your heating problems.
By the way a few months after buying my van I took the rear heater out & thru it to the s/house,it was always in the way.

Cheers to you cold Guys from "Aussie"Baz

Wed Jan 24, 2007 11:31 am

Yeah, I could give a rip about the heat!!! for all I care, I can never turn it on...Im in San Francisco...so, to AVOID the smell...what can i do...just make sure all my fans are turned off?!

it was just serviced and they put a new steering column on...could this attribute to the cause...or, is it rather, i just turned the heat on for the 1st time (just got the car 2 weeks ago...still not sure how to Turn the heat on!!!) and by me turning knobs...i turned it on..and wa la...burning plastic.

i sprayed some febreeze...now, i have plastic and febreeze...its really nice.