3 Reasons Why Your Car Heater Smells Funny

Does your car’s Heater Smell Funny when you Turn It On? If so, do you know what it means?

If you don’t, here is a Guide to some of the more Common Smells that come from your Heater, and what they mean.

Sweet, Maple Syrup Smell

If you turn on your car’s Heater and get a Sweet, Maple Syrup-like Smell, chances are you have an Anti-Freeze Leak…. That or somebody is having some pancakes topped with Maple Syrup in your back seat.

This could either be due to a Leaking Hose or a Leaking Heater Core. The only real way to tell is to take your vehicle to an Auto Repair Shop. This way, an Experienced Mechanic can properly Diagnose the issue.

Burning Plastic Smell

If a Burning Plastic Smell is coming from your car’s Heater, then you probably have Bad Blower Motor. That, or the Blower Resistor, or other related Electronics are getting too hot. If these parts are the culprits, you will only experience the Burning Smell when you turn your car’s heater on.

Do not confuse these with other Burning Smells that you notice if your car’s heater is off. Burning Oil, Overheated Brakes, or Burnt Vacuum Lines are among these culprits.

In either event, call Pugh’s Service Automotive to schedule a Free Inspection. This way we can help you get to the bottom of a very dicey issue.

Rotten Egg Smell

A Bad Catalytic Converter or Old Gear Lube can cause your Heater to put off a nasty Rotten Egg Smell. If this is the case, you will probably only smell this if your car's Fresh Intake is on.

Another Cause is that somebody put a stink bomb into your Fresh Air Intake while you weren’t looking.

All jokes aside, the most common cause of the Rotten Egg Smell is the Hydrogen Sulfide. This can be caused by a bad Catalytic Converter.

The only way to cure this problem is to leave the Fresh Air Intake off until the root problem is fixed. Fortunately, Pugh’s Service Automotive in Dover, Delaware provides Free Inspections. This will help tell us what that root problem is.

To Schedule an appointment visit our website www.PughsService.com or Call (302)734-4231