Burning rubber smell

[mstupak]

Wanna trade?

I haven't found any solutions yet.

I'm beginning to suspect it has to do with the proximity of the exhaust to the tire (as mentioned above). It may be exacerbated by moisture on the road since the steam comming off the exhaust may xfer the heat more efficiently.

My other theory is that the exhaust was hot when the put the tire on and some of the rubber got on the exhaust and is just burning off slowly.

[mru22]

Originally Posted by mstupak

Wanna trade?

I haven't found any solutions yet.

I'm beginning to suspect it has to do with the proximity of the exhaust to the tire (as mentioned above). It may be exacerbated by moisture on the road since the steam comming off the exhaust may xfer the heat more efficiently.

My other theory is that the exhaust was hot when the put the tire on and some of the rubber got on the exhaust and is just burning off slowly.

Rather than trade, If this smell keeps up I might drive this car right through the dealer's window

What state do you live in ? I'm in arizona and don't have the salt issue on the roads. I wonder if the rear differential is starting to go but since i really know nothing about that stuff it;s a wild guess. Being that I only have 2000 miles on my car its frustrating to have this smell already.

Do you plan on taking yours to the dealer or another mechanic ?

[coloradocrv]

Try swapping out the rear diff fluid.

[mru22]

Originally Posted by coloradocrv

Try swapping out the rear diff fluid.

Hmm Interesting. Assuming that is the cause, is it hurting anything by leaving the current fluid in there ? Or rather why would the fluid be causing the smell on a new car ?

Thanks,

[coloradocrv]

Originally Posted by mru22

Hmm Interesting. Assuming that is the cause, is it hurting anything by leaving the current fluid in there ? Or rather why would the fluid be causing the smell on a new car ?

Thanks,

Don't know if the fluid is the smell, noticed the smell on mine mostly in wet or snowy weather (worse after the front wheels had been slipping). Since the CRV 4WD used a hydraulic system to run the rear wheels and I was hearing a few hydraulic noises in tight cornering I swapped the read diff fluid. Haven't had the burning smell since the swap and we have had some wet weather. I think the smell was coming from the tire as it seemed worse with the snow tires than the regular tires as well. Not 100% sure this is the solution but it a pretty cheap thing to try.

[Angelus2007]

I don't have a CRV, but I do have a 2004 Civic. I noticed the same thing recently. Also after it was wet out. This is the first forum that mentioned it when it is wet. I was tired of reading over and over agiain that it is the callipers. I had both replaced 2 months ago, and then because of brake noise had them checked again a week or so ago and they are still fine. I don't know if this is the problem but a friend said (he's not a mechanic, but does do his own basic work on his car) that wet brake dust sort of clumps together and gets burned off when braking, and since it is a clump rather than fine loose dust it tends to smell. I just haven't had that theory confimed anywhere yet.

[jwissing]

I am leasing a 2007 model and after driving it in the snow today i noticed the smell of burning rubber. It only has 1400 miles on it and have not driven it in the snow enough to see if this is a regular occurance.

[rcrownet]

I have a 2007 CRV AWD and experienced the burning rubber smell from the right rear wheel. The dealer was unable to find anything. It may be rubber parts around the exhaust or muffler. Maybe when the roads are wet the tire is throwing water on the rubber parts and the heat from the exhaust is creating the smell. I'm waiting for some wet weather here so I can test my theory.

[nmatyas]

I'm so glad to read the messages posted here. I too have been experiencing the same burning smell coming from the right rear tire/wheel well of my 2007 CRV. It started in the winter, and after I had winter tires installed. I was wondering if this was the cause of the issue as well. I had it in for service and was informed that my brakes were seizing and dirty. They were subsequently serviced, but the smell was there the next day. I had it in again, but Honda could find no cause. It has since started up again today with the wet weather we experienced. I am surprised that Honda does not have a quick answer for what seems to be a prevalent problem. It makes sense that it would be coming from the exhaust area considering it is only on the right side. I will post an answer if I get one from Honda on Monday. Thanks all.

[rhonmark]

I have a 2003 CRV-EX with 59K miles. I am the first owner. I was surprised to see this post because I just experienced the same burning smell while driving on a cold (35degF) rainy night. The smell started to become noticeable after driving for approx 2-3 miles and lasted only 15 minutes then disappered. At first I thought it was coming out of the exhaust from the car in front of me so I turned on the recirculation mode. That didnt solve it. The surprising thing is, this is the first time Ive expereinced it. Ive driven on rainy/wet weather before on a cold night but never experienced this. I havent taken it to a mechanic yet. Please keep this post alive. I want to know what others did to solve this. Thanks.

[garync1]

I think the anti corrosive theory may be to blame.. They use some of the same additives that are made in tires.. I can not say the material specific because of my job in the tire industry.. But I do know some anti-corrosive chemicals use this in them.. Its also in tires as well for other reasons. But I do know what its for and it helps the anti-corrosive material to bond to the exhaust. Really you will smell it anytime if you wanted to crawl under it and sniff the exhaust. I think its more noticeable in humid weather because the air is heavier therefore not allowing it to disperse faster into the air.. Again just my theory.. But I have not heard of any recalls or fires. So its probable.. Some things to look for would be on a rack or stands is to take a close look around for wires and hoses. If you think they could be getting to much heat then add some heat insulation. It looks kinda like foil and can peel and stick over those areas.. I do think also they make it to where it can stick on mufflers to. So if you think to much heats getting the tire you should be able to stick some on the muffler.. Then again you could end up with an adhesive smell.. just my 2 cents.. But I think Honda knows what i am thinking as well..Also the reason i chimed in because I smelled it on other cars as well in the exhaust area.. I always assumed it was cat-converter... No Not a rotten egg smell.. But a burning rubber or wire smell.. Which can be smelled also sometimes. But real lite..

[BillSussex]

I have a '98 CR-v Auto (with about 125,000 miles on the clock) and I, too, have this burning rubber smell - have had it for some long time - and I put it down to the rubber rings which the exhaust system hangs on. I am in Southern England, so we don't get a lot of snow and they don't put a lot of salt down for the frost. But I get it in all weathers and seasons. Seems a pretty common complaint. The car hasn't burst into flames yet!!!

[craig34]

The burning rubber smell is complicated. It can come from a number of things. It is hard to identify.

[xkpbuyer]

We have a pretty new 2008 CR-V EX that I bought used several months ago with only 1200 miles. A month ago, we started noticing the aforementioned burning rubber smell coming only from our right rear wheel well. When we first noticed the smell after pulling into the garage, conditions were dry in California where we live. Seems like this commonly occurring observation with CR-V's regardless of weather conditions.

[Ihavethree]

I have a 2007 CRV EX and I got the same smell, same place after a recent snowfall here is WA. Took it to the dealer and got some BS from the service manager that the only time he'd heard of this was when a plastic bag was stuck in the wheel. With all the people writing in about this problem and the thousands of CRV owners who aren't writing in, it's a little hard to believe that the guy had not had any complaints about this problem before. Since nobody seems to know the cause, does anyone know if Honda had admitted to this problem? They put out service bulletins about problems. If I find that they have one about this, I'll post back.