Infrequent hot/burning plastic smell

[chasc]

On a recent long road trip pulling a travel trailer there were a couple of occasions where we noticed a strong hot/burning plastic (not rubber) smell. In both cases we first noticed the smell when transitioning from highway speeds to low speeds after a period of moderate engine load (going up a grade for about 30 minutes in the first case, just up and down hilly terrain the second). The smell was present in the cabin and could also be smelled outside the vehicle around the front of the car and front wheel wells. Nothing obvious noted looking around the engine bay with a flashlight. No smell before or after just running normal errands and driving without the trailer or pulling the trailer in flat conditions. Oil, coolant, and trans temperatures all showed normal in both cases.

Has anyone else experienced something similar to this?

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[HotPepperLariat]

No, I haven't while pulling our small (3000#) travel trailer. Though that was just a short 80 mile trip with small rolling hills to test things out before our Virginia to Texas trip coming up. Interesting to hear other replies so I will be informed if I encounter this on our Texas trip.

 

[RangerDangerStranger]

Mine had that, gone in a week or so. My '20 5G also had that, turned out to be stickers on the exhaust.

 

[Morningpride]

Yes. I experienced the same smell when the truck was new, and then again on a thousand mile trip to Florida towing our camper!

 

[Awirez]

On a recent long road trip pulling a travel trailer there were a couple of occasions where we noticed a strong hot/burning plastic (not rubber) smell. In both cases we first noticed the smell when transitioning from highway speeds to low speeds after a period of moderate engine load (going up a grade for about 30 minutes in the first case, just up and down hilly terrain the second). The smell was present in the cabin and could also be smelled outside the vehicle around the front of the car and front wheel wells. Nothing obvious noted looking around the engine bay with a flashlight. No smell before or after just running normal errands and driving without the trailer or pulling the trailer in flat conditions. Oil, coolant, and trans temperatures all showed normal in both cases.

Has anyone else experienced something similar to this?

How many miles and hours on the truck? For brand new, it's not uncommon.

If you already have 2, 3, 4K miles, it's another thing. If you have some miles on it, I'd recommend having your dealer take a look. Obviously, try to bring it into the dealer while still warm and smelly.

 

[RangerEh!]

I noticed smell whenever I drive new vehicle. I think it is coming from engine bay. Fluids and temps all good. I have to go in to get a faulty front drivers side sensor checked and will get them to check smell. I have undercoating, so I assumed that is the issue or other possible coating on another hot engine or exhaust area part. I don’t think it is a wiring melt issue as smell is not strong enough, but not positive until I visit Ford.

 

[stormrider151]

Could be brakes. Hot brakes and burning wire smells a lot alike.

 

[chasc]

How many miles and hours on the truck? For brand new, it's not uncommon.

If you already have 2, 3, 4K miles, it's another thing. If you have some miles on it, I'd recommend having your dealer take a look. Obviously, try to bring it into the dealer while still warm and smelly.

Was probably around 3k miles the first time we noticed it, although prior to that most of the miles would have been about as flat as you can get. So this would have been one of the first times the truck ever worked that hard.

 

[chasc]

Could be brakes. Hot brakes and burning wire smells a lot alike.

I’ll have to keep this in mind. Living in the Midwest there aren’t too many opportunities to really heat up the brakes so it’s been a while since I can definitely say I smelled that. We’d also mostly been going uphill which is why I hadn’t initially suspected that.

 

[stormrider151]

I’ll have to keep this in mind. Living in the Midwest there aren’t too many opportunities to really heat up the brakes so it’s been a while since I can definitely say I smelled that. We’d also mostly been going uphill which is why I hadn’t initially suspected that.

You said you were pulling a travel trailer which made me think of that. When I pull mine at every stop I check the heat on my trailer and truck because they do tend to heat up under those conditions.

 

[stemplar]

You said you were pulling a travel trailer which made me think of that. When I pull mine at every stop I check the heat on my trailer and truck because they do tend to heat up under those conditions.

I too am in the habit of checking whenever I stop when I'm hauling a trailer. I got in the habit of carrying an IR temp gun along with necessities like a flashlight so I can quickly check not only if my brakes are too hot, but if they're pretty even or if my trailer brakes are too hot or too cool.

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