Since I put 4 new studded snows on, when I come to stop after bare-pavement highway driving, the smell of melting/burning rubber flows from the heater.

 

I'm hoping it is just the nubbs melting off the fresh treads, but I'm at 500 miles on the new rubber.

 

Any comments?

 

Jess.

 

PS. Surprised at tire drag causing MPG drop of 4 MPG. Noise from tires is a little anoying, but I can live with it.

Snow tires especially studed will drop MPG.

 

Have you even popped the hood out of curisoity and looked to see what is burning?

 

Sounds like a torn CV joint boot.

 

 

nipper

Thanks, nipper.

 

I'll do that right away.

 

Since I got the tires on, I've been able to go darn near anywhere.

 

I'm guessing driving through deep, ice crusted snow might tear a CV boot?

 

Jess

if you notice the paint on the hoood beginning to bubble-I would not pop the hood. burning rubber and burning cv grease on the cat are pretty distinct- we need some more data.

So far there has been nothing visible, just distinct rubber smell at full stop/full heater (kinda like a hot tennis shoe near the fire.)

 

I'll pop the hood and look around/under tomorrow and note findings.

 

Jess

if you notice the paint on the hoood beginning to bubble-I would not pop the hood. burning rubber and burning cv grease on the cat are pretty distinct- we need some more data.

 

 

I think idf it was that bad he would have other much bigger problems.

 

nipper

Rubber smell is gone, but so is the slush and wet pavement

 

Could it have been the new tires were throwing road de-icer up onto hot parts? They don't use salt in Portland, Oregon. ODOT and the city spray a LOT of de-icer of some sort all over the place. It coated my car and forced me to go through an entire gallon of 20/10 windshield wash in five days.

 

 

I still want to look at the CV boots. Embarrassed to say: I'm not quite sure where they would be; near the engine, the wheels or both?

 

 

Jess

depending where you live the stuff they put on the road can really have corrosive effective on aluminum wheels and other undercarriage parts. "Ice-Slicer" in Colorado contains Magnesium Choride and I try to wash underneath my car as soon as I can. Not sure if the salts would mimic a rubber smell when melted though. could be asphalt from the road in the de-icer maybe.

 

If you open the hood and stand on the side over each wheel (a little harder to see on the driver side) you can look down and see where the axle connects to the transmission and where the inner boots are. also, if you see a lot of grease flung aound in the area then you have a project on your hands. I check my boots at least once a week. I check the outer boots and ball joint boots regularly as well-especially in winter. (this is all for the front)

 

jon