burning smell while flooring it
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,164
Likes: 1
burning smell while flooring it
For the first time I smelt a burning smell coming from my car while gradually flooring the pedal. Also, because I gradually accelerated instead of just punching it the tranny did not have a perfect shift( shift light did not light up on HUD...(it is an auto)what could be the cause of that smell? could it have just been my exhaust fumes? I was running it hard, although since then I havent smelled anything. Anyone have this experience?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,164
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by VetteTech81
If I read right, you have an auto? When you say the shift didn't feel right, was it sliping or shifting late?
-=Rick
-=Rick
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 7,179
Likes: 2
From: Charlotte, NC
Originally Posted by Rich Z
Pull out the dipstick to check the auto tranny fluid and sniff it........
-=Rick
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Drifting
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,788
Likes: 2
From: Tallahassee FL
Originally Posted by VetteTech81
Easier said then done.. since the C5's do not have a dipstick.. you could follow the fluid level check procedure and check for a burning smell..
-=Rick
-=Rick
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 7,179
Likes: 2
From: Charlotte, NC
Originally Posted by mark b
You know when you want the car to immediately engage into gear when you give it gas, well when I hit the gas to the floor(I was already traveling very quick) I did not hit it fast enough and the computer I guess held it back..the car was accelerating but the initial punch felt like the computer down shifted instead. That is when I started to smell the burning smell, almost like the smell of bad cats(catylytic converters, maybe thats it) I was traveling very fast and the windows where shut, with alot of wind and I still smelled it. Even today, coming off the highway I smelled it. The car itself is performing fine and the tranny shifts smooth.. I do have a 3200 stall vigilante/315 gears/ and long tubes..with stock cats... Im thinking it could be time for a new exhaust...what do you think it is?
From your description.. leaned into the throttle.. it felt like it down shifted (RPM increased) then the RPM stayed consistant like it was in the same gear as before you pressed the throttle?
Possibly you pressed the throttle enough to unlock the torq converter and felt the rpm increase from the TC unlocking though the trans did not down shift..
Not sure if that makes sense.. buring smell could be the trans.. what was the trans temp at?
Did this burning smell occur at the same time as this shift issue or shortly after??
Is this smell still there?
I would sniff around the trans.. I would suspect if it was a cat failing.. you would smell it out the pipes.. Have you ran over any plastic bags lately?? I've seen that alot.. someone comes in with a smell and you find a newspaper bag melted to the pipes..
-=Rick
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 1,244
Likes: 0
From: Hollywood Riviera
Don't know if this helps, but while i don't usually drive my A4 hard, on the occasions that I do, I will notice a burning type smell. There is nothing wrong that I can determine. I think it is just the nature of the beast. As far as the shifting goes, my tranny seems to be a little quirky sometimes.
...... 
Tranny Dip stick... Now that's funny. That would be a really long dip stick. 
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,529
Likes: 0
From: Lost Angeles CA
St. Jude Donor '03 & '05
Originally Posted by mark b
For the first time I smelt a burning smell coming from my car while gradually flooring the pedal. Also, because I gradually accelerated instead of just punching it the tranny did not have a perfect shift( shift light did not light up on HUD...(it is an auto)what could be the cause of that smell? could it have just been my exhaust fumes? I was running it hard, although since then I havent smelled anything. Anyone have this experience?
I know exactly what you are talking about a strong smell that stays in the cabin for a long time, and its really hard to describe the smell exactly.
I have been told the same things, could be the cats, could be the tranny, could be a plastic bag etc.
I have had my trans fluid changed and my tranny checked out and all is well my cats do not seem to be clogged.
I really havent been able to figure out what the heck it is! but it sure does bother me. The only thing I feel might be the culprit is maybe a lean condition but I have to get someone to check that for me.
Good luck & I will be lurking to see if anyone has the answer.
What year is your car?
