need help I am puzzled
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
From: Novi MI
need help I am puzzled
Last Sunday I took my corvette out and after a short spirited drive (I shifted from 2nd to 3rd doing 45-50 mph) I smelled an electrical burning smell coming from the engine. I thought maybe a clutch issue. (I have never had any issues with the clutch. Typically it is not driven hard.) When I got home and lifted the hood the engine seemed hot. I let it sit for a couple hours and when I restarted I could still smell that electrical burning smell. I waited a few days and took it for a ride around the block a couple of times an I could faintly smell the same smell. Yesterday I took it to a local car show and again faintly could smell the same burning electrical smell. Here is where I am puzzled and this is where my problem may be. When I got ready to leave the show my DIC showed low coolant. It had never came on the previous days. The instrument panel gauges never shower the car overheating at any time. When I got home and lifted the hood the coolant level in the surge tank was a 1/4" below the full/cold mark. Could this be my problem or a clutch issue? I would not think being a 1/4" below the full/cold mark would cause the engine to run that hot. The car is a 98 with less than 25k. I am worried that I may have caused engine damage. Any help/suggestions would be grateful.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 314
Likes: 61
Last Sunday I took my corvette out and after a short spirited drive (I shifted from 2nd to 3rd doing 45-50 mph) I smelled an electrical burning smell coming from the engine. I thought maybe a clutch issue. (I have never had any issues with the clutch. Typically it is not driven hard.) When I got home and lifted the hood the engine seemed hot. I let it sit for a couple hours and when I restarted I could still smell that electrical burning smell. I waited a few days and took it for a ride around the block a couple of times an I could faintly smell the same smell. Yesterday I took it to a local car show and again faintly could smell the same burning electrical smell. Here is where I am puzzled and this is where my problem may be. When I got ready to leave the show my DIC showed low coolant. It had never came on the previous days. The instrument panel gauges never shower the car overheating at any time. When I got home and lifted the hood the coolant level in the surge tank was a 1/4" below the full/cold mark. Could this be my problem or a clutch issue? I would not think being a 1/4" below the full/cold mark would cause the engine to run that hot. The car is a 98 with less than 25k. I am worried that I may have caused engine damage. Any help/suggestions would be grateful.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 2,507
Likes: 9
Doubt seriously that you hurt the car. You would have seen coolant temp go very high if there was a more serious issue. You may have a wire that is too close to the headers or something else and starting to melt. Check your wires and wrap with heat shield if you think that's what is going on.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 486
Likes: 1
From: Houston TX
I had similar experience intermittently over a couple of years. Then last year I had to change the water pump again and decided to change the serpentine belt since I was there. I noticed that the belt pulley on the driver's side had rubber residue on it when it should have been nice and shiny. I think that the pulley was seizing up every now and then, causing the belt to rub and smoke. So I replaced that pulley. Note that the 'new' pulley you get from AutoZ won't take the dust cover washer that's on the original pulley, so you'll need to use a spare large washer for that bolt. I have not had any burnt electronics smell since then.
The belt I put in was slightly longer than the old gatorback belt that was taken off. Somewhere else on this forum I read that the gatorbacks had two different sizes - so I suspect I put a short one on years ago. That may have contributed to the problem.
The belt I put in was slightly longer than the old gatorback belt that was taken off. Somewhere else on this forum I read that the gatorbacks had two different sizes - so I suspect I put a short one on years ago. That may have contributed to the problem.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,614
Likes: 7
From: South Florida
Another option could be the wire to the alternator if the alternator or battery is causing an overcharge. Also, the starter wiring is something to check. Make sure the connections at these locations are tight, loose connections can cause an overheat in these wires. Bill Curlee has written about checking ground connections causing a realm of problems as well.
