'96 Camry - Burning/roasting smell

1996 TOYOTA CAMRY

MUGWYE1

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I drive a 1996 Toyota Camry. About 140k miles on the standard, 4 cylinder engine.

After I drive for 10 minutes or more, it smells like something is burning. I liken it to the smell of roasted red peppers as they are being roasted.
I cannot smell it inside the car, but once I exit, the smell is fairly prominent. The car hasn't overheated since I had the radiator repaired, and I don't seem to be losing oil or coolant or anything like that. Any ideas as to what it could be? I appreciate your time.

Mar 12, 2007 at 1:55 PM

MHPAUTOS

CAR REPAIR CONTRIBUTOR
31,937 POSTS

You may have a minor coolant leak onto the exhaust system, modern coolants often have a sweet smell when heated, you should have the cooling system pressure tested to check for any leaks, as there are hoses behind the engine that are hard to see, you should have a mechanic check the cooling system as he/she will know what to look for. A small leak may not show up untill the engine is hot, and if it is dripping on the exhaust you will not see any coolant on the ground.

Mark (mhpautos)

Mar 12, 2007 at 7:01 PM

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