5 Types of Bad Smells That Are Commonly Found in Cars

We might be familiar with the atmosphere inside our car as we use them regularly, especially with the odor. It’s the same as when we have perfume in the car and we’re used to that smell. However, if one day the smell in the car starts to change and becomes unpleasant, that smell could be a sign of something about the health of your car.

1. Musty smell

It is the smell that is most common in cars. Drivers may experience this smell strongly when turning the air conditioner on, especially during the very first few minutes when the AC starts running. These musty odors may be a sign of a malfunction of the air conditioning system or indicating that something, e.g. mold, is hidden in the air conditioner system.

For a solution, turn off the air conditioner and activate only the fan system at the maximum level. Leave it on for a moment, the smell will begin to fade. The fan helps dry the inside of the air conditioning system. In addition, don’t forget to check the cleanliness and change the air filter periodically to reduce dampness and clogged dirt.

2. Burning smell

Whenever you notice a burning smell in your car, it is recommended that you park as quickly as possible. Causes of a burning smell could be a malfunction in the electrical system inside the car, the brake pad, and the fuel system.

As for the solution, it is best to bring your car to the nearest garage or car service center to check for the cause. Do not continue driving when the burning smell still occurs as it may cause severe damages.

3. Burning rubber smell

Drivers should be very careful if they start noticing  this type of smell while driving. The smell of burning rubber is often caused by problems in rubber parts such as sliding bridges, loose air ducts, or even caused by a plastic bag getting stuck under the car thus exposed to the heat from the engine. The basic solution is to check underneath the car if there is a plastic bag attached to the engine or not. If not, it is recommended that the vehicle be taken to a car service center for a thorough inspection.

4. Strong acidic smell

If drivers smell a strong acidic gas that stings your nose and causes irritation,  there may be problems with the catalytic converter in the car. It may wear out or break down over time, or from the use of fuel and engine oil that are of inappropriate quality, resulting in failure of the catalytic converter to treat the foul-smelling such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2) into nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2) that are harmless to humans. The stinging odor can also come from excessive sulfur dioxide (SO2) in exhaust gas caused by using high sulfur fuel, or rich-burn combustion where the ratio of fuel to air is too high. Therefore, always check the equipment and systems of the engine to make sure it works properly. Also make sure to choose the right quality of fuel and engine oil.

5. Smell of fuel and lubricants

If you smell the fuel when starting the engine, it is normal due to an incomplete combustion. However, if you smell the oil when the engine has been running for a while at normal operating temperature and complete combustion occurs, that's a sign that your car may have some oil leakage. The cause could be a loose fuel filler cap or an engine oil filler cap, a leak from the fuel tank, a leak from the power steering fluid, or a problem with the emissions control system. It is advisable that you bring the car to an experienced mechanic to check immediately, since it may lead to a vehicle fire afterwards.

It is important to take care of the smell in the car, and also don’t forget to always take care of the engine systems as well. When it's time to change the engine oil, choose PTT Lubricants, a high quality engine oil that has been invented and developed with modern technology continuously for over 30 years. So that your beloved car can be used for a long time!