I towed my 8,000lb travel trailer for the second time last week. I only towed it about 6 miles to my destination, but I could smell a burning rubber smell after a few miles. I opened the hood and the smell was certainly from the engine compartment.

I towed the trailer the 6 miles back home and when I took the truck out again with no trailer there was no smell.

Any ideas what this could be?

I have the truck at the dealer today for something else, but they'll probably tell me they can't find anything wrong since they don't have the trailer.

Brian Elfert

 

Most likely the smell everyone has been complaining about. If you look under the truck, under the engine, while it's running, you'll see a big rubber hose with smoke coming out of it. It's crankcase ventilation and it stinks.

 

I do sometimes smell an oil smell when stopped. I don't smell it when driving most of the time.

The smell I get when towing is different than the oil smell I get occasionally.

Are these both the same thing?

Brian Elfert

 

It's the same thing, it just gets worse the harder the engine runs. Probably because there's more of it due to the strain on the engine. Be prepared that it will probably do this with every oil change for around 1000 miles. Many people have just added a long piece of heater hose and run it back past the cab under the truck and eliminated the problem.

Normal.........

 

Is this new 'smell feature' something new changed for the 600 engine, or was this always an issue (with 555, etc)?

 

The "new oil" smell has been around for as long as I've been a member here. I've only noticed it when stopped; never while underway. Some oil(s) have more/better? aroma than others.

Can't say I've ever smelled anything burning while towing either.

 

Yes......it's normal and common on ALL the 24 valve engines, I don't know about the 12 valvers.

 

My 600 has a "burning" rubber smell when towing. This is definately different than the oil vent smell which both this truck and my last truck had.
This new smell is only detectable standing outside the vehicle and smells like a hot tire or something too close to an exhaust pipe.

 

I agree that the oil smell shouldn't be confused with a burnt rubber smell, but I have seen it happen.

Are there any rubber type coverings over hoses or a wiring harness that might be too close to the engine or manifolds?

 

bulabula

I haven't had the time to check .... but will this week. Time for the 1st oil change and guage install so that will be a good excuse to crawl all over the truck. I checked the tires with an infared thermometer and they are running in the normal range.

 

belfert Something else to consider that no one has mentioned, maby when under load when towing your serpetine belt is slipping giving off a burnt rubber smell. I know the old v belts used to squeal when they slipped, don't know about these new serpentine belts.


rob

 

Many people have just added a long piece of heater hose and run it back past the cab under the truck and eliminated the problem.


When doing the above mentined.. i should warn you guys as this longer hose can freeze up on the end (If you life in cold climates) and then you might have larger problems..

 

grand geek I know exactly what you are talking about, i did the long hose thing right back to the trans. cross member. We had a long period of very cold weather, -30c for a week, in jan. I do a highway run nightly with my truck and on the last run of the week i noticed my oil pressure low, thought it was probably the sender. I put the truck in the garage ( heated) on the weekend to check the sender and give it it's weekly once over. What a mess, drivers side of the engine covered in oil, exhaust full of oil and dripping out the tailpipe, it took 4L of oil to bring it up to the add mark The gasket on the tappet inspection cover had blown and the pressure build up was pushing the oil by the seal in the turbo and out the exhaust. After everything thawed out and the gasket on the cover replaced, the seal in the turbo resealed itself and everything returned to normal, didn't hurt the engine one bit, got 177000km on it now and do not have to add any oil between changes, (every10000km) Just proves these are one tuff engine.


rob

 

Another thing I have run into is some owner use wire ties on the tubes and pinch them off from venting the blowby from the engine. and use a oil resistance hose .

 

I have noticed the burning oil smell since my truck was new, but only setting still. That was with factory oil and with the first oil change ,which was free from the dealer,. But when I changed the oil myself, no smell, or very little. I use Delo 15w40.

JD