Hot Engine Smell?

[royalkangaroo]

This may be a dumb question, but I drove up a very steep long mountain road last evening and when I got out, there seemed to be a very hot, almost electrical smell lingering around my truck. Sort of similar to when you get a new kitchen appliance.

 

No abnormal temperatures, smoke, or anything of the like. I could still smell it in front of the grille after driving today.

 

I would assume this is normal? 2015 Sierra with 16k miles, and I was in 2WD the whole time. (Roads were clear)

[Mark Diedrich]

How was your tranny temps, normal too?

[royalkangaroo]

How was your tranny temps, normal too?

Yep

[JimCost2014]

probably your catalytic converters, my 2014 would "smell very hot" after a run up a hill under throttle. my 2016 does not seem to do this as bad.

[Nightwalker]

probably your catalytic converters, my 2014 would "smell very hot" after a run up a hill under throttle. my 2016 does not seem to do this as bad.

I agree with catalytic converters also the gas you use may cause this it interacts with the converters.I think If you buy from gas from Shell it probably won't do it,maybe top tier gas too.

To test it try to give it lot of gas going from a dead stop up a hill.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Thomcat]

Check to see if some road crap is stuck on one of the convertors. Had one of those plastic shopping bags in the road get sucked up and melt onto a convertor. Damn thing didn't visibly smoke, char or catch fire.....just soften and let off a plastic stink when hot. A read PITA to remove.

[O_J_Simpson]

Check for radiator leaks per the service campaign.

[j-ten-ner]

Your truck is probably burning off the waxy coating on the engine.

It's a residue from the factory process I believe.

 

Even after 3 years and 80tkm I can still smell it on my truck.

 

so long

j-ten-ner

[Donstar]

Smell is hard to describe. All of these theories so far are valid and I'll add that you check to see if you are cooking organic material (bugs,birds) on your radiator. If you can't locate the source of your concern, get it checked out. I have similar mileage on my 2015 Sierra and it has no strange smells after a good run.

[Stanley_USMC]

I took a long trip up into the hills in West Virginia. Got back and started noticing a burning smell from my grille as well. Then noticed that I smelt it while I was driving when I turned my a/c on. Not saying I have the same problem as yourself but my engine bay caught fire yesterday and it looked to be the alternator blew up. Be careful!