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Burning rubber smell


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viking509
01-12-2004, 09:44 PM
Hi,
After some highway driving for awhile, I notice a burning rubber
type smell when I get out of the vehicle. It seems to be coming from
the area of the right side rear wheel well. Usually happens when it
is wet outside. Any ideas?
Jon

Miataracer
01-15-2004, 09:15 AM
don't step on the pedal so hard! lol, just kidding man

where does your exhaust come out?

viking509
01-15-2004, 09:32 PM
It is right in that area. Do you think it would smell like that?

tosi
01-17-2004, 09:35 PM
I too notice this burning smell that you speak of.. I was wondering what year your CR-V is? What kind of conditions are you driving in? weather wise i mean.

I have been driving on the highway today and the smell is coming from the right side aswell.. but i am going to check if it's on the left side as well later..

I drove my car on the highway during the winter. And i have smelt this more than once now. I personally think it's the tires and the brakes that are causing this but i am unsure still of what's happening.. I am more swaying towards the brakes because i find they are quite shitty.

Well i will keep you posted if i find anything else.. Hopefully you will do the same..

BTW i started drifting my CRV lately.. so i think the cause could be me too rofl

viking509
01-17-2004, 10:43 PM
[QUOTE=tosi]I too notice this burning smell that you speak of.. I was wondering what year your CR-V is? What kind of conditions are you driving in? weather wise i mean.

I drive a 2002 CRV. I live in Vancouver so it is alot of wet weather.
I too thought it was the tires but it seems to come only from the right side. I'm leaning toward the muffler because it is on that side, but can't seem to pinpoint it. I'll let you know if I find anything.

Miataracer
01-19-2004, 12:05 AM
maybe your tires are kicking crap up on the hot exhaust and it is being burned off...

nodribble
03-06-2004, 07:22 PM
I recently purchased a 2004 CR-V EX and notice the exact same smell coming from the right rear wheel well. Wet weather, dry weather--weather or road conditions don't seem to play any role in the smell. I will be calling my dealer next week to ask about it. I'd appreciate any news that others find out as well!

ibike
03-10-2004, 08:49 AM
I bought a 2003 CR-V in Sept. of 2004. I also smell the burning rubber near my right rear wheel which is where the exhaust system sits. I took my CR-V to the dealer. This is what he said in my laymen's terms.

Honda has been getting reports of a rubber burning smell in cr-v's in northern climates, specifically Canada. (I live in Minnesota.) My dealer said they think the smell is attributed to the salt used on the roads to treat snow. They thought the salt was hitting the exhaust and causing the smell. My dealer said Honda thinks the product they used to coat the exhaust is reacting to the salt. According to the dealer, Honda is researching a new coating product. He has my name so I will be contacted when/if they fix the problem. (I am doubtful of that last bit. But that is what he said.)

The glitch I see in the logic is that I encountered the burning rubber smell in October before it snowed. I told him this, however, I doubt that got relayed up the channels to Honda.

On that note, everyone should report the burning rubber smell in their CR-V's. It is not a figment of your imagination or a result of any aberrant driving patterns.

Sandila
12-23-2004, 07:19 AM
I am experiencing the burning rubber smell also on my 2002 CR-V and have been off and on since I've had the car, and it does seem to be more noticeable in wet weather. Had it in to dealer twice and dealer says they can't identify it. I suspect the brake pads sticking. My dealer claims that the brakes need to be cleaned every 15,000 miles (to the tune of $168) because the wet weather in northern Ohio causes the brake mechanism to corrode. I ignored this advice and had to have my pads changed and rotors turned at 27,000 miles! I think this is a major design flaw on CRVs. Who's ever heard of needing to clean brakes every 15,000 on any other car? Do other dealers recommend this brake cleaning every 15,000? I don't see this in our owner's manual, which only says inspect brakes every 20,000. Would love to hear others' comments on this. Thanks.

scoopthebird
01-09-2005, 11:08 PM
Hey CRV owners!!

I just read through this board and wanted to let some of you know that we smell it here in California but so far the only time we have noticed it is when it was raining. Of course, I came here to find out if I should take it in without a warranty on it. I have an extended warranty but it isn't the Honda extended warranty.

Anyway, thanks for the info and hope to here something soon if someone has an answer. I'll keep looking across the internet to see if I find the answer :)

bce23024
04-02-2005, 06:57 PM
I have a 2002 Honda crv, I was sitting in the driveway talking to someone with the car idling, after about 5 minutes it started smelling like a belt burning, I check the belt and it seemed to be turning free. not sure what was causing this, but the smell was very strong. I'm going to call Honda on Monday because this car only has 250 miles of warrenty left.

joe_charles
10-13-2005, 05:06 PM
I just noticed this burning rubber smell in my 2004 CRV-EX with 15600 miles. it was wet outside. it's the 1st time I noticed the smell. I also only smell it on the rear passenger side tire.

Has anyone ever gotten a resolution to this problem?

Oh I'm in Dallas TX, we don't use salt on the roads in the winter.... in fact this car has never seen Ice (what we get in Dallas) or snow.

Bestia
01-02-2006, 10:31 AM
I bought my 05 LX back in August 05 and currently have 4500km (Ottawa Canada). In the last 2 months, I also noticed a rubber smell on the right rear tire area. No unusual tire wear. Seems to only happen when it's wet out. Dragging rear brakes would not put out a smell like that. Interesting theory on the exhaust coating from ibike. If I come up with something I'll share with everyone.

mstupak
01-20-2007, 12:33 PM
I just got a used 2003 CR-V EX and found this thread because of "the smell" which seems to me to come from both of the right side wheel wells. The rear one seems more prounounced than the front one. It does rain a lot here (Portland, OR).

I'm pretty sure the theory of salt on the exhaust is bogus since we don't use any salt here (and the car has been registered here since it was originally purchased). I also doubt it's the brakes. Just the wrong smell for that (Unless they are locking. I think I'd notice that though).

I'm pretty sure it's the tires that are causing the smell. I'm wondering if it could be a glitch in the AWD causing a slight difference in the speed of the tires (maybe while turning?).

I'd sure like to know what it is. I don't want to have to replace my tires all the time. Anyone notice their tires wearing extra fast on the right side?

mru22
02-01-2007, 09:33 AM
I have a new s2000 and have noticed the same burning smell. I was wondering if you identified what the smell was coming from ? I took mine back to the dealer and they were unable to determine what the smell was. After having the car half of the day and checking brakes, exhaust, wheels etc they could not find anything wrong with the car.

I'd be interested to hear if anyone had found a source to the problem.

mstupak
02-01-2007, 09:54 AM
Wanna trade?

I haven't found any solutions yet.

I'm beginning to suspect it has to do with the proximity of the exhaust to the tire (as mentioned above). It may be exacerbated by moisture on the road since the steam comming off the exhaust may xfer the heat more efficiently.

My other theory is that the exhaust was hot when the put the tire on and some of the rubber got on the exhaust and is just burning off slowly.

mru22
02-01-2007, 10:26 AM
Wanna trade?

I haven't found any solutions yet.

I'm beginning to suspect it has to do with the proximity of the exhaust to the tire (as mentioned above). It may be exacerbated by moisture on the road since the steam comming off the exhaust may xfer the heat more efficiently.

My other theory is that the exhaust was hot when the put the tire on and some of the rubber got on the exhaust and is just burning off slowly.

Rather than trade, If this smell keeps up I might drive this car right through the dealer's window :banghead:

What state do you live in ? I'm in arizona and don't have the salt issue on the roads. I wonder if the rear differential is starting to go but since i really know nothing about that stuff it;s a wild guess. Being that I only have 2000 miles on my car its frustrating to have this smell already.

Do you plan on taking yours to the dealer or another mechanic ?

coloradocrv
03-22-2007, 08:33 PM
Try swapping out the rear diff fluid.

mru22
03-23-2007, 08:48 AM
Try swapping out the rear diff fluid.

Hmm Interesting. Assuming that is the cause, is it hurting anything by leaving the current fluid in there ? Or rather why would the fluid be causing the smell on a new car ?

Thanks,

coloradocrv
03-24-2007, 04:54 PM
Hmm Interesting. Assuming that is the cause, is it hurting anything by leaving the current fluid in there ? Or rather why would the fluid be causing the smell on a new car ?

Thanks,

Don't know if the fluid is the smell, noticed the smell on mine mostly in wet or snowy weather (worse after the front wheels had been slipping). Since the CRV 4WD used a hydraulic system to run the rear wheels and I was hearing a few hydraulic noises in tight cornering I swapped the read diff fluid. Haven't had the burning smell since the swap and we have had some wet weather. I think the smell was coming from the tire as it seemed worse with the snow tires than the regular tires as well. Not 100% sure this is the solution but it a pretty cheap thing to try.

Angelus2007
10-25-2007, 09:01 AM
I don't have a CRV, but I do have a 2004 Civic. I noticed the same thing recently. Also after it was wet out. This is the first forum that mentioned it when it is wet. I was tired of reading over and over agiain that it is the callipers. I had both replaced 2 months ago, and then because of brake noise had them checked again a week or so ago and they are still fine. I don't know if this is the problem but a friend said (he's not a mechanic, but does do his own basic work on his car) that wet brake dust sort of clumps together and gets burned off when braking, and since it is a clump rather than fine loose dust it tends to smell. I just haven't had that theory confimed anywhere yet.

jwissing
12-12-2007, 09:59 AM
I am leasing a 2007 model and after driving it in the snow today i noticed the smell of burning rubber. It only has 1400 miles on it and have not driven it in the snow enough to see if this is a regular occurance.

rcrownet
12-13-2007, 06:51 PM
I have a 2007 CRV AWD and experienced the burning rubber smell from the right rear wheel. The dealer was unable to find anything. It may be rubber parts around the exhaust or muffler. Maybe when the roads are wet the tire is throwing water on the rubber parts and the heat from the exhaust is creating the smell. I'm waiting for some wet weather here so I can test my theory.

nmatyas
02-17-2008, 12:41 AM
I'm so glad to read the messages posted here. I too have been experiencing the same burning smell coming from the right rear tire/wheel well of my 2007 CRV. It started in the winter, and after I had winter tires installed. I was wondering if this was the cause of the issue as well. I had it in for service and was informed that my brakes were seizing and dirty. They were subsequently serviced, but the smell was there the next day. I had it in again, but Honda could find no cause. It has since started up again today with the wet weather we experienced. I am surprised that Honda does not have a quick answer for what seems to be a prevalent problem. It makes sense that it would be coming from the exhaust area considering it is only on the right side. I will post an answer if I get one from Honda on Monday. Thanks all.

rhonmark
02-18-2008, 12:24 AM
I have a 2003 CRV-EX with 59K miles. I am the first owner. I was surprised to see this post because I just experienced the same burning smell while driving on a cold (35degF) rainy night. The smell started to become noticeable after driving for approx 2-3 miles and lasted only 15 minutes then disappered. At first I thought it was coming out of the exhaust from the car in front of me so I turned on the recirculation mode. That didnt solve it. The surprising thing is, this is the first time Ive expereinced it. Ive driven on rainy/wet weather before on a cold night but never experienced this. I havent taken it to a mechanic yet. Please keep this post alive. I want to know what others did to solve this. Thanks.

garync1
07-29-2008, 08:39 PM
I think the anti corrosive theory may be to blame.. They use some of the same additives that are made in tires.. I can not say the material specific because of my job in the tire industry.. But I do know some anti-corrosive chemicals use this in them.. Its also in tires as well for other reasons. But I do know what its for and it helps the anti-corrosive material to bond to the exhaust. Really you will smell it anytime if you wanted to crawl under it and sniff the exhaust. I think its more noticeable in humid weather because the air is heavier therefore not allowing it to disperse faster into the air.. Again just my theory.. But I have not heard of any recalls or fires. So its probable.. Some things to look for would be on a rack or stands is to take a close look around for wires and hoses. If you think they could be getting to much heat then add some heat insulation. It looks kinda like foil and can peel and stick over those areas.. I do think also they make it to where it can stick on mufflers to. So if you think to much heats getting the tire you should be able to stick some on the muffler.. Then again you could end up with an adhesive smell.. just my 2 cents.. But I think Honda knows what i am thinking as well..Also the reason i chimed in because I smelled it on other cars as well in the exhaust area.. I always assumed it was cat-converter... No Not a rotten egg smell.. But a burning rubber or wire smell.. Which can be smelled also sometimes. But real lite..

BillSussex
08-09-2008, 11:00 AM
I have a '98 CR-v Auto (with about 125,000 miles on the clock) and I, too, have this burning rubber smell - have had it for some long time - and I put it down to the rubber rings which the exhaust system hangs on. I am in Southern England, so we don't get a lot of snow and they don't put a lot of salt down for the frost. But I get it in all weathers and seasons. Seems a pretty common complaint. The car hasn't burst into flames yet!!!

craig34
08-09-2008, 11:03 AM
The burning rubber smell is complicated. It can come from a number of things. It is hard to identify.

xkpbuyer
12-15-2008, 10:19 AM
We have a pretty new 2008 CR-V EX that I bought used several months ago with only 1200 miles. A month ago, we started noticing the aforementioned burning rubber smell coming only from our right rear wheel well. When we first noticed the smell after pulling into the garage, conditions were dry in California where we live. Seems like this commonly occurring observation with CR-V's regardless of weather conditions.

Ihavethree
12-23-2008, 12:12 PM
I have a 2007 CRV EX and I got the same smell, same place after a recent snowfall here is WA. Took it to the dealer and got some BS from the service manager that the only time he'd heard of this was when a plastic bag was stuck in the wheel. With all the people writing in about this problem and the thousands of CRV owners who aren't writing in, it's a little hard to believe that the guy had not had any complaints about this problem before. Since nobody seems to know the cause, does anyone know if Honda had admitted to this problem? They put out service bulletins about problems. If I find that they have one about this, I'll post back.

Ihavethree
12-23-2008, 03:58 PM
I called my independent Honda shop's service manager and he looked in vain to find a technical service bulletin that addresses this problem, so Honda has not formally addressed it. He also had no explanation for the smell.

CarCabell
12-28-2008, 02:10 PM
I also have a 2007 Honda CRV and live in Western Washington. Recently we experienced a major Winter Snow Storm. Needless to say, we park inclined on a hill with snow all around us. That evening, after a great struggle of getting out of the snow, we drove off on the freeway and then began to notice a burning rubber smell on my rear right tire. It finally stopped snowing and the roads have gotten much better. And I no longer smell the odor when I am driving. However, if I pull over and walk over to my rear right tire, I can faintly smell the burning rubber odor. I plan on calling the dealership Monday AM and dropping it off...so we shall see what happens. Will keep you all posted.

myHonda
01-06-2009, 03:03 PM
Hello everybody.
I am glad to see this forum because I am also very concerned about the burning rubber smell coming from my 2002 CR-V. I just bought this car 6 weeks ago at a dealer with 80K and in great condition. Immediately in the first week we started smelling an terrible burning rubber smell while driving in snow or rain (anytime that the AWD is engaged). I suspected there was something wrong with the rear differential or the AWD. Also my tires were seriously cupped on the passenger side.
I have had it to the local Honda dealer in Iowa City twice. They say that it is a very strong odor but that there is nothing they can do to fix it. They told me that Honda Technical Help center informed them it was the smell of salt burning up on the muffler from the right rear tire and that there was no repair at this time.
I feel this explaination is bogus. I want to know why salt would smell like rubber? I want to know why it happens in the fall in wet weather when there is no snow or salt on the roads? Also, most of all I want them to take this vehicle back and I will never buy another CR-V or to fix the problem. I have talked with Honda Assistance (1-800-999-1009) and they say they have never heard of this problem with a CR-V. The dealer also tried to tell me they have never heard of this problem before me. Likewise, according to this forum, there are possibly hundreds of CR-V owners experiencing this same problem with no repair options.
My biggest concern is that I have a two year old and a newborn infant that ride in the backseat of this car. You can easily smell the buring rubber smell in the backseat where they are and I feel this is not good for them to breath the air in the car. I also do not feel right about selling this car to get rid of it with this problem and not disclosing the problem. If anyone has a solution to this problem, please post it here. Or maybe some of you out there are lawyers and we want to write a more formal letter to Honda voicing our conern about this problem so they will get a repair and possibly a recall on the part that is causing the burning smell. Maybe if we approached them differently they would fix this. Any ideas are really appreciated. Thank you and be well.

tbo3060
02-04-2009, 06:25 PM
I have recently purchase a 2005 CRV EX and after only owning the vehicle for a week I noticed the same problem. I bought the vehicle on a Tuesday and on the way home from the dealer I purchased 4 brand new Michelin Tires (X-ICE). Now on Thursday after coming home from work when I opened the rear passenger door I could smell burning rubber. My first guess was I wonder if the new tires I just got installed are causing this. Note that here in Nova Scotia we had just had snow and the vehicle was wet, exposed to salt, water etc.. That day I didnt think much of the smell and then a few days later, same thing I drive from work a total of 17 kms, mix of highway and city I get out of the vehicle and again I smell this burning rubber smell from the rear passenger wheel. And when I say rubber burning smell, it's not a brake pad smell or exhaust smell it smells like a tire burning, squealing etc... After ruling out the tires I thought it might be the caliper sticking but the wheel wasn't hot and the odor wasn't the hot brake pad smell. After doing a google search on this problem it seems I'm not the only CRV owner with this problem. I will phone the local Honda dealer tommorrow to see what they have to say, I don't expect an honest answer or a solution but I'm curious to see if they'll say "We've never heard of this problem or if they'll blame the road salt burning on the exahaust" etc.. Any solution to this problem or information on what's causing this problem would be greatly appreciated.

blairm
03-15-2009, 06:32 PM
I have a 2008 CRV that also has the burning rubber smell, the smell is also noticable after being towed behind ther motorhome so it cannot be engine/heat related, being a mechanic myself I cannot locate the cause.

Timonium MD
07-23-2009, 08:47 AM
I have a 2008 CRV and noticed the same problem with a burning smell at the passenger rear side of the vehicle. It happens EVERY time I drive the car -- rain or shine, short or long trips. I noticed the brake pedal vibrating around 10K miles and was told the rotors were "rusty" so they were turned. (A little worried about having to do this @ 10K miles since I drive the car every day and would think that would keep the rotors from getting rusty.) Still noticing the smell @ 15K miles. Also, mileage is averaging ~18-23 mpg city/highway. I do not ride the brake (learned to drive on a stick so that could never be part of my acquired bad habits.) If I could just get that average down to <18 mpg, I'd trade this puppy in on the Cash for Clunkers program. Not a happy second-time owner right now.

Has anyone had any luck with reporting this issue to Honda?

musib
07-31-2009, 01:51 PM
...burning rubber smell?is either the brakes/hand breaks or the tyres are rubbing the body of the car check properly.

chuckv
12-18-2009, 08:57 AM
I have a 2009 CRV AWD and have been noticing the smell after shutting off the engine. It is only noticeable on the passenger side. My wife is constantly bringing it to my attention. It is hard to tell if it is rubber or the smell of oil burning at a high temp. She doesn't recall smelling it before we had the first oil change. I was suspecting a drip or two of oil hitting the cat converter and burning off at high temp but I have absolutely no oil drips in the garage which seems odd. My thought is that if the smell was coming from brakes or tires that the smell would come from both sides. I am betting on the rubber supports for the exhaust.

I made an appointment on 12/21/09 with the Honda dealer and discussed the problem in detail. I showed them samples of postings from this forum and they had indicated that the had a couple of earlier service incidents regarding the same issue. They pulled the wheel and examined all possible culprits but came up empty. No rubbing marks, no contact of rubber with hot surfaces, calipers and pads looked good. They noted the service in the event that a problem comes up after the car goes off warranty at 36K miles. When I took it in, the roads were dry and I did not notice any smell after shutting off the engine.

mike the man
01-25-2010, 03:46 AM
I am in South East England and have the same burning rubber smell 2005 model. I have had the rear diff fluid changed for a noise problem on full lock but still have the burning smell. Does not matter if it is wet or dry. Surely with all these complaints world wide, Honda must be aware of the problem.I am very happy with the car apart from this and it performed brilliant in the recent snow we had. Lets keep the pressure up on Honda

capeman
01-29-2010, 11:33 PM
I have a 2005 CRV with 36000 miles on it. I noticed the burning rubber smell coming from the passenger side rear while driving home from Florida last week. The dealer said it was the brakes locking up and replaced them. The next day the smell returned, also the tire started hopping and making the "flat tire" sound at 70 mph. That was in Tennessee....limped home at 65 mph. Going to see the dealer tomorrow but I have a feeling I'll be trading it in as I feel it's unreliable for long trips.

Oldengineer
01-31-2010, 09:55 PM
I've got a 2010 LX model - 2 WD, and, I've noticed the burning rubber smell as well. I've got 4600 miles on the car so far. Could it be the heat from the exhaust cooking some of the volatiles out of the undercoating above it?? I can't find any evidence of rear brakes, or, parking brake dragging.

Regards:
Oldengineer

Normros
02-03-2010, 12:38 PM
I just joined this forum because I was looking for information regarding the "burning rubber smell from the right rear wheel well". We have a 2006 CRV which we bought from the dealer in August. We had a 2003 Civic before that. We have smelled this odor every time we have taken both these vehicles up to a local ski hill in the Winter. We don't know what the difference is other than a slightly higher elevation and longer drive in the winter,

After reading the posts I called Honda Canada customer relations and the fellow had no information and no solution other than taking it in. I then called the dealer and the rep said that there are no service bulletins on this. Next thing I'm going to do is contact the local newspaper and see if they are interested in following up. I suggest that the more publicity this gets the more that Honda might be willing to do something. They know there's a problem and they are stonewalling.

rhandwor
02-05-2010, 08:26 AM
When this happens stop and go to this side and feel if the wheel is hot be careful you may get burnt. Gradually move your hand to the center in steps if a brake is dragging it will be very hot. If the mechanic didn't clean his hands grease will smoke a lot.
If you have drum brakes and they aren't dragging a bad wheel bearing or one improperly adjusted will smoke. This is a problem you need fixed.
Disk brakes a bad caliper or dirty slides or a bad wheel bearing can cause this.

MREDDC
03-08-2010, 06:39 PM
add my 05 crv to the list. right rear wheel area, regardless of weather, usually after highway speeds (which would keep things cool) then one mile slowdown before parking (which would then allow any heat to saturate). have only noticed it with snow tires on. got under vehicle & there seems to be nothing close enough to burn, including rubber exhaust mounts. did not look at the rubber hoses for the rear diff, will check that next though for the dual-drive fluid to get that hot would be very unusual. this is definitely not a brake or oil smell. i'm sure someone will come up with the answer if enough publicity is generated. honda is an honorable company & should
do the right thing.(i'm an optimist ha ha)
best regards;
ed c

rhandwor
03-08-2010, 07:07 PM
Honda rear wheels need adjusted to specifications. If way out a tire will smoke. These take a SPC-69330 10 point socket or equivalent to adjust.

dansrv
03-30-2010, 10:05 AM
our 2009 crv has a burning rubber smell from fwd rh side. No smell for 20,000 miles, then towed behind motorhome for 500 miles. No smell during towing.First drive after tow,smell started. Now smells whenever car is driven. We stop every 4 hours to run engine and lube transmission. Car is 2 wheel drive. Dealer has no idea what problem is. Been in maintenance 50 years and i cant find problem.

thebignewf
04-01-2010, 08:01 AM
Add mine to the list; I’ve had the “burning” smell on my 06 CR-V since I purchased it 4 years ago. Started as soon as I drove it off the lot. Originally I thought it was smells coming off a new car as it was being “broken in”. 4 years 50K later, including a long drive from Victoria B.C. to St. John’s Newfoundland (7300kms) and still same smell every time I get out of my car. I don’t notice it while driving but as soon as I park and get out of the car you can smell it as you walk away from the car. The salt thing is garbage as my first 3 years with the car were in Victoria where they don’t use salt and barely get any snow. Same smell with stock and winter tires, no difference. After my cross country trek I had the differential fluids replaced as I was getting some noise from my tires when making sharp turns, this fixed that problem but still has the smell. It doesn’t matter if it is wet or dry out, I think something is clearly heating up when being driven, whether it is the break pad or wheel joint, some type of glue or adhesive coating, not sure. Last night it was wet out and when I parked my car in my driveway you could see the steam bellowing out from the rear right tire. It seems to be coming from behind and on the inside of the tire, so perhaps the exhaust area? I would think if the exhaust didn’t play some part the same would happen on the other side of the car, as all the tires should be otherwise the same. This is the first time I’ve notice it was only from one tire, and after reading everyone’s posts it makes sense. Has anyone replaced their exhaust or muffler? Did this make a difference? Just a thought. Just another note, my car is manual transmission, and if I recall last time I had it in the rear brakes were wearing down faster than the front, again I attributed this to gearing down which would take more pressure off the front breaks. I’m assuming AT or MT doesn’t have much to do with it but thought I’d throw it out there.

mttodd
01-15-2011, 11:19 AM
I also have this problem in a 2004 Civic VP sedan that I just purchased used. The car has 100k miles, but after the pre-purchase inspection, the mechanic said that the car was in perfect condition. I didn't smell anything for the first month that I drove the car, even though there was some rain. However, as soon as I drove the car in wet, snowy weather, I smelled a burning rubber or burning wire smell coming through the car's air circulation system. It doesn't seem to be stuck breaks, as the car moves forward under idling power.

skinkrj1
01-23-2011, 10:22 PM
Here's one more CRV to add to the list. I have a 2006 CRV that my wife drives. For quite some time we have been getting this burning rubber smell in the wheel well of the rear passenger side tire also. Today I inspected and cleaned the rotors and inside of the wheel. The brake pad looks good and the rotor is smooth. The vehicle breaks straight and feels smooth. After cleaning the rotor and tire, I took it for a test drive and still got the burning rubber smell. The tire has perfect even treadwear. Exhaust pipe and muffler looks normal with no corrosion or holes. I live in the Seattle area and the roads have been wet most of the time the last few months. I really don't want to take it to the dealer or other mechanic shop and spend $100-$200 just for them to tell me they don't know what the problem is. The CRV has about 90,000 miles. I will call the dealer tomorrow, but I'm sure they will say they never heard of the problem. Will post if I learn anything new. Very frustrating, this is no coincidence.

Cmabel
03-26-2011, 10:50 PM
WOW! This is nice in one way to find out we are not alone but frustrating that no one can get an answer from Honda. I have a 2009 Acura CSX with this same smell and the dealership tells me it is the de icing chemical that the city (Calgary, Alberta) puts on the road burning off of the muffler. This is my third Acura and not my only car currently but the first time I have noticed this smell. They also ccould not explain why the 2010 CSX loaner did not have the smell?? Anyway I hope Honda can figure this out, or we may decide to trade in.

rhandwor
03-27-2011, 05:23 AM
I also have this problem in a 2004 Civic VP sedan that I just purchased used. The car has 100k miles, but after the pre-purchase inspection, the mechanic said that the car was in perfect condition. I didn't smell anything for the first month that I drove the car, even though there was some rain. However, as soon as I drove the car in wet, snowy weather, I smelled a burning rubber or burning wire smell coming through the car's air circulation system. It doesn't seem to be stuck breaks, as the car moves forward under idling power.
Have you checked your coolant level. A leaking heater core will stink and leave deposits on the inside of the windshield.

iamsupermercy
03-27-2011, 06:05 AM
hi guys....http://freedigitalphotos4you.com/img/U/4.png

johnholl
04-08-2011, 12:12 PM
Has the smell come back? Was it the transaxle fluid?

johnholl
04-08-2011, 12:19 PM
Honda rear wheels need adjusted to specifications. If way out a tire will smoke. These take a SPC-69330 10 point socket or equivalent to adjust.
What do you mean by wheel adjustment. This is the second CR-v with the same problem we've ownned. The Factory Trained Techs don't have an answer!

johnholl134@hotmail.com

rhandwor
04-08-2011, 07:57 PM
What do you mean by wheel adjustment. This is the second CR-v with the same problem we've ownned. The Factory Trained Techs don't have an answer!

johnholl134@hotmail.com
The rear wheels have an adjustment and toe-in or toe out,caster and camber. This can cause the rear wheels to smoke. Try a quality tire shop and ask them to check this out.
The dealer can do this but it costs money and is not free.
Normally you can look at the tires and observe cupping,wear along the edges.

johnholl
04-19-2011, 05:50 PM
The rear wheels have an adjustment and toe-in or toe out,caster and camber. This can cause the rear wheels to smoke. Try a quality tire shop and ask them to check this out.
The dealer can do this but it costs money and is not free.
Normally you can look at the tires and observe cupping,wear along the edges.
I'll give it a shot, But I think the tires would be warm to the touch or cupped. Are the specs listed anywhere? Also if it smells just Idling it wouldn't be the drivetrain. I'll go next door when I get a chance and check it out. [parents car, not ours].

Thanks, John

jns77
05-21-2011, 08:09 AM
I have a 2002 CR-V and just started noticing the same smell from the right rear wheel. It's been a very rainy couple of weeks here in the DC metro area, so maybe that has something to do with it. I'm glad to see it's not just me! I was worried that it was something I had to get checked out immediately. Am I ok to keep driving it like this??

Cakeboss
10-27-2011, 04:18 PM
I own a 2010 CR-V EX-L 4WD/Nav (bought in Nov' 2009) and have recently noticed the same burning smell. I drove the car for two winters in Chicago and now i am in California with no more salty raods in winter. The car has 26000 miles on it. The burning smell started coming from the same rear passenger side tire. I am planning to go on a long drive (800 miles roundtrip) and am worried about our safety. I was wondering if anyone has identified what the reason is? It has been a long running thread for almost 7 years and still Honda does not acknowledge this issue!!! Should I talk to the Dealer?
Please let us all know if you have any information. Thanks.

gspac1970
01-01-2012, 05:28 PM
This is probably the answer :

http://blog.mdwholesale.com/how-to-fix-2009-honda-crv-burning-rubber-smell-coming-from-the-right-side/

The culprit seems to be the design of the Honda exhaust system, specifically an anti-corrosion coating on the muffler and/or exhaust system. When the muffler gets really hot and road debris gets on the muffler, this coating gives off the rubber burnt smell. It is probably worse in wet and snowy conditions when more debris gets thrown onto the muffler.

I own a 2005 Honda Accord and I also have this problem.

Joe

darrahg
01-09-2012, 09:02 AM
My daughter has my old '98 CRV with apx. 250 miles on it. She just recently bagan to notice a burning smell. Thus, my interest in this thread.
I have looked high and low and had it into the dealer twice with no positive conclusion other than to state that there is no visible burn damage or anything else that would give one a hint as to the source. Recently, the passanger side transmission seal was replaced (twice) and oil pan gasket to stop minor leaks. I did notice that there was a plastic bag melted to the front exhaust but that has since melted away. Oh, the transmission seal has begun to drip a little and was told that the transmission opening, where the seal is positioned, is wollowed out. These should not have anything to do with that particular smell though.

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