Does your car smell....... CVT transmission, smells like burning rubber?

[Driving Instructor]

Just wondering if anyone else experienced this concern?

I noticed it more when I come off the HWY. I did notice it a couple of times in town, but I was thinking it must of been something else. It smells more like burning figerglass.

I brought it in and the dealer said "it must be salt on catilic convertor burning off"

to that I replied, what are you burning on!

[kc5f]

I've got a few miles on mine (...) and have never noticed any burning smell. (And we don't get much salt on the roads down here, either.)

[07Vsdn]

the only time i had a weird smell like that was after driving in the smoky mountains with four adults inside... couldn't tell where the smell was coming from, though.

[BBISHOPPCM]

I have noticed the burning smell, and I believe it's caused by the muffler's proximity to the rubberized undercoating. I've had mine for one year and two months/30,000 miles, and it still smells like burning. Only one reported case has surfaced of a Versa bursting into flames, so I think we're ok. OH, I've had only one problem with my car since I bought it; the A/C compressor was replaced due to noise; and the replacement unit is just as noisy.

[equlizer]

I had a funny smell last week coming from mine but figured it out afterwards. It was after running through a puddle

[srellim234]

Doesn't the CVT transmission fluid have little rubber balls in it? Somewhere (maybe here on this forum?) I read that it did. Could the smell be from overheated transmission fluid?

[bdu]

I get that smell if I leave the air on recirc without AC turned on. Blech. I avoid doing that, actually, as it's pretty nasty.

[wfo_1974]

cvt fluid is like green oil bassed fluid no rubber in it that i know off, and costly @ like 20 bucks a qt. funny but the cvt fluid is all that stands between moving metal parts in the cvt transmission kindaa cool how they work. i would not think that the smell would be the transmission, in cases that i have seen it is mostly just new car smell lol but i would say if it goes on for more than your breakin time 3000 miles or so i would take it back to your dealer to get it looked at again

[BBISHOPPCM]

The CVT fluid does in fact contain rubber. The burning smell is not from the CVT fluid; the burning smell is the undercoating located near the muffler, and is likely due to the muffler being stuffed in a location with little ventilation.

[Diznum]

I had that smell as well when I was caught in heavy traffic going up a steep canyon, the CVT was working hard that time. That's the only time so far.

[wfo_1974]

The CVT fluid does in fact contain rubber. The burning smell is not from the CVT fluid; the burning smell is the undercoating located near the muffler, and is likely due to the muffler being stuffed in a location with little ventilation.

can you tell me where you have in fact know about the chemicals that are in the cvt fluid kinda interesting to me and would like to read up some more on the subject thanks

[BBISHOPPCM]

This was discussed at great length in one of the threads. As far as the fluid causing the burning smell at the REAR of the car; its not even remotely logical.

[Driving Instructor]

Smell again......... stinky today! Talked to a technician....... said..just wait..this way you get a full new transmission if it's defective!

[KimberKenobi]

The Camel hasn't given me any funny smells or problems... Sheesh... I'd say good luck getting it figured out... but I've read the last thread...

[mycatMurphy]

There's a pretty steep hill that I have to climb to get home, and for the first month since I got the car, I smelt the odor every evening when I made it to home. I don't think I smell it any more now that another month had passed. Maybe it just needed to be broken-into.

[luckybturd]

Ok, I have read lots of theories on the subject.

Has anyone, anywhere found out for sure what has causedso many of us to experience this?

[kam472]

I do too get that burning/overheating/rubber or plastic or even electrical smell. Although i have an auto transmission not CVT so i guess it must be something else that is similar to all versas that gives that smell. I wouldn't bet on transmission though since it happens in auto and CVT models. It seems like when you on a highway (or getting off it) this is when it happens the most. You can smell it thru the vents. Its possible that there is some plastic somwhere or rubber thats close to either muffler or engine components that heat it up somehow...or maybe im talkin out of my ***... anyway..just my two cents.

[BBISHOPPCM]

IT IS NOT THE TRANSMISSION!!! IT IS THE RUBBER UNDERCOATING NEAR THE EXHAUST!!! WHY DO YOU PEOPLE KEEP BLAMING THE TRANSMISSION??? Seriously, I've been saying this all along and after every one of my posts, someone says "it must be the rubber in the transmission." I don't know what else to say... you have a muffler that is stuffed into a location surrounded by undercoating with very little ventilation, and the exhaust pipe (which is hotter than the muffler) in a very similar location.

[srellim234]

BBishop- I agree with you. I brought up the transmission fluid possibility very early in the thread when all possible causes were still being explored. It's pretty obvious now that it is NOT the transmission fluid. It must be the rubber undercoating.

[Driving Instructor]

IT IS NOT THE TRANSMISSION!!! IT IS THE RUBBER UNDERCOATING NEAR THE EXHAUST!!! WHY DO YOU PEOPLE KEEP BLAMING THE TRANSMISSION??? Seriously, I've been saying this all along and after every one of my posts, someone says "it must be the rubber in the transmission." I don't know what else to say... you have a muffler that is stuffed into a location surrounded by undercoating with very little ventilation, and the exhaust pipe (which is hotter than the muffler) in a very similar location.

Do you really think it's the muffler? I can imagine this being a problem at first, but it know has 90 000 kms. I can say that I have not has any funny smells in about 1 month......... so what, it just had a bad fart?

[BBISHOPPCM]

Not the muffler itself, but the exhaust system's proximity to the undercoating, and lack of airflow around the exhaust's components (due to the design of the car) causing the undercoating to heat up. This is not without merit, as I have completely rebuilt entire vehicles (several, infact); I know how they are put together, and what causes certain noises and smells. I almost blamed this on the braking system, but for that to work, the smell would have to be present on both sides, and the brake drums would have to be hot (and they are not). I come from a long line of auto mechanics. Blaming the transmission is like saying vanilla air fresheners cause excessive road noise, and playing certain audio CDs can ruin the paint on the rear hatch. My whole point behind my post is that I've been stating the cause of the odor all along, and people keep bringing up the transmission theory, which is completely impossible. CVT fluid, rubberized or not, cannot cause a burning rubber smell in the left-rear wheelwell. You would notice the odor under the hood, and there would be a SERIOUS leak associated with it.