Burnt smell when driving a hill

Vullnet wrote: ↑Sun Jul 05, 2020 10:25 am Hello, when driving my C3 2012 diesel 1.6 up an hill i get a weird burnt plastic smell?

Should i be concerned i recently changed the oil and air filters.

Thank you

C3CAR wrote: ↑Sun Jul 05, 2020 12:41 pm

Vullnet wrote: ↑Sun Jul 05, 2020 10:25 am Hello, when driving my C3 2012 diesel 1.6 up an hill i get a weird burnt plastic smell?

Should i be concerned i recently changed the oil and air filters.

Thank you

Hello,

Yes, the smell is not normal for a C3.

If going up a hill before changing the filters was without smell and it only came after the work, it may be due to the replacement and things not being refitted correctly.

It may also just be a coincidence and the clutch is on its way out (not for the automatic) or a plastic bag is stuck to the exhaust.

It would be worth checking that everything was put back how it should have been.

Did you drain the water from the fuel filter into a container?

Did you use the correct grade of oil?

Can you identify the smell or get someone else to drive with you that may know what it is?
Different failures have their own signature smell. Burning plastics smell different to burning electrical, burning oil is different yet again.

Arfur Dent wrote: ↑Sun Jul 05, 2020 6:39 pm Hi

You didn't list your car as a sensodrive. If you follow the link in my signature you can amend this error in 'Car Bio'.


A failing clutch plate does give an odd burning smell, quite unpleasant.

You would notice this when going up a hill and not on the flat, at first, later it will do it more on the flat too.

You should take it to a different garage and ask them to drive the car up a hill so they can smell it. You may even find that they can smell it as you pull up.

If the clutch is failing it will stop working eventually and then the car won't drive any more.

But without smelling the car for myself it is difficult for me to be sure.