Hi, I have a 2004 TL, auto, with 95k miles on it. Recently whenever I put the heater above 75 degrees I get a burning rubber smell coming from the rear driver side tire. It is only when the heater goes past 75 degrees, and is only coming from the rear driver side tire. Wanted to know if anyone has dealt with this issue before, before I take it in. Thanks for the help!

 

check your belts.

 

This just happened to me yesterday, I thought it was the stupid dump truck I was behind.

Belts make sense, I've been getting a squealing noise in the mornings from them

 

 

What's going on?

 

 

wtf

 

that made me


Like sharksbreath said, have you checked your belts?

 

lol im still at work so i havent had a chance to, ill check them tonight. Any other thing it could be?

 

Well if you aren't doing burnouts, then I don't know.

 

Turn the heater on and the rear drivers side tire starts smelling like burning rubber..... I'm sorry but I really have no idea how those 2 can correlate and I'm honestly trying to think about it... This is a tough riddle.

 

yea I know it really strange. I dont think it is the left tire itself but it is coming from that area. I park my car in my garage and I can really smell it. There is heat coming from that area as well. I can drive for two hours and if the heater is below 75 it doesnt smell at all. But if I drive 20 mintues with the heater above 75 the smell is back

 

with the rear wheels?

 

 

it could be a seized caliper if the smell is coming from the rear....the 04/05 have been known for that....

OP is there a noise? squealing? check you rims for heat....

 

It could be a seized caliper...

 

That's what I was thinking but it wouldn't explain why it only happens when his HVAC is set above a certain temperature.

 

@ imj....am just putting down another thing which could cause a smell....

even though i was riding with my windows up and had the A/C off with the recirculation off, I was able to smell the damn brakes/rubbery burning smell....

either way, was just putting it out there for him to check after a 5 minute drive....my caliper was crazy seized....it burned through 1/4 life of the brake pads in a 5 miles distance (drive home)....

 

So I checked the belts and they looked fine. When I start up in the morning there isnt a squeal or anything. Also, just a question, if it was a seized caliper, would it make the smell everytime I drive or is it sporadic?? Just trying to wrap my head around this. Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

Typically it would be all the time independent of your HVAC settings. It is possible for it to become unstuck and then get stuck again but unlikely.

 

a very good way to check for seized caliper is heat....

when my caliper seized up, one rim (where the caliper seized up) was hot as a motherf%^%# !!! Drive for like 5-10 minutes and compare the heat...remember to compare the fronts ...then compare the rears....dont compare front with the rear as the front is gonna be hotter than the rear....

 

OP, I have a similar problem. The heat begins to stink, but only at temperatures below the "HI" setting. On Max heat, there is no smell. Once I drop it even a degree, the smell returns. IDK where it's coming from but it seems like the vents. Let me know if you find out the problem.