I was running a little late to work this morning and unfortunately had to speed...... a lot. Anyway, I noticed when I was getting on the gas I could smell almost an exhaust smell. It did this in the beginning when I first got the car and figured it was the engine breaking in or something (first new car) Now every time I get on it there is this smell. I dont mind it so much as it almost makes the car smell like a its running race fuel..... but its not so it makes me curious.

After going as fast as I was I eventually had to stop. Braking was terrible, I felt the pedal getting spongy and had to press pretty hard to get the brakes to bite. When I finally came to a stop I could smell brakes, it was as if I had just did a track day. Granted I did to a couple hard stops but nothing that would warrant this kind of smell and performance from the brakes. My 2g didnt even do that.

Once I turned onto the street that the company is on, I drove a bit slower and when I slowed to pull into the parking lot, the brakes felt warped. So reminiscent of the 2g brakes. On my drive home, if I feel the same thing, I will be setting up an appt with the dealer to get the rotors replaced.

 

Holy Toledo. Sounds like some burnt pads. This is why I want to plumb duct lines to the back of the rotor. I'm doing that soon and will post pics.
Occasionally mine smells like barf, but thats because Carrie yakd in it after a wine tasting trip once.

 

^ Thats hilarious, sorry to hear about Carrie's weak stomach. Sounds like she needs more training lol. I really don think that ducts are going to work that well. Im sure it couldnt hurt, but when braking, there wont be enough air forced in to cool. We just need a better break setup.

How about the engine/exhaust smell...... You have anything like that?

 

I had a similar problem (2 different situations)

the first is, like you said, the engine smell. I too had 2 or so times where i just had to drive fast to get where i wanted to go. The engine smelled burnt after that. The rpms were never above 5k (as in, the moment the revs neared 5k, i'd let off the gas), and NEVER hit redline. The engine smelled terrible for the next 2 days. It finally went away.. only to happen again the next time i drove briskly in a similar fashion. Does this ever go away? I don't drive it any harder that i drove my civic and that had an hour of the engine smell at most.

As for brakes, i consider the SHAWD (auto) brakes barely adequate, and the base brakes inadequate. It's something they can improve on for both vehicles.

 

I have close to 9k miles on the car now, so its more than broken in. I rarely drive her hard and mainly cruise around. It seems like when I get on it half way (kind of like you do jason) the smell is there as well. It goes away after continuous driving, but I would really like to know whats causing this.

 

Nothing noticed here. Hopefully you picked up some exhaust from a 72 GMC in the A/C.

I just remebered this did happen in the RDX once, when it had less than 1,000 miles.

 

No there was definitely no one in front of me, especially at the rate of speed I was traveling. Hmmm..... this has me very confused.

 

Ok after searching this thing called the "internet' I found a couple of possibilities for the engine smell Im smelling. Apparently there is a clear coat sprayed on the engines before being installed that is getting burned off, the other is engine assembly lubricants that are being burned off..... I hope its not the second one since Ive already had my first oil change..... I wouldnt think that there would be more assembly lubricants in there.....


Ok Im still confused lol.

 

Maybe there was oil spilled on the engine during the oil change and its slowly being burned away? Cycle your recirc button and see if the smell increases in the fresh air cycle and vice versa. Get the engine bay power sprayed and see if it goes away?

FWIW, I drive my car very hard, even tracked it a dozen times and never once smelled anything but the brakes. The rotors are in new condition as well after all the track events

 

I know the smell of burning oil and this is definitely not it. It almost smells a bit like sulfur. It's definitely somethingni have never smelled from a car, it's not necessarily bad just different almost as if it is burning some residual something lol.

 

Sulfur would be the cats breaking in -- typical of a new car.

 

Even more of a reason for me to get the test pipe/ Thanks.

 

my type s made the engine smell when i got on it hard, its just he cat....the brakes on the other hand, well...its not like the tl has performance brakes on it, and it sounds like you had a bunch of brake fade going on...its a heavy car, with not enough brake power, my type s had the brembos, which were superb, i wish the sh awd had the brembos..

 

I get the same smell whenever I get on it too. Usually happens right after shifting above 5k. Maybe the clutch burning? I really don't know what I'm talking about but yes I do smell it but it goes away quickly.