Burning Rubber Smell From The Car, Especially When Reversing

[Gerry Martin]

I just bought a 2012 model RAV4 2.2 D-4D XT-R 5DR diesal manual and noticed on several occasions that I get a burning rubber smell, especially when I am reversing (and I am not doing this aggresively). Is this normal please? What could be causing this smell?

[korat102]

How often does it happen? Is is really rubber or a sort of strange 'hot' smell?

Could it simply be the car cleaning out it's DPF? It has, I think the 2012 D2D has one, a filter that traps particles of soot and every so often it'll burn away accumulated soot. It runs the exhaust hot (very hot!) to do that and you can get some strange smells while it's in progress.

[dervdave]

DPF

[Gerry Martin]

Dear Dave and Phil,

I only bought this car on Tuesday and I've had this smell every day I have used the car. It does have a DPF (so I was told from the sale advert of the car). Now you mention it, I will pay more attention on whether it is burning rubber smell or strange "hot" smell. From what little I know about cars, it smells like something is running on dry - I've checked the engine oil and it is well topped up.

Hope this helps in giving me further advice. Thanks for your kind response and assistance.

[korat102]

Ah, well if it's only just been bought, it could just be something the dealer/owner sprayed all over the engine/exhaust to make it 'look nice'. That'll burn off over time. Might also be worth checking that there's nothing in contact with the exhaust system.

If it's the DPF, it shouldn't happen too often, certainly not every day unless you do a huge mileage. I wouldn't expect the DPF regen to be triggered more than once every 300 miles (or more if you do long journeys). If it's running a DPF regen all the time, something may not be quite right.

[Madasafish]

As above second hand cars are often pressure washed underneath the bonnet and wheelarches and sprayed with a glossy lacquer type liquid to make them look shiny.

If you are only driving short distances, it will not burn off.. and it will smell when the engine gets hot (and the exhaust if it has overspray on it).

Try a 20 mile round trip if you have not done one and see how it smells at the end- it should burn off any coating by then...