Burning rubber smell when climbing hills...

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by SLO Cat Wrangler, May 8, 2008.

  1. SLO Cat Wrangler

    SLO Cat Wrangler Junior Member

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    Hey eyeryone,

    We just took our 2008 prius on a drive into the mountains. Gained about 4000 feet on a "back road". The car only has about 5000k and has had the oil changed at about 4000K. We were able to drive slowly (ranging from 10-20mph) up the mountain as it was pretty steep in points (slopes of 50-60% at the switch backs). As we went there was a smell of burning rubber like the smell you might get from a car pulling a heavy load. Is this coming from the transmission? I don't think that we were working the car too hard (racing up the hill) or it was too hot (outside temp ~ 55 degrees).

    Should the car do this?

    Thanks,
    Steve & Kira
     
    #1 SLO Cat Wrangler, May 8, 2008
  2. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    Maybe the exhaust got proper hot for the first time.
     
    #2 patsparks, May 8, 2008
  3. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    Or the electrical inverter or battery controller got hot enough to emit that new-electronics stink. Unless the stink persists where you never smelled it before or gets worse, this sounds normal; it's been reported here before. Eventually the volatiles get baked out of the circuit boards and the stink never reappears.

    Make certain that the battery system cooling vent to the right of the rear seat is never blocked or covered.
     
    #3 richard schumacher, May 8, 2008
  4. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    Slow and steep is probably Prius' poorest operating mode. You might have been near top safe temperatures in the electric motors, electronics, or possibly the HV battery.

    Without wanting to sound too alarming, if you do this frequently, run the A/C cold in flow through (not recirc) and consider a 15 minute cool down stop midway. Instrumentation showing the temperatures mentioned above would be a great thing for Prius drivers who do a lot of slow and steep. Then you'd if the battery hits 50 C inverter 70, motors 100 C. Hotter than that is not a real good idea.

    edit: leave it in ready mode for cool-down, so the inverter coolant pump keeps running.
     
    #4 tochatihu, May 9, 2008
  5. Five5Six

    Five5Six New Member

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    I had the same experience, I climbed a steep grade at a slow pace. I got a smell like electronics heating up. I figured it was just the batteries warming up, I wasn't too concerned.
     
    #5 Five5Six, May 9, 2008
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