My 2006 Prius has 11,000 miles on it and within the last week, I notice a melting plastic/burning smell inside and especially outside the car. Called the dealer, just said bring it in, not familiar with that type of problem. Can anyone shed any light on this particular problem?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nancydelp @ Dec 13 2006, 10:56 AM) [snapback]361487[/snapback]</div> That happened to me one time. Plastic trash bag from the road got kicked up and melted to the exhaust pipe. Nasty smell.
You have been careful not to block or cover up the battery cooling air vent? This vent is on the right side of the rear seat. Assuming that this vent is un-obstructed then there could some electrical problem. Let the dealer diagnose it.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Beryl Octet @ Dec 13 2006, 08:24 AM) [snapback]361521[/snapback]</div> Me too. The plastic bags weld themselves to the exhaust, and smell bad for a very long time.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(subarutoo @ Dec 13 2006, 03:56 PM) [snapback]361836[/snapback]</div> Happened to me this summer driving on Bishop Grandin, it was very windy outside. Saw the empty bags blowing around but couldn't swerve due to traffic. I knew I had snagged it when I didn't see it in the rearview mirror. A couple of minutes later and I could smell burning plastic. It had stuck to the catalytic converter. The smell will stay around a long time. Next trip out to the hobby farm, I drove the Prius up onto the ramp I made out of railroad ties. A big wad of melted plastic was still on the catalytic converter. Took me the better part of an hour with a putty knife to scrape it all off.
Ah, yes! If you can't get under the car well enough to see and remove the plastic it's worth a trip to the dealer to get it removed. It could possibly be a fire hazard.
Two possibilities -- the plastic bag underneath, or the normal smell of the battery case plastic that tends to waft out of the vent next to the back seats. Smell the duct intake close up to see if that's it. It strikes a lot of people as very long-lived new-car smell, which is almost right since it's still outgassing plastics.. . _H*
hi! i could also be from the parts that hold your exhaust system , its usally some rubber thingis that secures it , can smell alot when they get warm.. sometimes caused by uphill driving with slow speed and and high rev. Its common for many cars.... but melted plastic bag smells alot aswell cheers Andreas
