i notice a smell coming from the engine bay after taking the car home from the dealership this evening. i had to take it onto the freeway and after i got to the garage, it smell like something is burning, but not caught-on-fire burning. is it suppose to smell like this? i'm thinking its the initial lubricant or whatever burning offf

 

you sure it wasn't the brakes? mine smelled horrible the first night i drove it.

 

if it is a 5sp, then it could be the clutch wearing a bit for break in purposes. Also, it could be the catalytic converter since the car is brand new. I say give it another hundred miles or so and if the problem persists, get it on file at toyota in case (not likely) something really is wrong. Everything should be fine though....my si made the same smells at first.

 

i agree with k20 about the catalytic converter.. mine smelled like metal burning but that's the exhaust and emissions breaking in.. but if you're concerned there is always the dealer to check it out.. I'd give it a 100 miles or so and then see..

 

ya, it's probably more noticable on the tC because the cat is located up on top of the header directly under the hood.

 

you all make very good sense. thanks much.

 

hey maximus96, no problem.. let us know how it goes with your car..

 

My sister claimed to smelled something burning the first time she sat in my car when it was pretty much brand new. I never noticed anything though.

But if it bothers you, when in doubt, just bring it in to have it looked at. It is new afterall. But im pretty sure the techs will say everything is fine. Because we all know, they just open the hood, take a quick glance, then close the hood. That is their very intensive car inspection he..he.

 

My 5-speed xA had the same "hot smell" for the first few days. It's much more noticable if you park in a garage.

 

it is the cat....before they ship it the coat it with some sort of product to keep it from cracking and such

it will go away...just keep driving and open your windows

 

For some reason, this is true with all Toyotas. I smelled the same with my 2003 Lexus IS 300, 2004 Scion XB and my 2005 Scion TC!

 

It happens with many new cars. It's caused by the breakin oil.

 

I had it too in the catalytic converter. The dealer told me to expect the smell, and to expect it to go away in the first 50 miles. Sure enough it did...

Kind of a mild burning plastic smell. The new car smell generally overpowered it.

 

Its everything breaking in. Dont worry about it.

Its the exhaust breaking in, engine cleaner burning off, brakes......it goes on.
The first night we got ours home I smelled a nasty smell. Opened the hood and all this smoke cleared from the engine bay. Of course I was worried but nothing looked messed up, burnt. Im sure it was cleaner burning off the heatshields.

I have and still noticed a weird exhaust smell when getting on the car. I let my friend drive the car and take off in front of me. Smells weird. Could just be the cats working since this car is crazy emissions friendly.

 

i thought the tC was not emissions friendly, at the dealers i saw the emissions sticker and it showed an index of 0.8 while the new camry next to it has like 0.2 or something

 

yep, i noticed it too while sitting in traffic

 

Really? Then what is the whole thing with the tC being an ULEV (ultra low emissions vehicle) car then? I thought that it implied very environmentally friendly. Someone please explain

 

That might have been your exhaust system or cat. If you have every installed a header or an exhaust system before they kind of have a period it will smell like that until the pipes get that initial burn to them almost like a break in period.

 

WRONG.

All cars comne from the factory with some type of underbody coating. It is this coating that is on the cat, exhaust, manifold & other places that heat up. This coating burns off as your car runs & that is what you smell.... it is normal.

 

god, gonna jump on him about replacing the starter fluid for first time drivers too?