Electrical Burning Smell Coming From Somewhere

06TJRubi

06TJRubi

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I have owned this 2006 Jeep TJ Rubicon with 130K miles for about 1 month now, and about 1 day ago I started smelling an electrical burning smell. I first noticed it in the cab (but it was very faint), and then once I walked around the back driver side, I barely noticed it wafting through the air. I have since spent 30 minutes sticking my nose is every nook and cranny of this Jeep with no luck finding the source of the smell (I smelled all throughout the engine, the dashboard, glove box, the brakes, the AC/Heater, under the entire Jeep, etc. with no luck).

Once the Jeep is sitting for more than 10 minutes, the smell goes away. And the smell only starts up again once I drive it for more than 10 minutes.

I have not installed any new wiring or anything like that.

*Note: I know what burnt oil smells like, and burnt rubber, and it appears to Not be either ... to me, it smells like either thin plastic or more likely some sort of wiring that is burning.

I have an appointment with my mechanic to check it out on Monday, and I have a nice big fire extinguisher in the passenger seat ready to go just in case!

Has anyone else smelt this electrical burning smell in your TJ's before?

Any ideas what it could be or where I should look specifically?

Thanks!
 
06TJRubi said:
Has anyone else smelt this electrical burning smell in your TJ's before?
Click to expand...

Had what I thought was a hot electrical smell from mine shortly after I got it. Realized after some investigation the tires (31x10.50) were contacting the factory fender flares on occasion and that was causing the smell. Replaced the wheels with factory Ravines and put Rubicon flares on it, problem solved.
 
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chili_pepper said:
Had what I thought was a hot electrical smell from mine shortly after I got it. Realized after some investigation the tires (31x10.50) were contacting the factory fender flares on occasion and that was causing the smell. Replaced the wheels with factory Ravines and put Rubicon flares on it, problem solved.
Click to expand...

Interesting .. was it on the front or rear tires? I currently have 256/75R16 which I believe equates to 31.6x10.4?
 
06TJRubi said:
I saw that online as well .. if it was the resistor, what would be the signs it was going bad?
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One or more of the 3 lower speeds not working. The highest speed fan setting bypasses the resistor pack.

When the resistor pack goes bad the root cause is the fan motor so when you get a bad lower fan speed caused by a blown resistor pack replace the fan motor too or the replacement resistor pack will go bad too. The fan motor's windings commonly start shorting together causing excessive current (ampere) flow through the resistor pack, wiring, and fan speed switch.
 
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Jerry Bransford said:
One or more of the 3 lower speeds not working. The highest speed fan setting bypasses the resistor pack.

When the resistor pack goes bad the root cause is the fan motor so when you get a bad lower fan speed caused by a blown resistor pack replace the fan motor too or the replacement resistor pack will go bad too. The fan motor's windings commonly start shorting together causing excessive current (ampere) flow through the resistor pack, wiring, and fan speed switch.
Click to expand...

so I was wrong on the HI setting :oops:
 
06TJRubi said:
Interesting .. was it on the front or rear tires? I currently have 256/75R16 which I believe equates to 31.6x10.4?
Click to expand...

Fronts, stock ride height, aftermarket wheels with a remarkable negative offset pushing the tires at least 3"-4" beyond the flares. I believe it occurred when turning under load.
 
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chili_pepper said:
Fronts, stock ride height, aftermarket wheels with a remarkable negative offset pushing the tires at least 3"-4" beyond the flares. I believe it occurred when turning under load.
Click to expand...

Gosh it's beyond me at this point, but I feel like I am isolating the burning smell to the rear driver side fender well ... but I don't see anything rubbing nor do I smell anything once I'm under the Jeep in that specific area. I also don't see any evidence of anything rubbing under load or turns, etc.. Hopefully my Jeep mechanic can figure this one out...
 
After your drive and you get the smell, feel the center of each of the wheels to see if any are warmer/hotter than the others…
 
06TJRubi said:
Gosh it's beyond me at this point, but I feel like I am isolating the burning smell to the rear driver side fender well ... but I don't see anything rubbing nor do I smell anything once I'm under the Jeep in that specific area. I also don't see any evidence of anything rubbing under load or turns, etc.. Hopefully my Jeep mechanic can figure this one out...
Click to expand...

Are you using heat currently? I would pull the blower motor out and check for debris in the heater box. I had the same intermittent smell before I changed the heater core. The leaves were even around the resistor.
 
Well you can always hose down the Jeep with something flammable like Brake Cleaner and watch for flames...

-Mac

P.S. Don't...

P.P.S. Know anyone with a thermal camera? I know our local fire department has one...betcha they might want to play with their toys.
 
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06TJRubi said:
Gosh it's beyond me at this point, but I feel like I am isolating the burning smell to the rear driver side fender well ... but I don't see anything rubbing nor do I smell anything once I'm under the Jeep in that specific area. I also don't see any evidence of anything rubbing under load or turns, etc.. Hopefully my Jeep mechanic can figure this one out...
Click to expand...

UPDATE: My Jeep mechanic found fresh asphalt up under my exhaust .. I remember a few days ago, the only road to my house was recently paved, and traffic was forced to drive through the new asphalt .. this is where I must have picked it up! Anyway, I am not even sure exactly where it was piling up .. I wasn't able to see it when looking under the Jeep .. so apparently it was on top of the exhaust somewhere.. Anyway, my mechanic charged me $0 and cleaned it all up for me. Good to know!!
 
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