RobPerdue

Ok, this is going to sound a bit weird, but i noticed when you floor my Panel, say to pass another car, there is a smell. When i first noticed it, i freaked out because it smelled like burning electrical wires. I immediately pulled over and checked the car over, took it home and checked everything under the hood for excessive heat. Found nothing.

Well, the electrical smell is now more of a burning hair smell and for the life of me i cant find anything.

843de

If its sort of a Sulphurous smell, kind of like rotten eggs, its the catalytic converters not quite dealing with the momentary "full rich" condition caused by hard acceleration.

Its not something you smell as often today as you did back in the 80's, but you can still get a whiff of "phew" when you really give it the beans. There is a natural low pressure area behind every HHR as it goes down the road, and they will draw minute amounts of exhaust back into the cabin, not a dangerous condition...but odoriferous in your case it seems.

Check your tailpipe and rear bumper for sooty deposits, if its getting black back there then you might have the start of an issue.

RobPerdue

I had the catalytic converter problem on my 06Lincoln Zephyr, the smell at 1/2 throttle and beyond, black deposits on the bumper and tips. Its not the same smell as i have with my Panel. Its more hair, less rotten eggs.

843de

Well it could actually be burning hair, there may have been a critter that built a nest somewhere under the hood, and that's causing the smell. It could also be a coolant leak vaporizing on the hot exhaust, that'll produce a stench too.

You might want to take it somewhere and get in on a lift to check for foreign debris underneath etc.

firemangeorge

Let me take a stab at this. It's only when you "floor" it? Is yours a 5 speed? Is it a clutch/slip smell? Engine torque-over causing the serpentine belt to rub somewhere? Something else in the driveline maybe rubbing?
In other words,it's one of those odd problems that will most likely have an easy explanation. Hardest part will be to figure it out.

Let's us know what you find. Always like to hear the answers to the odd ones.

RobPerdue

Automatic unfortunately, I'll be checking it over fully in the morning to see what i can find.

HipHotRod

When you stand on it to pass, a distinct burning smell. Dissipates quickly but happens every time I put my foot thru the floorboard. Every time, except of course when the Dealer's had it. 2008 2LT 2.4

Snoopy

HipHotRod......

Wouldn't the dealer Service Manager or an assigned technician go with you for a spin.

On several occasions I have had a "phantom" problem, and the dealer was always acceptable to going for a ride with me driving. Only once did this fail to duplicate the problem (which came back later).

Seems to me, if the dealer was having difficulty duplicating your complaint, the simple solutions was to do as suggested.

I'd like to see you resolve your issue.

HipHotRod

Snoopy........
In regards to both my bucking and the abovementioned problem, of course I insisted on the tech ride. Nah cant find anything - off we go together and I get it buck and the tach boucning etc. No code, cant do much so it was sloughed off as my 'driving habits' (the bucking) and 'normal' for the burnt smell at WOT. I cannot take a day off of work to take the car to another town and another dealer. I asked Michelle Cust Serv Person to arrange to have my car picked up and taken to another dealer. Id go get it, that type of thing - Nah, they dont do that sort of thing. I concede, it will be gone soon hopefully.