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Engine Bay Smell.

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by EvanB, May 29, 2015.

  1. EvanB

    EvanB Junior Member

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    Hello, after a short drive this evening (5 miles) in HV mode city 0-48mph driving I noticed a smell from the passenger front corner of the car. I went under the hood and looked and sniffed around. It is somewhere on the passenger side under the hood, but I did not see any fluids low or overflowing, and the oil looked normal. I just had my 15,000 mile service on Friday and only put on a few hundred miles since.

    The smell is like parmagean cheese or vomit. I did not see anything dead in the radiator or under the car, and it is parking in a garage mostly.

    Any ideas?
     
    #1 EvanB, May 29, 2015
  2. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    spilled oil or coolant?
     
    #2 JC91006, May 29, 2015
    Last edited: May 29, 2015
  3. RRxing

    RRxing Senior Member

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    Check the cabin filter behind the glove box for dead rodent or rodent debris...
     
    #3 RRxing, May 29, 2015
  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    The engine bay has big openings, a rodent can easily get in, say to warm up. Maybe one got caught in a radiator fan? Look for nesting material, droppings. There's a plastic trim above the radiator: take off its plastic fasteners and have a look with good light?
     
    #4 Mendel Leisk, May 29, 2015
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    tech was eating lunch and left it in there? maybe the parmesan melted on something and has to burn off.:cool:
     
    #5 bisco, May 29, 2015
  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    We had got aftermarket replacement starter one time (on an Accord), and for about the first year of it's life: every time the car was started it would emit this obnoxious, overheated chemical smell. Some would drift through the cabin vent intake, you'd catch a whiff.
     
    #6 Mendel Leisk, May 29, 2015
  7. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    also check engine air filter, at least for my car
     
    #7 wjtracy, May 29, 2015
  8. EvanB

    EvanB Junior Member

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    Items I have checked, all the fluid levels look good and no obvious signs of a spill, and the Oder is no real match for those fluids. I look at the radiator from the front lower grill and did not see anything. Engine air box was clean.

    The smell is only noticeable outside the car by the engine. The car was parked outside for an hr, but here in phoenix it was 96* out at 9pm so I doubt many things wanted to stay warm(er).
     
    #8 EvanB, May 29, 2015
  9. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    You can probably hose off that area. Maybe the mechanic that worked on your car felt sick and couldn't hold it?
     
    #9 JC91006, May 29, 2015
  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    barf.:eek:
     
    #10 bisco, May 29, 2015
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