Grill Blockage + Burning Smell?

Hmm, wasn't there a TSB about the inverter coolant? With any luck it *won't* be that...

Possibly, in a cool climate, the electronics never get warm enough to vaporize their manufacturing volatiles (the source of that distinctive new/hot electronics odor), except when you go up that steep mountain.

 

wow Jonathan, kinda late in the season to be blocking? i realize that our weather is not consistently warm until at least the mid to end of June (its 63ºF right now i took mine out a last week because the occasional 80º degree days

 

Tideland - did you ever get an answer to this issue?

I am having the same issue in my '01 (~100k miles). Had a burning smell after climbing a steep grade on Friday. I changed the transaxle fluid after that occurred, and it was red and not burned smelling. No warning indicators occurred when the smell occurred.

I just bought this car a couple thousand miles ago, so I don't know if this has been happening for a long time. The car runs and drives great, and I have been getting about 50 mpg. I am pretty worried about this smell issue, but I'm not sure where to go from here.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DaveGoodrich @ Oct 15 2007, 08:35 PM) [snapback]526113[/snapback]</div>

Could you give a better description of the climb? The closest I have is 'Old Forge' and that is just over 900' at a 6% grade. Last summer I used it for a series of hill-climb tests but subsequently found most of my testing can be handled with 525' hill closer to home. If you can provide longitude and latitude, I can Google map and topozone to see what you were dealing with.

You pulled the engine oil dipstick and it looks and smells good?

Can you characterize the smell . . . woody . . . electrical . . . oil like?

Bob Wilson

 

it's not much of a hill up to Cypress Ski Hill 2200' over about 2 1/2 miles. Lots steeper than it around here.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Mar 14 2007, 09:20 AM) [snapback]405360[/snapback]</div>

The OP stated that he had no way to monitor engine temp, so he may have been on the path to screwing himself.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bwilson4web @ Oct 15 2007, 11:27 PM) [snapback]526228[/snapback]</div>

The climb was from Mentone to Forest Falls, in Southern California. About 2,500 feet in 10 miles. I believe the steepest, final 5-mile section of the climb is at about a 6% grade.

The smell is not exactly like anything I remember smelling before. I would definately not say woody. Also not the typical electrical (ozone) smell of a burning electrical motor. Also not oil burning on an exhaust. If I had to guess, it seems like hot plastic, or something similar.

Yes, I checked the engine oil (full synthetic Castol, changed about 2,000 miles ago). Looked clean, and not burned smelling.

 

jonathan, i put mine back in this morning.

fyi: last spreing i did 5 trips to seattle full block upper and lower temps as high as 65 F and only occasinally hit 200F... most of time 188-192 or pretty much right at thermostat temp. these were trips at 60 -65 mph... over 50 miles (over 100 miles a few times) at a time

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DaveGoodrich @ Oct 16 2007, 10:09 AM) [snapback]526384[/snapback]</div>

Check your exhaust pipe under the car, you might have a plastic shopping bag that melted on it. I was smelling a burning plastic smell, and knew what it was from a previous car. The bag is not there, just the spots of melted plastic on the exhaust.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Oct 16 2007, 03:47 PM) [snapback]526580[/snapback]</div>

Jonathan her car has been totally blocked for a couple of weeks now Same with mine but last weekend on a trip back from Chilliwack the ICE got to 99C so I stopped at the rest stop and pulled one lower section. Dropped to 87C as soon as I pulled back on the freeway. She say's her's never gets to 95C

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Oct 16 2007, 04:18 PM) [snapback]526592[/snapback]</div>

check your coolant level and make sure it's up in the rad neck when it's cold, check it in the morning before you start it.

 

Your directions were perfect. Did you go as far as Big Falls campground?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DaveGoodrich @ Oct 16 2007, 11:09 AM) [snapback]526384[/snapback]</div>

I found them using Google maps and topozone. Google maps shows a 13 mile run and topozone about a 4,000 ft. elevation change. I looks like you drive up Mill Creek Canyon. That has to be drop dead gorgeous. The speed was 45-55 mph? But back to the question.

Something contacting the exhaust pipe makes most sense. The external surfaces of the ICE and transaxle could reach 100C, barely, but the exhaust pipe can easily reach 400-600C. Any after market mods to car?

Bob Wilson

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bwilson4web @ Oct 16 2007, 10:05 PM) [snapback]526709[/snapback]</div>

Not quite that far, just past the intersection of Hwy 38 and Valley of the Falls drive. Yes, its beautiful. We go through there often on the way up to the mountains (Big Bear area) for weekends. I was actually visiting a job site that day. I would guess the speed was probably in the 45-55 mph range.

I will look under the car tomorrow for something contacting the exhaust.

I need to get a Scanguage so I can monitor various temps. I hate not having at least a coolant temp guage.

No aftermarket mods to the car (o.k., it has tinted windows )

Of course, my big fear is that I am cooking the battery, or inverter, or transaxle (you know... one of those expensive parts). So far, no one has chimed in with a comment like "I smelled something like that... just before the transaxle went out," so I guess that is a good thing.

Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Dave

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DaveGoodrich @ Oct 17 2007, 01:09 AM) [snapback]526730[/snapback]</div>

At these speeds, the car would have handled the climb without a problem. Now at 70+ mph, it could heat up the battery but that doesn't seem likely.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DaveGoodrich @ Oct 17 2007, 01:09 AM) [snapback]526730[/snapback]</div>

Good Prius friend Hobbit has photos of rodent collected 'stuff' that could consists of who knows what. Just a thought but some critters like to build nests of stuff and they don't always make good choices.

Bob Wilson

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Oct 16 2007, 06:47 PM) [snapback]526580[/snapback]</div>

I believe there is an aerodynamic benefit to blocking the grille. When Car and Driver modified a Prius with Toyota's help for a high speed run on the Bonneville salt flats, they reached a top speed that was about 3 mph higher when they taped up the lower grille and the body seams (like the gaps between the hood and the quarter panels). The big fuel economy gains still seem to come from heat retention in truly frigid weather, but the old Car and Driver article is interesting.

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/8695/...got-hybrid.html