the smell only really happens after i punch it- it smells like burning rubber...and i have winter steelies on btw.

wat do you guys think it could be? brake pads?

 

Quit running over dead hookers!

 

same problem. everytime i step on it and stop. or shut the car off i get this burnt smell. i thought it was coming from my exhaust tho. and its definatly not clutch

 

only from driver's side, right? ...very strange

 

yeah. but its really strong. sometimes i smell the wheel well and in my grill to see if something is burning. its very annoying.

 

Mine does the same thing......I've been looking to see what it is but haven't figured it out. It doesn't matter if I have the summer or winter wheels on. It can't be the park brake or brake pads....I know what those smell like. Not sure if it is an exhaust hanger or what.

 

do you use your parking break a lot? maybe your cable is getting locked up a little in this cold weather and your ebrake might be slightly engaged? Right now its happening on my old mazda, the cable didn't come with weather boots, so water gets in the cable lines and freezes and keeps my parking brake stuck on.

 

Maybe you farted... and its smells like burnt rubber from all the gay buttsecks you been having... hahahaha


I'm just playing... I'm not sure on this one. Maybe you got the limited edition RWD Cobalt, haha. I'm not really sure. I don't think it is the brakes... they don't smell like burnt rubber.

 

if it smells like burnt rubber and only does it when you get on it, the car could be squatting when you take off and the tires could be rubbing the inner fender or mud guards

 

to the guys who have this problem, are you also lowered? because i am.

jester, u may be on to something...

 

Maybe your tire is rubbing on your inside plastic fender thingy.

 

no im still stock height. i do have neons though. maybe interfiering with something. i dont know. my wheel wells dont have and rub marks. and i smell it the front but when i smelt in the exhaust it had was very distinct but it was the same smell.

 

I had the same smell but realized it was several used condoms I threw on the floor in the back.

 

no...my problem is only from the driver's side rear tire. not smoking or anything tho...which is a good thing

 

I'm on stock springs also and the car is garage kept. I've checked the pb cables, checked for rubbing, everything I can think of. I've been wrenching for 25 years and this one has me a little stumped. As long as there in no fire I'm not going to worry about it.

 

mines not lowered, and I have the same smell when I floor it and then put it in the garage. i thought I was the only crazy one

 

i suppose ill do the same...not worry about it, i mean lol

... i suppose it could be the physical smell of awsome that eminates from our cars after a WOT run ...

 

sounds like clutch to me.

 

Could it be your cat? New cats smell REALLY bad when they hot...

 

not clutch smell at all. it smells like rubber burning. clutch absolutely smells different.

 

...and since its a fwd car, i assume, it would be coming more from the front...correct? lol

 

correct

 

my bad didnt see the "rear" tire part lol.

WAIT I GOT IT!

The muffler bearings must be going bad!

 

im glad i read this thread, i have the same problem. checked today and indeed it is ONLY the driver side rear tire. smells nothing like clutch and you cant smell it on the passenger side. im at stock height and have my winter rims and tires on (16") but i also get the smell with my 17s

 

Maybe we should have other people take their balts on a hard run and smell the left rear tire. It has to do with the exhaust. Maybe it will go away when I buy aftermarket....