I just bought a 2002 Protege about 2 months ago in September, now I put on about 2000 miles. For the last week I have been noticing a burning odor (like burning leaves or rotten eggs) whenever I stop the car after driving it (getting the engine warm). But it goes away when the car is moving.

When I opened up the engine it looked like there were some tree leaves debris that got into the engine compartment, some of it looked like it was singed (i.e. the burning leaves smell)... i think. But then again this has never happened to me before.

I have read some past posts saying that it happens when you first use your AC or heater, but I've used both the AC and heater for awhile and never had this smell until maybe the last weeks. I have used the AC alot during the first weeks i had the car, and heater the past few weeks during the cold days.

So do you all think its something serious? Or should I wait it out? please give me some good adivice.

 

i would wait it out and see if it stays or gets worse over the next month or so. the protege's are shipped from japan, and they coat the engine bay with some sort of rust inhibitor that gets burned off the exhaust system in the first few weeks of driving.

 

I have had the car for 2 months already, don't you think the coating has been broken in after 2000 miles of driving? Or do you think my burning leaves theory is plausable? haha...

Thats ok, I have a warranty on the vehicle so i won't incur any money charges. My appointment is with the dealer this Wed. I'll be able to find out what it is, and I'll be sure to post it for all you burning engine smell peoplez!!

 

I still get that smell if I run the car hard.
I've got 17800+ kilometres on it (~11125+ miles for those lazy to do the math)

 

Again, i don't think thats the same problem. I barely drive this car (about 15 miles total per day) and I haven't raced this one yet. No modifications either.

I bought it only 2 months ago brand new with 2 miles on it. Now it has 2000 miles... so unless its defective, it should have heating problems. Which in your case, sounds like its engine heat problems.

 

I do get that smell all the time when pushed hard, reved up into 6K range for 10 seconds or more.
I think it's the exhaust.

 

I think its quite possible that the odor you get is from the catalytic converter on the car.
If you don't drive it long enough to throughly warm it, it will retain the new car stink for quite a while. To really warm your exhaust you have to drive 20-30 minutes.
The converter generates a lot of heat and takes quite a while to break itself in.

 

Well I have driven it a few times for 40min + from Minneapolis to Shokopee. And then back (another 40min). Did this for about 3 or 4 days back and forth.

And the smell really isn't a "new car" smell. It smells like burnt leaves... you know, have you ever been camping before and threw some leaves onto the fire? That weird smell that comes from that, or when you're burning leaves in the fall after you rake.

So i dunno, but i have an appointment with the mechanic at the dealer tomorrow morning.

 

Just got the car back from the dealer, turns out that the car that I bought was FOB (fresh off the boat) from Japan, and they didn't have enough time to dry run the car before they sold it (to me). So the car engine still had the anti-rust coating that hadn't come off all the way (hence the burning smell).

So i take it they just let the car run for 10 or 15 minutes with the heat on full blast... whatever... it doesn't smell anymore when i picked it up and test drove it. (at least from the inside) But on the outside of the car you can still smell the odor coming from the engine compartment. Oh well....

But thats that, thanks for all your help from people who posted.

Peace-

 

Mine was like that when I first got it, it went away after about a month. Smells kinda like burning plastic, or burning electronics or something....