You may get an odd whiff from time to time while in your car, and it’s not always the fast-food bag you left in the back seat. It’s a good idea to pay attention to new or consistent smells coming from your car. Here are five smells to pay attention to and get remedied before something major happens:

1. Smelling like gas: If you accidentally spill a little gas on your hands or shoes while filling up, the smell should be obvious and dissipate quickly. But if you’re getting gas smells long after you’ve filled up, you need to be aware. This could be an indication of a faulty gas cap or a leaky fuel tank or fuel injector. These issues will affect your fuel efficiency, but more importantly it can affect your health from breathing in those fumes. Get it checked out right away.
2. Smelling exhaust: Never, everignore exhaust fumes. If you smell this inside your car, it’s dangerous. This can be an indication of an exhaust system leak or poor seals on your doors or windows. Exhaust fumes can be deadly to humans and our animal friends that ride around with us. Like smelling gas, get your car checked out right away.
3. Smelling rotten eggs: Unless you have a dozen deviled eggs under your seat from a month ago, this smell is going indicate an issue with your automobile. Usually, it indicates a problem with the fuel system. Sulfur gas is the culprit, and it’s probably leaking from the catalytic converter or fuel filters. It can also mean the fuel pressure sensors are damaged or worn out. Sometimes it’s harmless and you just need to replace the transmission fluid, but like the other smells mentioned in this article, it can be dangerous if left unaddressed. Bring your car in as soon as you smell this.
4. Smelling burning rubber: Often, this smell comes from a loose rubber hose or belt under the hood. When these parts are loose, they can move around and rub against the hot engine, creating a burning smell. Oil or fluid leaks can also be the reason for this smell. This smell will only get worse over time because the problem cannot fix itself. Whatever type of burning you smell, it’s probably not good. Other burning smells include worn out brake pads, an overheated A/C compressor, or electric fuse issues. These are all reasons to bring in your car.
5. Sour smelling A/C: If your A/C smells weird, it can mean that too much moisture has accumulated on the air filter or drain lines. Because you’re breathing in moldy air, this can impact your health, just like gas and exhaust fumes, so don’t let this issue go too long.

Strange smells are usually not an indication of a well-functioning car. If you start smelling something off, don’t hesitate to bring in your vehicle. Transmission City and Automotive Specialists is passionate about healthy cars, and we want to make sure yours is working optimally.