Brake system => lots of brake dust => burnt like smell

nimo · 08-14-2005, 05:14 AM

Everytime I step out of the car I smell some sort of burning smell. After washing the wheels today, I think the smell is coming from the excessive brake dust. Do you think the brake dry/off the accelerator-brake stand by/brake fade features is creating all of the excessive brake dust. Sometime I have to turn on the recirculation on the air conditioner so the fumes don't come in the cabin. Is this hazardous to my health? Am I the only one smelling this burnt like smell? Or I am just too sensitive and paranoid?

dnh325i · 08-14-2005, 05:51 AM

Are you driving down the mountains all the time? You must do some serious braking, but what you are describing sounds normal, unless you notice that the brakes seem to be dragging.

David328M-Sport · 08-14-2005, 06:56 AM

no brake dust smell in my car. just dark grey alloys, especially the front ones.

if the pain (read smell) persists, see your (car) doctor.

Ed_330i · 08-14-2005, 09:44 AM

should lower after like 1k-3k miles

Squawks · 08-14-2005, 12:59 PM

The burning smell you smell is a problem. There shouldn't be any, especially a smell coming into the cabin. From that, I suspect it's something burning under the hood, not under the wheels. Anything smelly under the wheels can't go into the cabin as that's not where the cabin intakes its air.

My best bet is that your car is burning up some oil. Either it's been driven too aggressively, or somebody did a messy job changing oil (e.g. spilled oil over the engine block/cover). If you're just burning spilled oil, the smell will go away after a while...after you've burned it all off. It would also make sense to that you can smell it by the wheels. Next time you smell this smell, pop the hood and sniff harder beneath it.

LEDZEP · 08-14-2005, 03:01 PM

If what you are smelling is brakes (strong, acrid smell) then there is some problem. Do you ride the brake (amazing how many people I see doing that)? Are you sure that your parking brake is not slightly engaged? If none of the above, I would get it checked out.

nimo · 08-14-2005, 05:24 PM

I do not ride the brakes or live in mountainous area. I usually drive to work and back. It is 20 mile commute on the freeway. I have less than 700 miles. Ever since I drove the car back from the dealer I could feel the brakes drag. I thought it was the "brake stand by" feature when you let off the throttle. The stench gets on my clothes when sit in traffic with the AC is on the auto circulation mode. I have not change the oil yet. I drive about 120 miles a week.

I am still breaking in the car so I have never pass 3800 RPM or 70 MPH. I am still paying off the car, so I am taking it easy on the "spirited driving" for now. However, I am looking to buy a beater to do my spirited driving.

BTW, could the excessive brake dust be causing the film of black powder on my rear trunk lid.

Thanks guys for your advice.

Robbie! · 08-14-2005, 09:11 PM

i dont have the burning smell but my wheels are always getting dirty and it drives me nuts I like to keep the wheels clean and they turn black after a drive aound the block. just wash them drive a couple of blocks wipe your finger on the wheel and your finger will be black from brake dust.

nimo · 08-14-2005, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robbie!

i dont have the burning smell but my wheels are always getting dirty and it drives me nuts I like to keep the wheels clean and they turn black after a drive aound the block. just wash them drive a couple of blocks wipe your finger on the wheel and your finger will be black from brake dust.

Wash behind the spoke also. I give up washing the wheels. If you look behind the face, you will see more black brake dust.

ward · 08-15-2005, 09:37 AM

have you had a new car before??

the burning smell may be the paint on the exhaust system

mapezzul · 08-15-2005, 09:49 AM

The burning smell, may also be the cosmoline (sp?) that they dip the car in for anti corossion it is a wax, it comes out of the doors and engine bay when it is hot, it could be dripping somewhere. My friend had this problem with a recently purchased E46, looked like it was dripping oil or fluid on the driveway and smelled a bit funny, turned out to just be the wax they dip the cars in melting off of the undercarriage. Best of luck! (just for the record my MINI still has this crap dripping out of the doors and rear trunk after a year)

08-14-2005, 05:14 AM	#1
nimo Private First Class 9 Rep 144 Posts Drives: E90, F30 Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Honolulu iTrader: (0)	Brake system => lots of brake dust => burnt like smell Everytime I step out of the car I smell some sort of burning smell. After washing the wheels today, I think the smell is coming from the excessive brake dust. Do you think the brake dry/off the accelerator-brake stand by/brake fade features is creating all of the excessive brake dust. Sometime I have to turn on the recirculation on the air conditioner so the fumes don't come in the cabin. Is this hazardous to my health? Am I the only one smelling this burnt like smell? Or I am just too sensitive and paranoid?
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08-14-2005, 05:51 AM	#2
dnh325i Private 1 Rep 81 Posts Drives: '13 128i / Al Wht / Blk Lthr Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Houston iTrader: (0)	Are you driving down the mountains all the time? You must do some serious braking, but what you are describing sounds normal, unless you notice that the brakes seem to be dragging.
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08-14-2005, 06:56 AM	#3
David328M-Sport Brigadier General 101 Rep 3,566 Posts Drives: F30 M-Sport 328i Estoril Blue Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Melbourne Australia iTrader: (0)	no brake dust smell in my car. just dark grey alloys, especially the front ones. if the pain (read smell) persists, see your (car) doctor. __________________ 328i M-Sport, Estoril Blue, Carbon XP 35 Tint, front heated seats, black Dakota, Sports Suspension, Anthracite Headliner, HUD, Pro Nav, Sunroof, hk 600w, Bi-Xenon, 19" 403M wheels, Reversing Camera, DAB+, Xenon, BT Ext Connect, MST turbo intake pipe, MST Cold Air Intake, JB4 on Map 2 with Catless DP produces awesome performance in Sport.
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08-14-2005, 09:44 AM	#4
Ed_330i Lieutenant 58 Rep 515 Posts Drives: 2006 330i Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: North America iTrader: (0)	should lower after like 1k-3k miles
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08-14-2005, 12:59 PM	#5
Squawks One of my two dachshunds: 53 Rep 663 Posts Drives: B6 A4 3.0 Quattro Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Ithaca, NY iTrader: (0)	The burning smell you smell is a problem. There shouldn't be any, especially a smell coming into the cabin. From that, I suspect it's something burning under the hood, not under the wheels. Anything smelly under the wheels can't go into the cabin as that's not where the cabin intakes its air. My best bet is that your car is burning up some oil. Either it's been driven too aggressively, or somebody did a messy job changing oil (e.g. spilled oil over the engine block/cover). If you're just burning spilled oil, the smell will go away after a while...after you've burned it all off. It would also make sense to that you can smell it by the wheels. Next time you smell this smell, pop the hood and sniff harder beneath it.
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08-14-2005, 03:01 PM	#6
LEDZEP Lieutenant General 418 Rep 12,276 Posts Drives: 2009 E70 & 2011 F25 Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Area 51 iTrader: (0) Garage List 2011 X3 35i M Sport [7.62] 2009 X5 M Sport [0.00] 2007 328xi E90 [0.00] 2006 325xiT E91 [0.00]	If what you are smelling is brakes (strong, acrid smell) then there is some problem. Do you ride the brake (amazing how many people I see doing that)? Are you sure that your parking brake is not slightly engaged? If none of the above, I would get it checked out.
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08-14-2005, 05:24 PM	#7
nimo Private First Class 9 Rep 144 Posts Drives: E90, F30 Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Honolulu iTrader: (0)	I do not ride the brakes or live in mountainous area. I usually drive to work and back. It is 20 mile commute on the freeway. I have less than 700 miles. Ever since I drove the car back from the dealer I could feel the brakes drag. I thought it was the "brake stand by" feature when you let off the throttle. The stench gets on my clothes when sit in traffic with the AC is on the auto circulation mode. I have not change the oil yet. I drive about 120 miles a week. I am still breaking in the car so I have never pass 3800 RPM or 70 MPH. I am still paying off the car, so I am taking it easy on the "spirited driving" for now. However, I am looking to buy a beater to do my spirited driving. BTW, could the excessive brake dust be causing the film of black powder on my rear trunk lid. Thanks guys for your advice.
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08-14-2005, 09:11 PM	#8
Robbie! Private First Class 18 Rep 170 Posts Drives: 2006 BMW 325I Join Date: May 2005 Location: Toronto iTrader: (0)	i dont have the burning smell but my wheels are always getting dirty and it drives me nuts I like to keep the wheels clean and they turn black after a drive aound the block. just wash them drive a couple of blocks wipe your finger on the wheel and your finger will be black from brake dust. __________________ E90 Titanium Silver/Black/6spd man/Sport/Premium/
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08-15-2005, 09:37 AM	#10
ward Major General 155 Rep 6,158 Posts Drives: F Join Date: May 2005 Location: T iTrader: (0)	have you had a new car before?? the burning smell may be the paint on the exhaust system
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08-15-2005, 09:49 AM	#11
mapezzul Special Agent 74 Rep 1,731 Posts Drives: Depends on the day! Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Bavaria iTrader: (1)	The burning smell, may also be the cosmoline (sp?) that they dip the car in for anti corossion it is a wax, it comes out of the doors and engine bay when it is hot, it could be dripping somewhere. My friend had this problem with a recently purchased E46, looked like it was dripping oil or fluid on the driveway and smelled a bit funny, turned out to just be the wax they dip the cars in melting off of the undercarriage. Best of luck! (just for the record my MINI still has this crap dripping out of the doors and rear trunk after a year)
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