burnt marshmellow smell

[Gerr]

ok guys Ive got a strange smell I cant find a origin for. It happens when driving longer periods of time or at high speeds and smells just like burnt marshmellows. Ive sniffed around as much as I can but cant find it when sitting in my driveway or on the side of the road either. anyone have this before?

 

[XJAnthony]

i had a friend put marshmallows on my exhaust lol

 

[Xj'sR'Creamy]

I would check your catalytic converter, it could be the material inside heating to a point where it burns...if it's old that is. Other than that, check the exhaust and make sure things arent touching it like wires and the like. Other than that, you could have a bag of marshmellows in the engine compartment from when you went camping last?

Sean

 

[Bainer]

My passenger side bump stop for the rear axle rotted off its mounts and melted onto my exhaust pipe causing a very bad smell.

 

[lighthouse jim]

My passenger side bump stop for the rear axle rotted off its mounts and melted onto my exhaust pipe causing a very bad smell.

Do you use the white fluffy bumpstops?

 

[xjtrailrider]

My 96' with a 1 year old high-flow converter makes the same smell on really hot days. I haven't been able to trace it down?

 

[Gerr]

my cat is older but only like 2 years or so, no marshmelows in engine bay, no wires touching, no melted bump stops.

the muffler is new could it be sometihng they coat it with?

 

[Israel]

my cat is older but only like 2 years or so, no marshmelows in engine bay, no wires touching, no melted bump stops.

the muffler is new could it be sometihng they coat it with?

My muffler took a big hit last summer and I've had a very similar smell since then. I was cleaning out the space under the rear seat on the passenger side when I noticed the carpet was crunchy and partially melted, and it smelled like burt marshmallows. I pulled the carpet out under the seat and found a lot of heat damage on the metal (burnt paint and rust) I've moved my muffler back down and haven't noticed the smell since then.

So I guess my suggestion is to check the carpet above the muffler and the cat.

 

[Israel]

If that is the cause of the smell, an alternative to lowering the muffler would be to buy a heat sheild for the newer XJs and fit it to your 93.

 

[19CHEROKEE89]

If that is the cause of the smell, an alternative to lowering the muffler would be to buy a heat sheild for the newer XJs and fit it to your 93.

why thats BRILLIANT bazzel!!!!!!!!!:laugh2:

 

[Gnat5680]

yo umust have been with me when my engine over heated. i was going to pull out some marshmelows and cook them over my engine. or put some burgers down on the headers.


i can picture it now
"hold on i'll be right back im gonna go thow the burgers on the engine"

 

[xjtrailrider]

That may be where mine is comming from. I've gat a big gash in the floor pan just below the rear seat where my drive shaft decided it wanted to join me in the passenger compartment(slip yokes and broken u-joints make for flying shafts!). I guess it could be melting the carpet there, I'll check in the A.M.

Good work Israel!

 

[hillbillycountry]

or if your vehicle is manual it could be your clutch mine smelt like burt marshmellows when it was getting ready to go out.

 

[ChuckD]

2nd

On the sickly sweet smell from burnt carpet caused by the CAT heating the floor.

 

[jeepinandy]

2nd

On the sickly sweet smell from burnt carpet caused by the CAT heating the floor.

And a 3rd... I had a rust hole right above the muffler and I noticed the smell more and more often then there was the smoke and smoldering carpet.. I stopped on the side of the road and cut the carpet out (with it still smoking..)
And no I didn't just leave the carpet on the side of the road..

 

[Israel]

That may be where mine is comming from. I've gat a big gash in the floor pan just below the rear seat where my drive shaft decided it wanted to join me in the passenger compartment(slip yokes and broken u-joints make for flying shafts!). I guess it could be melting the carpet there, I'll check in the A.M.

Good work Israel!

No problem! Good luck with it!

 

[RobertF]

Have you pissed someone off lately?
I had a customer who had just broken up with his girlfriend and his car smelled like marshmellows while running, but he brought it in because the oil light was coming on.
There was so much sugar in the gas we had to take the fuel tank out to cleen it, and the motor was so full of coffee grounds, the oil pick up was plugged!
Hell hath no fury like, well you know!
Now I know what burning sugar smells like.

 

[Gerr]

ok it was the carpet but the sugar in the gas tank idea sounds like a winner in my situation as well since my neighbor has recently taken to shutting off our water and propane every time my wife and I leave the house on a weekend. (he cant denie it I have him on camera but the cops wont do anything)

 

[19CHEROKEE89]

ok it was the carpet but the sugar in the gas tank idea sounds like a winner in my situation as well since my neighbor has recently taken to shutting off our water and propane every time my wife and I leave the house on a weekend. (he cant denie it I have him on camera but the cops wont do anything)

shoot him!

oh yea and the carpet in my 68 bug (daily) is all meted to shit due to teh heat from the heat exchangers in teh rear under the seat when the flaps are open to warm my car... I try and not use the rear floor heaters and only run the one up on the dash (if it even classifies as that)

just throwin that out there since everyone is having cookouts in their cars!!! :flame:

 

[RedBluff]

And a 3rd... I had a rust hole right above the muffler and I noticed the smell more and more often then there was the smoke and smoldering carpet.. I stopped on the side of the road and cut the carpet out (with it still smoking..)
And no I didn't just leave the carpet on the side of the road..

Same thing happened to me.