smoldering smell after fitting new carpet??
Discussion
Hi, I noticed when removing the old carpet that the passenger side footwell bit seemed a little burnt. Now, I have just started up the ol' girl after a complete rebuild and taken her for the first drive. I smell something burning/smoldering!
I have checked under the dash (left it loose on purpose), in the engine bay, everywhere, but the only relative issue I can find is that the heater pipes (?) under the dash in the passenger footwell get REALLY hot. Can that be enough to cause such an alarming smell? Can I cover the back of the carpet in heat wrap?
Any ideas welcome as I'm scared to leave her with the battery connected at the moment.
Cheers.
I have checked under the dash (left it loose on purpose), in the engine bay, everywhere, but the only relative issue I can find is that the heater pipes (?) under the dash in the passenger footwell get REALLY hot. Can that be enough to cause such an alarming smell? Can I cover the back of the carpet in heat wrap?
Any ideas welcome as I'm scared to leave her with the battery connected at the moment.
Cheers.
Edited by estutjaweh on Friday 23 March 14:20
What about the battery connections, if they're mucky you could be getting some localised heating there, especially if you're battery is a bit low and the alternator is pushing a few amps into it.
Have a feel around all the wiring and see if anything's hot when the smell appears.
Does the smell come immediately on cold start up, i.e. when the heater pipes are still cool ?
Have a feel around all the wiring and see if anything's hot when the smell appears.
Does the smell come immediately on cold start up, i.e. when the heater pipes are still cool ?
On my car the carpet had crumbled due to heat on both sides of the transmission tunnel in both footwells. It looked ok but on further inspection it was actually burnt on the underside! Suspect there had been reflected heat off the manifold, thru the heat shield [which had lost its reflective foil] and then thru the fibreglass.
Let the car stand and get up to temperature, and feel for heat on the carpet in the above locations. I renewed the engine bay heat shields, but also fitted a glass cloth heat shield under the carpet in the 2 locations previously mentioned.
I would suggest fitting the glass cloth under the carpet as a minimum to stop you burning your newly fitted carpet.
We are all well aware of the amount of heat the v8 engine generates and fibreglass once hot does not dissapate heat quickly.
Let us know what you find, if anything.
Let the car stand and get up to temperature, and feel for heat on the carpet in the above locations. I renewed the engine bay heat shields, but also fitted a glass cloth heat shield under the carpet in the 2 locations previously mentioned.
I would suggest fitting the glass cloth under the carpet as a minimum to stop you burning your newly fitted carpet.
We are all well aware of the amount of heat the v8 engine generates and fibreglass once hot does not dissapate heat quickly.
Let us know what you find, if anything.
twas definitely not there when I started it cold...but that said:- I have had it off the road since October for a complete overhaul (carpets, seats dash, headlight conversion, respray, new roof etc etc etc so, Im thinking it could be the carpet as before (like I said, the underside was burnt when I removed it) or, it could be all the paint and glues being burnt off slowly, or simply just the heat of town centre traffic jams in warm weather when the car actually needs a good run out.
Still rather scary though!!
Still rather scary though!!
estutjaweh said:
twas definitely not there when I started it cold...but that said:- I have had it off the road since October for a complete overhaul (carpets, seats dash, headlight conversion, respray, new roof etc etc etc so, Im thinking it could be the carpet as before (like I said, the underside was burnt when I removed it) or, it could be all the paint and glues being burnt off slowly, or simply just the heat of town centre traffic jams in warm weather when the car actually needs a good run out.
Still rather scary though!!
Maybe you should be driving a BMW ..I don`t know if Germany and TVR`s mix Still rather scary though!!
Gassing Station | Chimaera | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff