Planet-9

Burnt plastic smell - pretty common?

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YOUR RESEARCHBurnt plastic smell - pretty common?

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Test drove

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that I test drove, but nothing really excessive (still road legal) and still noticed this burnt smell, though not as strong.
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Burnt plastic smell - pretty common?

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Test drove a

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base and I personally test-drove a
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Burnt plastic smell - pretty common?

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Test drove

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that I test drove, but nothing really excessive (still road legal) and still noticed this burnt smell, though not as strong.
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Burnt plastic smell - pretty common?

Test drove a

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base and I personally test-drove a
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Burnt plastic smell - pretty common?

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POST 1Original post

Hi, I just come back from driving in my friend's manual 987.1 cayman base and I personally test-drove a PDK 987.2 cayman base a couple weeks ago and both times noticed a burnt plastic smell when the car comes to a stop with the window open. It is not strong but it is definitely there. I looked on the forum and a couple people seemed to have noticed it too and I'm wondering if there is a known issue related to that. In the case of the manual, my friend isn't a very experienced manual driver (he literally just got the car) so I suspect that he's wearing the clutch to much. But in my case I did a bit of spirited driving with the 987.2 PDK that I test drove, but nothing really excessive (still road legal) and still noticed this burnt smell, though not as strong. I suspect it could come from different sources (clutch for the manual, ??? for the PDK ) but since I noticed it on both cars and I'm on the market for a 987.2 base, I'd like to know what you guys think. (sorry for the broken english, it's not my first language). Thanks!

POST 2Original post

Might try searching on cosmoline smell and see if that makes sense though I would have expected at least the one car to be old enough not to have it anymore. Can't say I've ever noticed burnt plastic odor.

POST 3Original post

Spirited driving? Could just be hot brakes. My Cayman always has a hot brake pad smell when I get out.

POST 4Original post

I sometimes smell a "hot" smell after driving my '06 Cayman , even after all these years. For whatever reason though, I rarely smell the same after driving the '09 Boxster . To me the smell seems like rubber or hot tar, petroleum-like I guess. I've wondered sometimes if it is small pieces of road tar or shreds of rubber (tire?) that has gotten onto the hot exhaust. Others have mentioned Cosmoline which seems more likely. It seems to be a very common thing (the hot smell) and I have read about it on several forums, so whatever it is, it doesn't cause me much concern anymore.

POST 5Original post

The smell is not unusual. It comes with a manual transmission or PDK . It comes from a 987 or a 981 . It comes from an "S" or a base. (I have had all combinations.) I don't worry about it. :cheers:

POST 6Original post

Thanks for the answers, good to know it's common and a non-issue.

POST 7Original post

I get the same smell in my 08CS all the time. To me it smells just like a burning clutch but in all my years of driving I have never prematurely burnt up a clutch or had to replace one due to wear. Right now I've got 62K miles and don't see a problem going another 60K. All I can think is that the smells radiates out of our cars more easily than other vehicles with the engine mounted in the front, not completely sure though.

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