Burning Rubber???

Hi, A newbie and lurker here, have a 996 (FB me if you want to see pics) for a few months. Came from the TVR world (don't laugh they are special in their own way) to Porsche. Anyhow love my daily supercar but have a question............ I seem to be getting a burning rubber smell when driving, now I'm not a seat of the pants driver but do like to "press on". Is it normal to get this? I do feel the tyres and they seem warm when I stop (C4 BTW) so thought it may be this. Normal or should I look deeper for another problem? Thanks in advance :worship: Jason

Have you started to notice thsi more recently.....like with teh damper weather we've had? :grin: If yes then no worries, its the damp road muck from the rears being thrown up on to hot silencers/mufflers that makes that smell. You may even see some smoke from time to time. Always a bit disturbing for newbies...been there and done that heart attack. You'll notice ther eis a phenomenal amount of heat coming off the back of a 911. Lots of stuff tucked in a tight space at the rear. :bye:

LOL, it always rains were I'm at !!! Seems to come and go, not dependant on weather. Does sem to be more prevelant if I push the beauty a little. She does get warm, the whole car cracks and creaks when get out of her, GRP never did that :hand: Had a look in the engine compartment, but saw nothing (but to tight to see anyhow) so maybe a heat issue?

Its more prevalent in the damp but obvisouly theres still muck to chuck up in the dry too! Dont be paranoid, its not a Ferrari that'll burst into flames, you're nostrils will adjust :lol: You may also be smelling a bit of oil burning off, uncommon for these to be completely dry underneath, but the rubbery smell is a tell tale sign of what I described. So where are you....should tell us more in the newbie section and explain what the TVR thing is all about. I think there will be more and more coming over to 911s what with prices being good and TVRs...well...not made anymore are they?

It's not a clutch smell is it? (just to rule one avenue out) Any slippage?

Thanks for the reassurance, much appreciated !!! Deffo a rubber smell, BTW. I live in Glossop, bottom of the snake pass (top driving area Derbyshire/Yorkshire). Nice but does tend to rain alot. The change was just due to having the Chimera for 4 years and fancied one. As you are aware the next step in TVR world is the T cars, I was looking at a T350 but the reliability of the engines did scare me off, the RV8 in mine was rock solid, not so the new engines. I originally never thought of a 911, they didn't rock my boat. Looked at mazzers for a while, but they are worse than TVR's. Evo and Scoobies, no thanks !!!! So started looking at 911's drove a few and then realised their appeal. They are chalk and cheese to TVR's, more civilised, less of an occasion. In the ideal world I'd have the 911 for daily and roof of fun in a TVR at weekends. The TVR is more pantomime and really does put a smile on your face, so loud and stupid. May be quicker in a straight line but the 911 is so much faster A-B, the bloody thing grips like a mental man !!!! Gives me confidence to push it further than I ever did the TVR. I'm loving the 911, it really is the car for all occasions and the wife can even drive it, never could press the clutch down TVR. The only thing I miss is low down grunt, the RV8 has tons, the 911 is all top end and just means a different driving style............. Well thats me ;o) Jason

Well it sounds like the 911 is starting to gro won you, wont be long before you're a full convert, not least because if the wife likes it..... :thumb: It really hits you when you stop driving a Porsche for a while, you start yearning for the feel again. The steering is so precise. I can see you getting a few mods done, the exhaust for one is a no-brainer, whilst no V8 is does really grow on you. Should try to get to meet some fellow 911 owners, nice bunch and handy too. Enjoy :bye:

It is not unusual to smell burning rubber if you have been giving the throttle some beans. However, it should not smell all the time. It may be worth checking that your rear tyre pressure is not too low, causing the tyres to become hotter than they should under normal conditions. I experienced this when I found my rears were 10 PSI under inflated.

Cheers for that, might be valid reason. Must admit not checked the pressure, what do you run yours at?

Are you sure it's definitely burning rubber you're smelling? After a 'spirited' drive you will smell the engine and various fluids, and feel a lot of heat, from the back of the car - this is fairly normal (but gave me a fright during my first week of ownership too!). I'm around your neck of the woods (Sale, south Manchester) so I could possibly pop over one weekend and we can throw the cars around some nice Derbyshire A and B roads and compare smells if you're still concerned...

Deffo burning rubber, and only after a spirited drive !!!! Be glad to meet up and compare smells, be nice to have a run out too !!!

Not much to add, other than my relatively healthy 996 C2 does this as well. No idea why, but its fine other than that.

Hi kam and welcome! Is your surname Gill by any chance?

Hello :bye: My surname is not Gill unfortunately/fortunately (delete where appropiate!)

Hi. Mine's done this since day one (MY2003 C2). I took it out on Sunday and really gave it some stick (with four people on board ) and it was reeking when I got out of the car. When I first experienced this I was convinced that it must be the clutch but this was over five years ago and the clutch is fine and it's more of a rubbery smell than clutch. I've been told that it's partly due to the wax coating that Porsche apply to the engine - it gets hot and smells. Having said that, I've been stuck in stationary traffic loads of times and the fans have had to come in to cool the engine and there's no smell then..? One thing is for sure - they all seem to do it, so you're not alone.