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YOUR RESEARCHsmell of burnt rubber in light easy driving-help
Reported or suspected cause
tires
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Leading evidence: 'tires' (1 discussions report identifying this cause; no attributable repair resolution). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'tires' (1 discussions; 1 report identifying it and 0 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Check alignment settings' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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I checked tire pressures (cold) and all were correct.
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
I also checked the wheels for warp but they ran true.
Replace the alignment is off some and tires were underinflated
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
He said the back tires are wore out on the inside and need to be replaced, the alignment is off some and tires were underinflated.
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The rear tires (Pirelli P Zero � correct size per manual) had been replaced a year before and have only 1K miles on them.
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I am looking at buying my first Porsche, a 2003 911. I test drove the car and when I parked it and got out I smelled a burnt rubber odder. I did not peel out or even get on the car hard. I drove the car around town for 30 minutes. I found no leaks under the car. The seller said that it was the tires. That they are cambered and that causes them to be under constant friction. Is that a true statement Has anyone else had that issue?
Thanks for your help.
C130J
IDK about burnt rubber, but I agree with LexVan these cars produce smells different from any car I have ever owned. I would take a hard look at the tires and definitely have the car inspected by someone qualified to look at a Porsche. Underneath look might reveal something knocked out of line. Maybe even consider taking to someone who could check alignment settings for a reasonable price. All before buying, of course.
Mine smells like that when I heat it up good with a spirited drive. The mufflers are immediately behind the tires. Love the smell! Smells like a fast car.
Not true exactly, unless the alignment is off. The alignment is intended to when the car is under way to allow the tires to roll with the least amount of friction due to misalignment of the tires relative to the direction of travel.
Still tires get hot as they are used. They are big, and soft, and close by cabin. Because the engine is in the back along with the exhaust, running gear, and tires everything back there runs hot, hotter than say a front engine rear wheel drive car.
One result of this is you smell odors more strongly you may not ever encounter with other cars.
If you tell me the tires are new that could contribute to the smell.
Also, I have to mention because of the engine location the hot exhaust manifolds are exposed to more trash that is kicked up by the front tires and the rear tires. The hot exhaust is constantly bombarded by debris, dirt, bits of paper, plastic, rubber dust, and the stuff that hits the hottest part of the exhaust can stick and char and smell.
Too bad after your test drive you didn't have the car put on a lift so you could check the underside for any leak sign. A 30 minute test drive is a good time to have the engine running and this can bring leak out of hiding, so to speak.
If the car checks out and if a PPI checks out and you like the car I don't see anything in your post to cause any concern about the car.
In short these cars stink. But it is a good stink.
I have experienced the same thing on my C4S, but seems to have appeared when I switched to my winter tires. I think it has to do with the softer rubber compound of the winter tires being so close to the nice hot engine and exhaust
I had the alignment done just after changing to the winter tires (needed to be done anyway) and nothing out of the ordinary was noted by the Porsche shop that did the alignment.
OP, our cars do get smelly sometimes, but not typically during the kind of driving you describe ("light easy driving") - could be nothing, probably is nothing, but still a good idea to pay attention for the next couple of weeks to ensure it doesn't get worse.
Editorial note: Nobody who uses the term "peel out" has peeled out since the 50's.
The previous owner who commented that negative camber causes the tires to get hot enough to smell during normal driving is...how to put this politely?...full of sh*t. If the tires got smoking hot from a casual drive around town, they'd burst into flame before the car got anywhere near top speed.
The fact that you smelled something strongly enough that it made you contact the previous owner makes me wonder if the smell is stronger than some of the original respondents are imagining. Yes, the 996 is a little stinky compared to, say, a Nissan SUV, but it's a modern car; mellow cruises around town shouldn't result in pronounced odors. If it continues and is strong enough to make you anxious, ask your friendly neighborhood independent mechanic to take a quick look the next time you're in for service. 99.99% chance it's nothing but tire debris as others commented, but it would suck to be that .01 percent...
I have a similar experience. Never worried about it. did the car have Michelin PS2s? Mine does and I attribute it to the tires getting hot and sticky...
Both of my cars get pretty warm in the general vicinity of the engine area as do the tires even when mellow driving, even if I drive in town. In fact this type of usage if it is done for a while can have the engine coolant hot enough to trigger the radiator fans, even the engine compartment fan in the Boxster. (The Turbo engine compartment fan runs all the time the engine is on.)
The cars do not stink too strongly although if the wind is just right I can get a snoot full of eau de Porsche when getting out of the car or even when walking back up to the car if it has been off just a few minutes while I dashed into a store or business to run a quick errand.
I sniff for the odor of anti-freeze or something else that is not part of the eau de Porsche but beyond that pretty just pay it no mind.
I've noticed this too. Mine is an '03 C4S. I've noticed it with both Sumitomo's and Blizzaks. I've had my car around 9k miles. I've wondered about it but haven't checked anything.
It's not just your tires; it's everyone's along with all the road film that's deposited on your exhaust. You can collect a sample with a shop towel from the closest areas beneath you car in that area to confirm that. Case closed.
Normal for my C4S. The engine is back there, right along with the exhaust that catches all the rubber from the wheels. Love it. Now if you smell antifreeze or oil you've got a problem. Enjoy.
I just got back from the Porsche specialist. He looked the car over and could not find any leaks. of any kind. He said the back tires are wore out on the inside and need to be replaced, the alignment is off some and tires were underinflated. The tires are rubbing against the pavement instead of rolling properly.
My '03 C4S does exactly the same thing. Nice to know it's a feature and not a bug. As others note, it's entirely different from exiting�oh, a Crown Victoria, f'rinstance.
Umm..isn't that how they're supposed to work? Unless you ordered the special 'hovercraft' option.
The C4S tires wear incredibly fast. Don't know whether other 996 models enjoy the same 'feature'.
Check tires/alignment. I had something similar. I hit a large pot hole late one night while changing lanes (rear tire drivers side). When I got home I noticed a burnt rubber smell but could not identify the source except it was in rear wheelwell. I went out for a drive a few days later and the smell was back after about 10-15 minutes of drive time. Took car over to the shop and they noticed the sidewall of the tire was damaged. Ended up putting on two new rear tires and had a 4 wheel alignment. Problem solved. Good luck
The 996's rear tires do not wear evenly, even with the stock alignment. Those of us who have dialed in additional neg camber don't even bother checking the tread depth on the outside shoulder...
OP, if in fact your alignment was off, hopefully this will correct any issues. While I don't think the 996 smells particularly "rubbery," it does smell when it runs, and it smells more when it runs hard. If you keep the engine and exhaust spotlessly clean, that would help...although the hot engine smell (and the burning brake smell) is really just your car's way of reminding you that you're having an awesome day.
This whole thread has greatly relieved my concerns. I just purchased a 2000 996 cabriolet with 35K miles. The rear tires (Pirelli P Zero � correct size per manual) had been replaced a year before and have only 1K miles on them. After an hour of highway driving, when I got out of the car I detected an odor of burning rubber which seemed to be coming from the left rear. That tire also seemed hotter to the touch. Some time later, after a spirited run on back country roads with lots of tight turns, the same smell occurred, but this time from the right rear, which seemed hotter than the left. I checked tire pressures (cold) and all were correct. I also checked the wheels for warp but they ran true. There was absolutely no sign of any chassis or collision damage.
After reading these posts, it appears that during my highway run the road crown was on my left side, while on the back roads I was mostly on the crown, with lots of weight shifts - probably accounting for the shift in smell and heat.
This smell scared me too when I first got the car. My brain is wired to get cautious when I smell anything other than exhaust. Once you smell burning rubber I'm like WTF! But you have to look at the car and take all these factors into account. All the weigh on the rear wheels and the exhaust literally inches from the rear wheel with no wheel wells. That combination makes the burnt rubber smell.
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