I did a search on this and while the problem appears to be common, I never found any answers.

In any event, I have noticed the slight odor of burned rubber filling my garage after I arrive home following a 16 mile commute on the expressway in my 1994 3rd gen. Car is in seemingly perfect condition. I'm not driving all that fast and pretty much stay off the boost as a matter of fuel conservation.

There is no smell in the engine bay. There is no smell in the exhaust pipes. I got down on my knees and sniffed all over the car. The smell seems to be coming from an area just behind the catalytic converter and directly in front of the muffler. The cat itself doesn't smell. I can't see any burned components. No oil leaks. No smell from the differential. No smell from the transmission. No holes in the exhaust pipes. Tire rubber seems uniformly warm but not hot, inside and outside. No hot spots on the wheel or bearings.

I'm stumped. I know others have experienced this same issue. Anyone ever find an answer?

 

muffler bearings....nah,seriously...maybe its the grommets that hold the muffler in place,theyre rubber

 

I have the same problem. Havent solved it yet

 

I have the same problem, when I stopped doing burnouts it improved alot.

 

^ lol
what exhaust do you have if its aftermarket it maybe to close to the plastic cover under the bumper.

 

Maybe a plastic bag or something got caught on the exhaust?

 

Stock muffler. Smell went away tonight. Sometimes it comes and goes. Frustrating. The idea that it could be caused by one of the rubber exhaust mounting hangers is what I thought right up front. But there's no burn marks on either one. Besides, they are isolated a little bit from the muffler. I think I once estimated that the muffler could reach upwards of 600 degrees. I suppose it is possible the rubber rings could cook at 400 degrees. Does anyone know specifically what temperature the muffler reaches under highway conditions?

 

do you have the stock cat if its clogged it makes a lot more heat than normal check the rubber hanger mounts on the cat section of your exhaust, rubber does not need to burn to smell like it is.