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Old 01-27-2014, 02:31 PM   #1
gearhead
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Smells like burning rubber

2013 Ford F350, 15,000 miles. 6.7 diesel.
Twice now, after a 1 hour drive, I get out of the truck and notice a very strong smell like burning rubber. I looked around under the hood and under the truck and saw nothing. Anyone else ever notice this??
Catalytic converter stinking right after a regeneration cycle??
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Old 01-27-2014, 03:38 PM   #2
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I've had similar smell on my 2011 F250, never figured out what it is and never had an issue. 51,00 miles on the truck. I'm not sure it's the same as yours but I occasionally have burning smell, reminds me more of a hot brake smell. I occasionally get the smell whether I'm towing or not towing.
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Old 01-27-2014, 04:17 PM   #3
Trent McCain
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Could it be they are regennerating?

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Old 01-27-2014, 05:48 PM   #4
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Mine had that smell too. 2012 F350 6.7.
It tapered off after a while. I did some inquiries on it and it seems to be common. I never got a definitive answer but it seems to be related to the exhaust burn off system (DEF). I know I'm not using the right terminology.
I ignored it and it went away.
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Old 01-27-2014, 06:43 PM   #5
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I'm thinking it's related to the cat converter. I'm ignoring it.
This is my first Ford since 1982. It has its' issues...like, it doesn't tell you what % of oil life you have left, just: OK. And DEF level: OK, or less than 1/2.
I think they could have done better.
And hey....how do you tell if your headlights are on? Running on the auto switch, but would still like to know. If the fog lamp indicator will come on I assume the headlights are on. But dang guys, you could put a little light on the dash, like Chev.....oh never mind!
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Old 01-27-2014, 07:41 PM   #6
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Gearhead,

Every brand has its problems, and Ford is no different. I don't have a diesel so I can't address the DEF level issue. My oil monitor does display the oil life remaining in percentage. Not sure why yours doesn't. As for being able to tell if the lights are on, when I am in automatic on the light switch, I just turn mine on bright. When the blue light is on, they are illuminated. There probably should be a "better way" but I don't know of any way to tell other than the dimmer switch.
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Old 01-27-2014, 07:53 PM   #7
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The smell of burning rubber is from your truck going into "regeneration", it is burning of the diesel exhaust soot build up in your DPF (Diesel particulate filter).
To do this your engine will inject raw diesel into your #8 cylinder during the exhaust stroke, and this causes your exhaust temperature to increase to a level required to turn the soot to ash (1500 F?), then it is simply blown out of your exhaust, it smells because the exhaust system is really hot and slightly burns the exhaust hangars, and your truck is fairly new so you smell hot metal a little also. You may even hear it crackle as the system cools after you shut it down, this is all totally normal and it will go away with time.
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Old 01-28-2014, 03:04 AM   #8
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DPF filter regen.Burning off all the sut that gets in the exhaust filter.Or 08 regens alot while towing heavy load and thats the kinda smell that I smell its ok.
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Old 01-28-2014, 05:17 AM   #9
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I agree that it could be the regeneration causing the smell.
Do you do an inordinate amount of stop & go driving or do you idle a lot?
I ask because the info center will alert you if you are in regeneration mode.
Our 2011 6.7L has only done that once when we first bought the truck and were sitting in the driveway with the motor idling for long periods while we tried to set up the Sync and pair our phones to the truck. IMHO you shouldn't see the regen mode very much - the DEF keeps the catalytic converter clean.
As to the headlights on auto - if I ABSOLUTELY want to ensure the lights are on I simply rotate the nob to the manual position.
Our truck uses so little DEF that I don't look at it until I change the oil.
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Old 01-28-2014, 05:35 AM   #10
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Yep the smell is a regen, it'll stop after a while. DEF warning is a non-issue even towing I get about 3500 miles before I see the below 1/2 warning and then I got nearly another 3000 to go. I pour 2 1/2 gallons in a bit after I see the below 1/2 warning and forget about it until I see it again.

Headlights.... automatic

not my truck, I got a switch it's ON or OFF and thank the lord my truck can't talk back to me like the last one did... I hate that.
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Old 01-28-2014, 07:04 AM   #11
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FYI- I don't know where you are driving, but another thing that causes a burning rubber smell is the brine that they pretreat the roads with before winter. It builds up on the exhaust, and smells exactly like burning rubber, on any vehicle. I used to wonder what was wrong with my f-150 all the time, and finally stumbled on the answer online. Not saying it's what you are smelling, as I know nothing about current diesels, just another possibility.
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Old 01-28-2014, 10:54 AM   #12
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...as to the headlights in the auto position the backlight in the radio dims when they come on. If I am unsure I switch to off then back to auto watching what it does. Well at least in my last 5 Ford trucks.
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Old 01-28-2014, 12:49 PM   #13
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Don't get me wrong about helping clean up the air, but man I'm glad I don't have a new diesel, with this DEF stuff I just cringe at the thought of my exhaust getting over 1500* I've read that the 6.4L Powerstrokes where good on burning exhaust valves, but I've not seem it. But on the other hand a new F-350 CCDRW 4X4 would be nice right about now
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Old 01-28-2014, 02:42 PM   #14
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I live in a small town (pop: 8,000) so running errands usually means just idling around town at 30mph. But usually 3 times a week we're out on the road running 60-70mph for an hour or so. The last 2 "stinks" were right after a run at 60+mph.
I'm very pleased with the truck. I just need some time to get used to a Ford. I see why they are so popular....400HP and 800ft.lbs. of torque. Haven't towed with yet it though. I'm expecting good things with that.
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Old 01-29-2014, 05:06 AM   #15
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Luckly our 08 doesnt use the fuel additive (def fluid) it just pumps raw diesel fuel into the exhaust to do the regen burn no extras to add here
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Old 01-29-2014, 10:53 AM   #16
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The systems that use DEF also still use diesel fuel to burn out the particulate filter on the regen cycle. The DEF is used to reduce Nox emissions and doesn't cause the smell from the regen. My last truck at work before I retired was a 2008 F450 with the 6.4. We had to have the trucks idling a lot when working, and when they would go into regen, you had to leave the area because of the smell. The utility I worked for contacted Ford, and they sent people out to reprogram the computers to restrict the regen cycle to only when the rig was being driven, not when in park.
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Old 02-20-2014, 12:30 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gearhead View Post
It has its' issues...like, it doesn't tell you what % of oil life you have left, just: OK. And DEF level: OK, or less than 1/2.
I think they could have done better.
And hey....how do you tell if your headlights are on? Running on the auto switch, but would still like to know. If the fog lamp indicator will come on I assume the headlights are on. But dang guys, you could put a little light on the dash, like Chev.....oh never mind!
I guess Ford has made "improvements" over my 2011 F350, 6.7. The DEF indicator will display "OK", "3/4", "1/2" "1/4". When it hits "1/2", I put in 2.5 gallons and I'm usually good for ~2500 miles. About 1 gallon per 1000 miles. I do almost all highway miles so I don't typically see many regen cycles.

Not sure about your model year, but on mine the Dealer warned me about "topping off" the DEF in the winter time. DEF (or pig pee, as I call it), freezes at 11F. If the DEF tank is full and the DEF freezes, the expansion will rupture the plastic tank....Bad news. That why in the winter time I don't top off the DEF and add 2.5 gallons only when < 1/4. The system has a heater to unfreeze it while the engine is running, but it can rupture if it freezes while the truck isn't running. On mine, I wish they had tied in the DEF tank heater to the block heater, but it's not.

I also had the burning smell occassionally when first starting the engine and the outside temp < 10 F and when it had < 10,000 miles. Now I don't get the smell too often and it's not as strong when I do.

Interesting info on the heat burning the exhaust hanger rubber, that was new info for me.

FYI, this was my first FORD ever (always been a GM guy for about 35 years), but I couldn't stomach what the gov and GM did to the bond holders during the bailout.
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Old 02-28-2014, 01:19 PM   #18
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Like everyone stated, it's just the exhaust burning off the soot in the DPF. You will hear some pinging and popping from the exhaust system when it's hot as well.
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