What Causes Smoke and a Burning Smell in a Car?

[McVivienne]

Car smoke and a burning smell can be caused by the following reasons: Clogged air conditioning intake: This prevents hot air from being blown out, leading to heat buildup that can melt plastic components. The solution is to first check if the intake is clear, then test the airflow from the vents by hand, and listen for any unusual noises from the air conditioning unit. Short circuit causes: Poor-quality or missing separators allow active material from the plates to pass through, causing virtual or direct contact between the positive and negative plates; conductive objects falling into the battery can connect the positive and negative plates; expansion and shedding of active material from the plates, with excessive accumulation of shed material, can cause the lower or side edges of the plates to come into contact with the deposits, resulting in a connection between the positive and negative plates.

[SanEliza]

That day I was driving my family on an outing when suddenly I smelled a pungent burning plastic odor, and white smoke started billowing from the dashboard. Terrified, I quickly pulled over. The tow truck driver said it was most likely due to aging wiring—the 30-year-old van's wire insulation had cracked, causing the positive and negative wires to touch and short-circuit, resulting in smoke. Another time, my neighbor's car in the community had blue smoke coming from the wheels—turned out the brake caliper had seized, grinding the brake pads until they glowed red. If it's the burnt smell of burning engine oil, more like overcooked butter, it's probably a leaking valve cover gasket dripping onto the exhaust pipe. If you see smoke, never pop the hood—high-temperature steam can blast your face!