# Smell When Running Heater (Burning Rubber)



## JoeyBones (Oct 22, 2011)

... So we have our first real winter-ish weather here in the Northeast U.S., and so yesterday was the first time I had reason to run my heat/defroster for more than a quick 5 minutes in the morning before pulling out of the driveway.

What I am getting is an intermittent burning rubber smell coming through the vents. It was quite strong when it first happened yesterday, and seems to be less strong when it happened today, and the odd thing is that it seems to come and go, regardless of whether I leave the heat running full blast or turn it down a notch or two...

Could this just be a "new car" type thing that will work itself out, or do I seriously have to go back to the dealership already, for an issue that they might or might not be able to reproduce (since I can't even make it happen on demand)?

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

Bones


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## shawn672 (Oct 31, 2010)

It's most likely normal if your car is new. The smell will go away in a few weeks


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## Isis69 (Jan 3, 2012)

*heater burning smell*

JoeyBones:
So did you ever lose that burning smell? I am having the same problem. I bought my Cruze June 30 2011 but didnt start using the heater until Nov. That nasty smell comes and goes for me as well. I've taken it to the dealer twice now to be fixed and they cant find anything wrong! They actually drove it around for a few minutes but they still could not detect a burning smell. They dont believe me!:angry: I think it happens about 20-30 minutes into my drive and then it lessens (but never disappears). I am going to drive my car around for the 20 min and then take it into the dealer. Let me know if you have resolved your burning smell or not.
Thanks
Isis


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## husweetpea (Jan 6, 2012)

Oh my gosh, I too am having the same issue. I bought my Cruze in April 2011 and didn't really use my heat until the last 5 weeks or so. I had it in the shop once, they had it for 2 hours and couldn't find the issue. Then I just got it back yesterday after they had it for a week and completely changed out my heater core. As of this morning, I am still having that smell. It makes us sick. I'm completely disgusted that they can't figure out what the smell is.


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## sbsp33 (Feb 9, 2011)

I have the same problem and no, it does not go away! I have 16,000 miles on the car and the smell remains! The dealer keeps telling me the plastic smells when it heats up and it will eventually go away. They told me this last winter and now, again, this winter. My wife and I were in the car for 2 hours last week and when we reached our destination we both had headaches and felt sick to our stomach. We drove all the way home with no heat. I'm taking it to a different dealer next week. If they can't figure it out I will be forced to sell the car, which is a shame because I love my Cruze!


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## chevyfan (Dec 19, 2011)

I had the smell for only a few hundred miles and now it's gone along with the new car smell.


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## Isis69 (Jan 3, 2012)

I really love my Cruze too! I cant stand the burning smell much longer though. If this doesnt get resolved though the dealer maybe a letter to the plant where it was made will help? If not then I will have to sell it as well. I too get headaches as I drive to and from work. I drive 1hr 15min one way so that's 2.5 hours per day!


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## Dale_K (Jul 16, 2011)

You could try some of that cleaning foam that gets injected into the coil area. It's made for cleaning out musty odors in car heater systems. Generally it's not used on new cars but old ones that have crud built up at the coil, especially for mold. It would tend to clean out residues that could have been left adhering to the coil during manufacture. Google car heater cleaning foam.


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## SunnyinHollister (Mar 17, 2011)

We've got over 27k on our Cruze which was purchased in February 2011 and it still has that smell. Also there is a metallic burning smell on shut off when the car is warmed up.


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## amym (Jan 12, 2012)

Having the same problem. It's giving me headaches and my kids won't ride in the car anymore. Taking it to second dealership since the first one said there were no issues. Wish there was a way to test the air quality since I'm inhaling this nasty!


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## JoeyBones (Oct 22, 2011)

Sorry for my delayed reply.

This smell has gone away in my Eco. I have been running the heater/defroster extensively with the colder weather, and it has disappeared... *Shrug*

I will be going to the dealer very soon anyway though, for a separate matter of squealing/chirping belt or bearing somewhere in engine compartment that starts a couple minutes after initial start up, and then subsides once the engine is warmed up a bit. That's unacceptable on a car w/ less than 4k mi. on it...

Regards,

Bones


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## Isis69 (Jan 3, 2012)

Today after work I took my Cruze back to the dealership and asked one of the service techs to go for a ride with me. I wanted him to smell my car while it was hot. He said that he was too busy because 2 people had called in sick. I told him that I wanted to talk to a manager. He then asked me to wait about 10 min and he would go for a ride with me. Ha! Well, we were driving for about 5 min and no smell. After 10 min the smell started and he immediately knew what it was. He said it is burning coolant. Now all they have to do is search for where the leak is. He couldnt take my car today but he will tomorrow. I hope this gets resolved and I will post here what happens.


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## TurbeinDiezel (Jan 19, 2012)

I have had the same smell, since the car was new. Bought it in August, and it has 19,000 on it.
The smell is definitely COOLANT. DexCool has a smell all it's own. The coolant level is down slightly, and I am keeping an eye on it.
No obvious leaks anywhere. Perhaps it is a loose hose clamp on the heater core? Will post the source as soon as I can find it.


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## cruzeman (Mar 13, 2011)

My car goes in Tuesday for this problem. Trust me, I will know the cause of this problem this time. I will keep you posted.


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## griper (Apr 14, 2011)

Having the plastic-chemical smell problem too. Not horrible, but noticeable.

Bought April 2011, have 16000 km


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## griper (Apr 14, 2011)

griper said:


> Having the plastic-chemical smell problem too. Not horrible, but noticeable.
> 
> Bought April 2011, have 16000 km


Noticed today that the smell disappears when heater temp setting is NOT set at HIGH


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## Cruze572 (Dec 20, 2011)

I also have this same burning rubber smell however it only seems to occur when it is snowing out. I have already had the car in for low coolant but of course they said that it was not leaking and that it was fine.


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## voltdriver (Feb 1, 2012)

I drive a Volt and have about 10K miles on it now (I've had it for almost a year). I get an intermittent burning smell that comes through the vent after I've been driving the car for 15 - 20 minutes. It doesn't happen all the time, but quite often. I always just turn on the fan for a few minutes and it seems to go away. Fortunately, I live in California, so I can turn the fan on without freezing myself out in the winter. Sure is a nasty smell though. I think this is a systemic problem in the Cruze and the Volt...


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## latemodelbob (Feb 2, 2012)

Been to the dealer 5 times in one year for the same problem...going back again this week...the dealer says its okay no smell...they must be so familar with the smell that they can't smell it any more...LOL...My kids get headaches and hate the car...Calling a Lemon Lawyer this week....Chevy's customer services sucks unless you can speak Indian!


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## wallbngr (Feb 2, 2012)

I bought my Cruze in April 2011 New .. I started running the heater and there is a Film that started coming onto my windshield . I have to wipe it off about every other day ..
It looks like a fogged up window ,Seems kinda oily.
I don't think it is the heater core tho .. 
I'm going to have the dealer check it out 

Any Ideas ??


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## griper (Apr 14, 2011)

wallbngr said:


> I bought my Cruze in April 2011 New .. I started running the heater and there is a Film that started coming onto my windshield . I have to wipe it off about every other day ..
> It looks like a fogged up window ,Seems kinda oily.
> I don't think it is the heater core tho ..
> I'm going to have the dealer check it out
> ...


I noticed that too....


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## rbtec (Feb 3, 2012)

griper said:


> I noticed that too....


I think it is from the dashboard 'outgassing'. I noticed a film for the first month after getting my car ( in Dec), and then it went away. My car was built end of August 2011, so I think it takes 4-5 months for this to stop.


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## amym (Jan 12, 2012)

The stink does not leave after 4 -5 months. Hasn't left mine in a year and only got worse. We have taken it in 5 times now. They replaced "everything," gave us no explanation and the car still stinks like something is melting. We can get out of our lease if we get another GM. Multiple trips to multiple dealerships. We have been told the lemon law doesn't apply since we reported the problem two weeks past the one year mark. Apparently they didn't take into consideration at this was a seasonal issue since it only gets real bad when running the heat. Gm doesn't give a crap.


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## CHEVYCRUZE RS (Mar 29, 2011)

Mine went away with 13k on my cruze!


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## UpstateNYBill (Jan 14, 2012)

I had this problem after I bought the car in January. It stopped after a few weeks. I'm over 5,000 miles now.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

amym said:


> The stink does not leave after 4 -5 months. Hasn't left mine in a year and only got worse. We have taken it in 5 times now. They replaced "everything," gave us no explanation and the car still stinks like something is melting. We can get out of our lease if we get another GM. Multiple trips to multiple dealerships. We have been told the lemon law doesn't apply since we reported the problem two weeks past the one year mark. Apparently they didn't take into consideration at this was a seasonal issue since it only gets real bad when running the heat. Gm doesn't give a crap.



amym,
I understand your frustration and I would like to look into this further for you. Can you please send me a PM with your personal information (full name, address and phone number), VIN number, current mileage as well as the dealership that you have taken your vehicle to? I look forward to hearing back from you as well as assisting you with this issue. 
Thank you,
Stacy Chevrolet Customer Service


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## CruzeLS (Jul 20, 2011)

I smell this occasionally on the inside but more on the outside when I get out after turning the car off.


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## mountainmax159 (Apr 18, 2011)

Mines been doing it for months now.Have to crack windows driving around for fresh air.After reading all the comments on here i dont have much faith they will find the prob.Plus Oil leak rear main it looks like


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## stormbine (Feb 29, 2012)

My car has this same issue. I thought it seemed like more of a burning coolant smell. I hoped it would go away after a bit, but I have a little over 8,000km on the car now and still have the issue. The smell itself is bad, but the worst part is the film it keeps putting on my windshield (and I would assume the rest of the interior of the car). I was hoping to find out what the problem was before taking it into my dealership, since anytime i took my old car into them I would get nothing back but the "can't replicate the problem" it seemed.


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## cruzeman (Mar 13, 2011)

Gm is going to have an engineer goto my dealer to look into this. This is becoming a widespread problem.


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## ChevyOwner86 (Mar 8, 2012)

I just came from my local dealership with a similar issue. This has baffled them for two months; still no closer to finding an answer. I am so frustrated over this. I've now got 12,000 miles on mine, but the smell really didn't start until around 8,000 miles. But it's been intermittent ever since. A burning smell; possibly the thermostat (as it seems worse when accelerating, and when set to warmer temps). They suggested it may be spilled oil from a recent oil change. Ever smelled burning oil? It's a pretty distinctive smell. This ain't it. This smells like insulation or wiring. There is an increasing number of posts on this forum with similar issues. The dealers look at you like you need your head examined. But it's an occasionally overpowering smell. New cars shouldn't have this kind of problem.


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## Peterthy (Feb 22, 2012)

Exactly the Issue I'm dealing with right now. I know exactly when it started though. I got my 2011 ECO last July and only started getting the smell after a drive down to N. Dakota from Winnipeg, MB, Canada (was flying out of Devils lake). I parked at the airport between Dec 22nd and Jan 3rd. The day I got back and started the car, everything smelled the same (new car smell). However, the moment I turned the heat on (Barely! @12 o'clock position of the dial where the blue line meets the red) it smelled like cow manure/burning rubber!! It went away about 5 mins after driving. 

When the issue first started, I had 4970 miles on her and I'm currently sitting at 6400 miles. 1500 miles later, and the smell still comes on and off in specific environments, not as strong as it did the first time though for sure. I only notice the issue in wet/humid environments i.e. if there was a sudden shift in weather which caused a lot of snow melt/wet roads OR more evidently when I turn the heat on (barely as usual) after washing the car. This was easy for me to single out because in Winnipeg between December and March pretty much everything remains frozen. Average daily highs ~5 Fahrenheit and nights frequently below 0 Fahrenheit with the odd "warm" above freezing 1-2 day spells. I do park indoors with heated basement parking though. All in all in my case its clear when it occurs, and it only lasts for 2-3 mins tops.

I took my car in for my first service appointment at my dealership yesterday and told them the odor issue. The tech did a walk around and had a look around the AC/Heater air intake (base of the windshield) and engine compartment just in case there was something noticeable in there. They didn't spot any abnormalities during the walk around nor the "65 point inspection". No leaks were found, and hoses etc. checked out. When I was about to get the car back, the tech told me that he noticed the odor and called another guy over to show him the smell I was describing as they had never encountered that issue before. He apparently got a whiff of it when he started the car back up as he was taking the car over to the service bays! _ Note it was very wet out yesterday as recent abnormal warm weather has hit us and melted everything at once_. After doing some digging around/research the tech said that its a known GM issue that has something to do with the coating used in the heating/cooling system. I will thus be dropping my car off tomorrow morning to be left there for the whole day (hopefully just one) for a trim specialist to get to where the suspected issue lies. Hopefully they are right. I will keep you all posted.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

Peterthy said:


> Exactly the Issue I'm dealing with right now. I know exactly when it started though. I got my 2011 ECO last July and only started getting the smell after a drive down to N. Dakota from Winnipeg, MB, Canada (was flying out of Devils lake). I parked at the airport between Dec 22nd and Jan 3rd. The day I got back and started the car, everything smelled the same (new car smell). However, the moment I turned the heat on (Barely! @12 o'clock position of the dial where the blue line meets the red) it smelled like cow manure/burning rubber!! It went away about 5 mins after driving.
> 
> When the issue first started, I had 4970 miles on her and I'm currently sitting at 6400 miles. 1500 miles later, and the smell still comes on and off in specific environments, not as strong as it did the first time though for sure. I only notice the issue in wet/humid environments i.e. if there was a sudden shift in weather which caused a lot of snow melt/wet roads OR more evidently when I turn the heat on (barely as usual) after washing the car. This was easy for me to single out because in Winnipeg between December and March pretty much everything remains frozen. Average daily highs ~5 Fahrenheit and nights frequently below 0 Fahrenheit with the odd "warm" above freezing 1-2 day spells. I do park indoors with heated basement parking though. All in all in my case its clear when it occurs, and it only lasts for 2-3 mins tops.
> 
> I took my car in for my first service appointment at my dealership yesterday and told them the odor issue. The tech did a walk around and had a look around the AC/Heater air intake (base of the windshield) and engine compartment just in case there was something noticeable in there. They didn't spot any abnormalities during the walk around nor the "65 point inspection". No leaks were found, and hoses etc. checked out. When I was about to get the car back, the tech told me that he noticed the odor and called another guy over to show him the smell I was describing as they had never encountered that issue before. He apparently got a whiff of it when he started the car back up as he was taking the car over to the service bays! _ Note it was very wet out yesterday as recent abnormal warm weather has hit us and melted everything at once_. After doing some digging around/research the tech said that its a known GM issue that has something to do with the coating used in the heating/cooling system. I will thus be dropping my car off tomorrow morning to be left there for the whole day (hopefully just one) for a trim specialist to get to where the suspected issue lies. Hopefully they are right. I will keep you all posted.




Peterthy,
Thank you for your feed back. I hope they are able to get this issue taken care of for you. I know it can be frustrating to deal with. Please keep us posted on the outcome. If you have any questions please feel free to contact GM of Canada at 1-800-263-3777 Monday-Friday 7:30am-11:30pm or Saturday 7:30am-6:00 pm EST. 
Thank you,
Stacy Chevrolet Customer Service


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## limited360 (May 6, 2011)

I've got the same type of issue. 20,000 miles on the car. I hate dealing with the dealers is all tho so I will deal with it.


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## Peterthy (Feb 22, 2012)

Ive heard back from the dealer ship 4 times already since dropping the car off yesterday at 7:30am updating me on what they have tried so far. When ever I go in and get the actual paper work, I shall share the exact info reported on it with all the details. This is what I can recall from my phone conversations with my dealership:

First, they tried cleaning out the air duct system/heater/ac with a foam De-odoriser/cleaner, took it out for a test drive and still got the odor. Then, trim specialist came in to get the whole heat core out along with other AC/heater components (i cant recall the exact ones he mentioned) and inspected everything inside out and found nothing. After cleaning everything again, took it out for a test drive and got the smell again. So they "dug deeper" and found no issues with any rubber hoses/plastics/wiring associated with the heater/AC....Also, he mentioned that they tried running air through the heater core and tubing outside of the car and detected no odor. However, after putting the whole system back in the car, they noticed the smell again. This morning (call update #4) they called and said on the last test drive this morning, there was no smell. However, when the car got back to the bay, the tech left the car idling for additional testing while he went to get a snack. While he was away, his co-worker said that the car stank up the whole service bay my car was in!! Thus, they are again not sure whats causing the smell!! 

I'm just concerned that there's something malfunctioning elsewhere and causing that burning rubber/cow manure-like smell!! Never-mind the smell...what about possible long term damage etc. ? They still have the car and are going to keep it till its sorted out. Despite it being my first car, i got it brand new to avoid having to go through BS like this. Especially within the first 8 months with ~10200 km's/6338 miles on it?!?...fml


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## stinkyheat (Apr 20, 2012)

i have the same problem on my 2012 elantra. ive had it to the dealer twice and both times they said they could not reproduce the odor or find anything wrong with the system. It must have something to do with the maufacturer of a certain type of heater.


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## Cruze772011 (Apr 30, 2012)

I just posted on another thread, but this one seems more apropos. 

I am having the same issues as many on the board. Burning smell when running heater or A/C and the resulting sickness. 

I can add in another layer that my cruze was overheating about a month ago. Pulled over to side of the road and the engine coolant block was completely empty. I brought to dealership and was told that there was a thermosat seal leaking. I was also told burning smell should disappear in two weeks. Fast forward one month and it is still there. 

I get sick every time I drive the car and it seems to be getting worse. Not sure if more prolonged exposure is making me more sensitive or not. Headaches, stomach bothering me, indigestion, etc. It really is pretty unpleasant. 

I am bringing back to dealership tomorrow, but if this doesn't improve I don't know how much longer I will be able to drive the car. It really stinks.


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## BabyBlue (May 4, 2012)

this is my first chevy... needless to say i L O V E it! But its nothing but trouble so far. when i first purchased the car in march '11 i was back within a moth for transmission problems and it not shifting right. they said it was just coding that needed updated. and a month later i was back for it not listing or displaying the gear it REALLY was in. again " more coding" then all was well... until the smell started. now granted my car may be a little over a year old but i live on the road pretty much i have tons of highway miles. so i know this isn't a "new car smell" as a year later i keep being told. first it was the heavy greasy film so thick on the windows you would have sworn the card had cholesterol build up. then it was antifreeze smell so bad i have to crank the headed seats and crack the window just to make my hour and half daily commute. next it was the burning rubber smell that no prevents me from turning on the heat and anyone from being able to ride with me. since it is my ONLY means of transportation, I'm screwed. and the dealership knows this. so every time i take my car in i stranded for a day or two trying to make arrangements on how to get bout while they "take a look" and call me back to tell me they can't seem to find anything. now I'm running into this problem where when i go to pull out i get absolutely no response, RMPs don't move above idle and petal is to the floor. nothing. and now my fuel gage it possessed! where it will suddenly drop off and say "low fuel" DING DING DING then return to actual fuel level... take it in. stranded for two days without a car... " sorry we can't seem to find a problem" i swear this has been nothing but a stressful nightmare. not only that but i spent months going to the doctors for headaches and nausea going through test and labs and headache evaluations and every prescription migraine medicine known to man kind trying to figure out if it was just me until my mother decided to ride with me since i had bragged about the gas mileage i get and was disgusted by the smell and concerned about my daughter and I constantly breathing it. i've now since noticed that when exercising i have this heavy weight on the top of my chest and a deep wheeze. i've never had asthma, and last month my daughter caught pneumonia! picture of health always does amazing at her appointments and rarely gets sick, took her in for a persistent fever, and boom pneumonia! we were shocked! now I'm really irritated and scared that not only is this car a ticking time bomb but its also effecting our health! of course the technicians can't find anything wrong! can smell something but don't know what it is. i swear they park my car in the back and call me at the end of the day with out ever touching it. I've lost count of how many times i've brought it into the dealership. i'm so pissed i finally decide to dish out money for an american brand car over the crap imports i've had previously and look what i end up with. ever since i purchased the car its been in on a regular basis! so much for buying new for the security that it would last longer. I'm just so upset i just want a car that works! not constantly testing my anxiety of if thats REALLY how much fuel i have, or is that REALLY the gear I'm in, or whether or not i'm going to die from headaches or "mystery smell" inhalation... epic fail chevy... EPIC!


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

BabyBlue: You appear to have the Antifreeze Smell problem that is being discussed in another thread here. In the back of your Owner's Manual is an 800 number to call for customer service issues. You will get a claim number when you do call and register your problem. This will tell GM what your dealership is not telling them and should get you some action. You can do this for any service or warranty problem. Secondly, you can PM the GM Social Media Representative here to voice your issues. I will be very surprised if she does not chime in on your issues and invite you to let her help. Stacey is a GM rep. that can help with these things. Lastly, if you have an issue that is safety related, you can file a complaint online with the National Highway & Transportation Safety Agency (NHTSA) and at least get someone outside of GM aware of the problems. One complaint may not be enough to get them to look at GM, but there were two reported fires in Cruzen and they went banging on GM's door.


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## adyer4251 (Jun 11, 2012)

wow... GM are you reading this? Admit there are problems with the CRUZE! I think the car runs to hot. There is always a burning smell in my car. Do you hear a loud ping sound for 2 minutes after shutting the car off and while the car is running but stopped? Also, after the center of the heat shield was removed and the engine is shut off, the car starts ticking. Like a loud clock or bomb. can you see me driving over the border into Mexico with a ticking car? OMG... or i pull up to the airport terminal. I can see myself going to jail. Not funny. huh? I have recorded the sounds but don't know how to upload them. If someone can help me, you all can listen to what my car is doing. GM district manager says its just the way Cruze is. Didn't Toyota say that about the Corolla? Cars don't stop when brakes applied. Oh theres no problem, thats just the way corollas are. What a shame if GM lets someone get hurt or worse killed. Chevy is the heart beat of America. Now lets get this issue fixed or the next car I buy is a Toyota!


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

adyer4251 said:


> wow... GM are you reading this? Admit there are problems with the CRUZE! I think the car runs to hot. There is always a burning smell in my car. Do you hear a loud ping sound for 2 minutes after shutting the car off and while the car is running but stopped? Also, after the center of the heat shield was removed and the engine is shut off, the car starts ticking. Like a loud clock or bomb. can you see me driving over the border into Mexico with a ticking car? OMG... or i pull up to the airport terminal. I can see myself going to jail. Not funny. huh? I have recorded the sounds but don't know how to upload them. If someone can help me, you all can listen to what my car is doing. GM district manager says its just the way Cruze is. Didn't Toyota say that about the Corolla? Cars don't stop when brakes applied. Oh theres no problem, thats just the way corollas are. What a shame if GM lets someone get hurt or worse killed. Chevy is the heart beat of America. Now lets get this issue fixed or the next car I buy is a Toyota!



adyer4251,
I understand your frustration as well as concern. I would like to look into these issues for you. Can you please send me a PM with your name, address, phone number, VIN, current mileage and the name of your dealer? I look forward to hearing back from you as well as assisting you.
Thank you,
Stacy Chevrolet Customer Service


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## Peterthy (Feb 22, 2012)

The problem was easily reproduced at the dealership back in late March. They took my entire AC unit apart, cleaned it out, re-inspected all my hoses etc. and even inspected the heater core. Nothing was a miss. However, the smell still came about after having started the engine and turning the AC on. They even inspected the hvac filter and it also checked out. The day after they took everything apart and put it back in, the odor somehow disappeared and I was thus called to come pick it up. I was told to keep a nose out for it and to come back if the issue reoccurs. And amazingly, it did not!


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## HisandHers (Aug 18, 2012)

My wife and I have this burning rubber smell on both of our 2012 Cruzes.It only happens when the heat is on.It sucks knowing that every time I turn the heat on I am going to get a headache.It seems to me that people have been having this problem long enough that Chevy should take a better look at it.We both love our cars but it's hard to enjoy driving when you know your car is going to make you sick.


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## gt_cristian (Apr 7, 2012)

If you are getting a headache when the heat is on, that is not the smell of burning rubber, it might be engine coolant leaking. There are alot of posts reagrding this problem. Coolant is toxic, so you should check this out properly.


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## HisandHers (Aug 18, 2012)

I checked mine for leaks today and didnt see any.Wouldnt the smell be there all the time if it were a coolant leak instead of just when the heat is on?


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## gt_cristian (Apr 7, 2012)

HisandHers said:


> Wouldnt the smell be there all the time if it were a coolant leak instead of just when the heat is on?


Well, it turns out the air intake for the heater comes from right above the coolant expansion tank and its cap leaks vapors. In my case GM talked to my dealer and they installed a small tube from the tank to the bottom of the car to eliminate the odor (like in the attached photo).


But you are right, and I dont know why but it should smell all the time, even in my case. It only smelled when the heat was on. Fan only or AC on and I couldn't smell it.


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## gt_cristian (Apr 7, 2012)

Check your coolant level, just in case. Also, right behind the central console, right where your right knee touches the console wall, you find the heater core. Do you smell burnt rubber aroud that area when putting the heat on?


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## HisandHers (Aug 18, 2012)

This really doesn't smell like coolant at all to me.It smells exactly like when somebody does a burnout and it leaves that burnt rubber smell behind.I checked the coolant level on both cars and they both look fine.I ran the heat on the way to work this morning and the smell was still there.It was nice when I left work so I rolled all the windows down and ran the heat wide open and even with the windows down I could still smell it.I hope the smell will go away eventually but if it is still there when my car needs it's first oil change I will ask the dealer to check it out.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

HisandHers said:


> This really doesn't smell like coolant at all to me.It smells exactly like when somebody does a burnout and it leaves that burnt rubber smell behind.I checked the coolant level on both cars and they both look fine.I ran the heat on the way to work this morning and the smell was still there.It was nice when I left work so I rolled all the windows down and ran the heat wide open and even with the windows down I could still smell it.I hope the smell will go away eventually but if it is still there when my car needs it's first oil change I will ask the dealer to check it out.




HisandHers,
I understand your concerns with this issue. I would suggest that you have your dealer look into this for you. I would also like you to keep me posted on this concern. If you have any questions, comments or concerns please feel free to contact me anytime.
Thank you,
Stacy Chevrolet Customer Service


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## carbon02 (Feb 25, 2011)

I had a similar smell with my 2012 that I took delievery of in Sept 2011. It did go away, but there were traces of it for nearly 10,000 miles. 

Here's some suggestions. Don't leave the heat dial all the way to hot. Once you get heat, turn it so it's cooler. The heat of the cruze is very hot, and leaving it at full hot, may cause problems with dampener doors warping, and not closing. Also try different postions. I got rid of the smell with the vents first, but the floor heat smelled the longest. Did you know that there's plastic heat vents under the driver and passenger seat that vent out near the floor of the back seats? That's a lot of new plastic. 

The days of wanting the new car smell to stay in the car are long gone. The cruze new car smell is unfortuantely not nearly as plesant as the new leather smell of past GM cars..

Try varying the vent temperature with the heat on, and windows open, and you'll get rid of the smell. I'm at 15,000 miles and it's gone. Sure it took a lot longer than I thought it should have, but there's a lot of plastic in the HVAC system. 

And for those with the coolant smell, turn the heat down 1-2 minutes before shutting off the car. My theory is that this allows hot coolant to go back to the thermostat opening it, allowing flow through the radiator. If the car is shut off with the heater on high, there is cold coolant that is going back into the coolant loop near the thermostat, and the thermostat is closed. My theory is that this is making the small coolant loop build pressure and not cool fast enough, causing pressure out the tank.


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## HisandHers (Aug 18, 2012)

Thanks for the tips.I usually run the heat at just past where the red and blue meet on the dial and still get the smell.I'm hoping that running the heat with the windows down on nice days will make it go away.


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## griper (Apr 14, 2011)

*cure for burning plastic smell*

I have 32000 km on my 2011 Cruze LT and it has often had the hot/burning plastic smell since it was new.
It seemed like it was the heater that was running way too hot. 
Anyway I finally had the GM dealer check it out today and it looks like the problem was a bad HVAC program and it has now been cured. 

(translated from French)... "verify code b0233 b0408 bad program....made program from hvac code 99aa0 code 6581
verify find code verify find pi0433b for a program for this problem"

I think "pi" may mean a service bulletin.
Hope this helps someone.


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## gt_cristian (Apr 7, 2012)

That is some important information. Thank you for sharing it! 

The PI number you posted is actually related to the HVAC module which control heating, ventilation and A/C. Are you sure it says PI0433*B*? 

PI0433..........Inaccurate Control of HVAC Temp; DTC B0233 & B0408.

PI means preliminary Information and GM realeases such a document to help technicians solve problems.


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## griper (Apr 14, 2011)

that is what the technician entered on the bill


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## Yates (Aug 24, 2012)

Just recently happened on my 2012 Eco. Turned on the heater for the first time and WOW! Smelled like a combination of burning rubber and urine. Yea that bad. If this persists I will take the car to the dealer with the codes supplied above. Surely GM knows about this problem and any fixes right? Seems like they should be sending out letters to people or something.


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## Hoon (Mar 18, 2012)

My car started this crap a few weeks ago. Random, extremely strong smell. It's instantly nauseating...sort of a burning smell. Might just be DexCool. 

Usually happens about 10-15 minutes into a drive. 

I'm going to run a vent hose off the coolant reservoir and see if that solves the issue. 

Car has 14K miles and this just started recently


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

Yates said:


> Just recently happened on my 2012 Eco. Turned on the heater for the first time and WOW! Smelled like a combination of burning rubber and urine. Yea that bad. If this persists I will take the car to the dealer with the codes supplied above. Surely GM knows about this problem and any fixes right? Seems like they should be sending out letters to people or something.



Yates,
I would like to apologize for the issues that you are experiencing with your Cruze. I would suggest that have your dealer look into this for you. I would also like you to keep me posted on the progress with your dealer. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me anytime.
Thank you,
Stacy Chevrolet Customer Service


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

Hoon said:


> My car started this crap a few weeks ago. Random, extremely strong smell. It's instantly nauseating...sort of a burning smell. Might just be DexCool.
> 
> Usually happens about 10-15 minutes into a drive.
> 
> ...




Hoon,
I would like you to keep me posted on your progress with this. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me anytime.
Thank you,
Stacy Chevrolet Customer Service


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## jblackford (Mar 4, 2013)

Is anyone any closer to solving the heater smell "mystery"? I have had my 2012 Cruze in the shop 2 or 3 times now... They cleaned the evaporative cool, but can't do anything more because GM is supposed to be coming out with a fix "in the next two weeks". That was a month ago. My dealership has been great at trying to find the problem. However, my warranty is about to run out (probably have about 1500 miles left on it). I just wonder if GM will still cover it when they finally figure out what the problem is.. even if my warranty is out.


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

jblackford said:


> Is anyone any closer to solving the heater smell "mystery"? I have had my 2012 Cruze in the shop 2 or 3 times now... They cleaned the evaporative cool, but can't do anything more because GM is supposed to be coming out with a fix "in the next two weeks". That was a month ago. My dealership has been great at trying to find the problem. However, my warranty is about to run out (probably have about 1500 miles left on it). I just wonder if GM will still cover it when they finally figure out what the problem is.. even if my warranty is out.


Look here, this is the up-to-date stuff on the 'smell" issue. I'd say both issues are related (burning rubber and antifreeze).

http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/25-service-issues/11235-antifreeze-smell-thread-v-2-a-28.html


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## Yates (Aug 24, 2012)

I thought somewhere it was said that an antifreeze based sealant was the "suspected" cause of the smell. Any more on that? The smell from my heater has lessened over the winter and has went from a burning rubber smell to more of a bleach smell. Still somewhat annoying but at least it's improved.


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## commutertg (Feb 2, 2013)

Yates said:


> I thought somewhere it was said that an antifreeze based sealant was the "suspected" cause of the smell. Any more on thatThe smell from my heater has lessened over the winter and has went from a burning rubber smell to more of a bleach smell. Still somewhat annoying but at least it's improved.


Yates- In my 2013 cruze the smell seemed to be like coolant vapor. The dealer, on the 4th try, found the problem which was a copious amount of grease used in the heater & vent box or ducts to keep all components working. The grease is glycol based. Heating and cooling it broke it down and the odor was nasty. They cleaned it out, used brake lube and that odor is gone. They also added peppermint extract to the coolant to ensure that any future odor would be discernable. I still do get a bit of a burning plastic smell, but only when the heat is on hi temp, lo fan and directed at the feet setting. The dealer is waiting on a fix from GM which should be fairly soon. Since they worked hard to resolve it and a new car was no guarrantee of resolution, and since I really like the car I am hanging in for a resolution.


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## Yates (Aug 24, 2012)

I am waiting for suitable fixes for the heater smell as well as a few other problems on my 2012 Eco. The selling dealer already has a not so great service reputation to begin with, and the last thing I want is them going all "trial and error" on my Eco. None of my issues are pressing enough for that.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

Yates said:


> I thought somewhere it was said that an antifreeze based sealant was the "suspected" cause of the smell. Any more on that? The smell from my heater has lessened over the winter and has went from a burning rubber smell to more of a bleach smell. Still somewhat annoying but at least it's improved.



Yates,
I would be happy to look into this for you and get a service request open for you. Can you please send me a PM with your name, address, phone number, VIN, current mileage and the name of your dealer? I look forward to your response. 
Thank you,
Stacy Chevrolet Customer Service


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

jblackford said:


> Is anyone any closer to solving the heater smell "mystery"? I have had my 2012 Cruze in the shop 2 or 3 times now... They cleaned the evaporative cool, but can't do anything more because GM is supposed to be coming out with a fix "in the next two weeks". That was a month ago. My dealership has been great at trying to find the problem. However, my warranty is about to run out (probably have about 1500 miles left on it). I just wonder if GM will still cover it when they finally figure out what the problem is.. even if my warranty is out.


Welcome to the forum, jblackford. If you would like for us to open a service request on your behalf to further document and pursue this issue with your dealership, please contact us privately with more information (including your name and contact information, the last 8 digits of your VIN and mileage, and a summary of the situation). 

Sarah (Assisting Stacy), Chevrolet Customer Service


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## Jefrey (Mar 7, 2013)

Hello,
brand new cruze owner, 2012 Eco automatic. Love the car, sorry my first post is a complaint, I too have the burning rubber or coolant smell. Making my wife nauseous. Any final answers on this problem?


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## blackcruzelt (Dec 13, 2012)

YES, the answer is take it in for 3 repairs then file a lemon law case and get a new car. This issue has been going on for 3 years and GM still has no definitive answer as to a fix.


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## fastdriver (Jan 7, 2011)

All of you with the antifreeze/burning rubber smell should go to this topic because it is a little more up to date. HOWEVER, that said, blackcruzelt has the right idea. This has been going on since 2011. GM does not seem to be making this a TOP PRIORITY for Cruze owners.

http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/25-service-issues/11235-antifreeze-smell-thread-v-2-a.html


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

Jefrey said:


> Hello,
> brand new cruze owner, 2012 Eco automatic. Love the car, sorry my first post is a complaint, I too have the burning rubber or coolant smell. Making my wife nauseous. Any final answers on this problem?


Jefrey,
I am sorry to hear that you are experiencing this issue. I would recommend that you have your dealer look into this for you. I would also like to look into this further for you. Can you please send me a PM with your name, address, phone number, VIN, current mileage and the name of your dealer? I look forward to hearing back from you.
Thank you,
Stacy Chevrolet Customer Service


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## silverram323 (Mar 16, 2012)

commutertg said:


> Yates- In my 2013 cruze the smell seemed to be like coolant vapor. The dealer, on the 4th try, found the problem which was a copious amount of grease used in the heater & vent box or ducts to keep all components working. The grease is glycol based. Heating and cooling it broke it down and the odor was nasty. They cleaned it out, used brake lube and that odor is gone. They also added peppermint extract to the coolant to ensure that any future odor would be discernable. I still do get a bit of a burning plastic smell, but only when the heat is on hi temp, lo fan and directed at the feet setting. The dealer is waiting on a fix from GM which should be fairly soon. Since they worked hard to resolve it and a new car was no guarrantee of resolution, and since I really like the car I am hanging in for a resolution.



I just started having this issue also, they did the coolant tank MOD, and there is no difference. They ordered a new heater box and will try this.
I have 22k on the car and the smell started around 20k.
Im headed over the the other thread.

http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/25-service-issues/11235-antifreeze-smell-thread-v-2-a.html


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## Tiffanyo (Apr 17, 2014)

This car is by far the worst car I have ever bought... I'm sick of having the car in the shop for the heater smell.... Has anyone filed this issue under the lemon law? What paperwork do I need to do this? Any help would greatly be appreciated.


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## ChuzCruze (Feb 9, 2012)

Tiffanyo - Each state is different. Google Lemon Law for your state for more info. If you are talking about the coolant smell/chemical smell when using the heater there is a current class action lawsuit, Google it.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

Tiffanyo, 

I am sorry to hear you are having this concern with your Cruze. I would like to look into your concern along with your Chevrolet dealership. Please private message me your name, VIN, phone number, and Chevrolet dealership name. Hope to hear from you soon. 

Erica Tiffany
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Tiffanyo, take a look in our Service Issues forum. There is a stuck thread going over the most common problems that cause cabin odors. Print the first post and take it to your dealership. Also, private message your VIN, contact information, and preferred dealership to the Chevy Customer Care account here. These are GM employees and have proven themselves to be very effective in getting dealerships to fix cars.


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## michelle2 (Oct 16, 2014)

I'm in the same boat. Dealership acted like this was the first time they heard of this. I'm disgusted at this point with GM. My dad has bought 9 cars from this dealership over the years and then I leased the Cruze. My dad worked his whole life for GM and we can't even get a truthful answer from them.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Tiffanyo said:


> This car is by far the worst car I have ever bought... I'm sick of having the car in the shop for the heater smell.... Has anyone filed this issue under the lemon law? What paperwork do I need to do this? Any help would greatly be appreciated.


Take a look at http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/25-s...e-cabin-odors-sources-resolution-summary.html for the common odors and how to fix them. You may need to print out the first post and contact our Chevy Customer Care folks here to get your dealership to fix this.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

We truly apologize for the frustration this situation has caused, michelle2. We're here if further assistance is needed with your concern. Feel free to send us a private message and we will look into this for you. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Kristen A.
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## esitu7sh (Jan 2, 2020)

I bought my 2012 Cruze used during summer time so I didn't notice the smell when I first got it. But during the winter when I run the heater the burned rubber/plastic was so bad that it made me nausea's. I had to open the windows to get fresh air through the car and turn off the heater; while it's cold out. There are a couple of things that I did to solve the issue. I found these issues while searching the web for discussions on various forums and youtube vids.
1. Oil cooler seal leak. This was needed because the oil leak was quite obvious. The oil can drip down to the exhaust manifold and cause the burning smell. But this alone did not fix my issue.
2. Cabin filter change. The cabin filter was placed incorrectly. The filter itself needed replacing anyway but there is an arrow which shows the direction of airflow. I found a post (forgot where) if the filter is reversed, the blower has a hard time pulling the air through the filter. This causes the blower to work extra hard which causes the burning smell. This was my last attempt and it worked. Whoever replaced the filter last did not place it where the direction of the air flow arrow points down. The blower is below the filter so it pulls air from the top of the dashboard through the filter then through the various vents.

There is post (can be found in various places) where it talks about the coolant leak. Pay attention to the coolant reservoir and hoses to make sure they are not leaking which may also cause the bad smell. Myself, I'm waiting for this to happen or maybe just replace the hoses and reservoir as preventive maintenance.

Good luck all. I hope this helps.


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