Hot Burning Smell

[Diesel Freak]

Last night and this morning I noticed a hot burning smell comming out of the Vents in the cab... . I opened the hood, and the smell seemed to be comming from the drivers side of the engine compartment. I think I have an electrical short some where, or one or both of the grid heater relays are staying shut. I think it is the grid heaters because my volt meter stayed really low for an abnormally long time while the engine was idling at a stop light (at this point I had not gone over 18 MPH) once I went over 18 MPH, voltage went back up... but not as high as it usually does..... just a hair over 14V. After 15 minutes of operation the Alternator was so hot I could not hold my hand on it, is this normal? Has any one had anything like this happen? I am going to unplug the Grid heater relay signal wires and see if the problem goes away... ... any other ideas?



-Cliff

 

[DennyDay]

Disconnect heater at battery rather than the control wires. You may have a stuck relay. If truck is 98. 5 or older see if you headlight swithch is hot. This could well be the odor. Also please post the year of your truck.

Denny

 

[Diesel Freak]

well, the relay is not permanently stuck... or my battery would be completely drained. I pulled the controll wires during lunch... . I did not smell anything hot when I drove it during lunch.



I will also trace the Headlight circuit and look for burned wires.



this is a 2001 ETH DEE 4x4 QC SB truck.

 

[DennyDay]

Hot smell

'01 shouldn't have a headlight switch problem. But to check feel the switch with the lights on, and see if is excessively hot. Soundslike you've found the problem though.

Denny

 

[K_Arts]

actually believe it or not. . I just had the same problem. I towed an empty trailer home from a 2 hr trip and my alternator was actually puff'n out white smoke. Now I have a major fluxuation in voltage and my freak'n dealer won't replace it. I wouldn't doubt if your having the same problems that I'm having. If you look at the copper color wires in side do you notice anything out of the ordinary?



My alternator was so hot that the copper wires in back actually have boubles on them like they were melting and across the front of my alternator looks like a greasy substance. it is nasty...



Anyone had any Alternator probs?



Alternator probs part 2



Please keep us informed with what you find out



Kev

 

[rhoads]

Hummmmmmm

Simple test IF you smell hot wire's /plastic--works summer or most notably in winter IF you are in doubt it is you head lamp switch simply lay your hand out flat --with your palm on the edge(left hand) place it on the dash against the left piller(window)post and it is warm from the heel of the palm to the tip of your finger that heat is Not due to the defroster vent. I replaced mine with a d/c switch in late 96- early 97 Got a wiring kit and a loss of $$$. then in late 97 same thing again,as dark was aproching and i Love lights a night i stoped a a napa store and told them i needed a head lanp sw for my year truck... . got the standard products head lamp sw used on most veh's and and installed .

Now to the down side of this over the counter sw. no mood lighting of the dash light's,(dim) control !! Which was the source of over heating which caused plastic to melt and wires to get hot.

Which is why i have not had the recall done to the head light switch and is still in place to day.

In short if the dashboard is not hot look else where, another tip if the alt is V very hot you have a great tool to track down the source (in most cases) your hand just run along the wires and check for the warm one carring the load to the componet wanting more . infra red sensor works great and quicker. .