1996 Mazda MX-6 LS, has a burning odor coming from the engine compartment after driving 25 highway miles. What could it be?
5 Answers
Is your temperature gauge going up higher than usual? Does it feel like it is running hot? (Pop the hood after you drive it and feel how hot the engine/radiator is) If it is, try changing the thermostat and see if that improves things.
You may have a small coolant leak that is getting on the exhaust system.
My temp gauge is going slightly higher than usual, a little more than half way. I was also in stop and go traffic this afternoon and noticed a puff of white smoke coming from near the radiator. The smoke stopped after we got moving again but I could smell coolant burning coming through my vents. Still think it's the thermostat or a coolant leak?
A thermostat is the easiest and lowest cost repair to make, if it's not working it can cause symptoms likes yours, so eliminate that first before moving on to more expensive repairs. Yours might be stuck in the closed position. Again, this is the simplest diagnosis, but it's also the easiest to eliminate.
