Ok so i have just taken a 600 mile trip 300 there 300 miles back and i noticed something weird. When i stopped to fill up my tank i went and checked everything out, the wheels the front of the car and what not for chips or anything else that could happen on the highway... when i got to the back tires i noticed a little sent of burning rubber, like i had just done a burn out.. now i know these are grippy tires, but would that lead it to smell like that, i was doing about 90mph the whole way, but the front tires did not smell like that only the rear two.. if anyone has any insight into this please let me know.... or if you go on a long trip next time with the stock tires check it out put your nose by the rear tires, yes you will look like s dumbass doing it but hey who gives a damn... just running this across the rest of you.
robert

 

well the back tires are pushin and the fronst are just steering ionno i just like to post sorry

 

Have you looked under the car for someting stuck on the exhaust?

Seems silly but there have been a few issues with this.

 

Yeah, I get no smell of burning rubber even after spirited driving with no DSC. It's either something stuck to the car or signs of a problem!

 

I would check for passengers near the exhaust, and e-brake issue is true as well....performed road test as well as zevans, no distinct odor.

I will use any excuse to drive the 8

 

Based on your number of posts, 7, I suspect your RX-8 is brand new, correct?

If indeed your car is pretty new, most new cars will give off that burning smell for awhile, then it will go away once the car gets more miles on it. I don't know if it is engine smell, clutch smell, or just some plastics/rubber that are being heated up and giving off smell.

But most all new cars do this. It is likely normal, and probably most noticable because you just drove it fast and *relatively* hard. Take a new car for a test drive and beat the crap outta it, and I almost guaranteed it will smell the same way.

I wouldn't worry about it, assuming your car is new.

 

Up here, the cars come with factory undercoating. When driving off the lot, it's not unusual for the car to give of a burning rubber smell for the first 50 kms or so. Also, slipping the clutch too much will cause the clutch to emit a burning smell as well.

 

Look for drops of oil under the rear axle at about the center of the car. The first day I drove my new 8, I smelled something other than the usual "new car" burn off smell. It was more like hot oil. Turned out to be a leaky differential seal... car was brand new! Dealer fixed right away, but the smell is just now beginning to fade after 1k miles. Don't know how new yours is, but that might be something to check.

 

Thanks again for all the replys everyone. Yeah it just cought me off guard that smell when checking the tires. Because i have done many burnouts in my old mustang and know the smells of burning tires and just could not get over this.. both tires smelled the same, and when i would smell around the car there was no odor anywhere. Not in back of the car on the side front under the hood, just the smell on both rear tires...It is throwing me for a loop here.. i have checked for plastic and stuff left on the car and nothing is there. i dont know if you ccan get the smell with just some spirited driving... i was on average around 85-100mph for about 4 hours, so im thinking that might have something to do with it.... any other replys will be great. thanks again.
robert

 

Travelling at that speed for four hours would generate a lot of heat in the rear tyres...I'm with Jerome.

Gomez.

 

it may be the rear tires your smelling, they can do that after four hours of driving.

 

After a few hours? Wish I could sustain those speeds for that long...anyway, yes extended driving spiritedly will heat up tires and cause odor.

 

hmmm... Four hours? Sorry everyone, but the math just kicked in again... Averaging 90 mph (which is what you said first) that is 360 miles on a tank of gas! I wish I could get that kind of MPG.

 

I have just started noticing the same thing lately. The back rear tires smell like they are burning. No e-brake engaged, no plastic stuck on the exhaust - just this burning smell. Have just over 9K on the car, and notice the smell with under an hour of driving. ??? Have also started to notice a slight brake squeal, but not sure if they could be related. Never noticed this smell before - and it would have been hard to miss. Anyone else?

 

There is always one smart *** in the group i guess, i got about 250 miles on the tank of gad and stopped for about 10 minutes to fill up and then back out on the road.so subtract 10 minutes from that and then you got it... anyone who has taken a ride from chicago to ohio knows it is pretty much a straight shot there, except for the fact of getting through highway 80-94 i hate that area, btu on the way home yes made it in 4 hours and that was with stopping to fill up..

 

Could the DCS/TSC have something to do with the smell fo burned rubber? I also notice it when it's wet out. We've had a bit of snow and slick roads. I just wondered if it's the new winter rubber I have on, or if something else is cooking on the car.

 

[QUOTE=abbid]your ebrake could have been engaged 1 click, causing the rear rotors to heat up, giving off a burnt smell.[/QUOTE


lont time no see abbid