Something wrong with my Prius? :(

That's normal. I use to get it with my 2004 and also get it with my 2009 when climbing a steep hill.

 

I have done hills to mountains many times in South California, sometimes even with 4 good sized people but never felt that. Smell of rubber implies tires? Is it rubbing? What size tires you have?

 

Mine makes a hot sort of smell sometimes. It's almost always on the highway at speed. I suspect you are getting a smell from the hybrid battery vent. Hobbit did a good job describing this in one of his posts.

Tom

 

It may even be a smell from outside, nothing whatsoever to do with your car. I know that's happened to me a few times.

 

Really ? Are you serious ? If so, explain the complaints from another thread below.

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...ing-rubber-smell-under-prius.html#post1307053

 

^I dont need to explain anything to you. Shitttttt.....

One time I thought I smelled my fog/headlight wires melting but incidently I was driving past a junkyard. I knew because the next day I smelt the same thing but my lights weren't even on.

 

That same thing happened to me with my other car. Turned out to be the flux capacitor.

 

Could it be the traction battery heating up? Maybe you smell it because the fan kicked in?

I've only smelled it once and that was while following my friend's Prius down a very steep slope leaving Yosemite down the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada.

 

I've seen plastic bags get stuck to exhaust systems several times. Once you heat up the exhaust it starts to melt and smell.

 

Never smelled anything like that on my 07. Thats not good though
as something is def overheating. I would be very concerned personally.

Next time open the hood and smell around. Pull the dipstick and check that. Smell in the back of the engine as that's where the exhaust is. Maybe its the cat converter overheating? Easiest place to check is the back of the engine by the firewall.

Whats the mileage?

Hows the engine oil maintenence?
Transmission fluid maintenance? If your pushing the car that hard with a full load you should make sure you have fresh trans fluid.
That heavy load is very hard on the electric motors in the trans.
The trans is our cars are very very expensive to replace and there is no repair. And very cheaply & easily maintained.

And lastly like another poster mentioned smell the hybrid battery vent. Its in the backseat on the passenger side right where a passengers elbow would be. There's a little vent there. And there's a fan behind that vent. Next time see if you can hear a fan in that vent hole turn on which means the hybrid battery has overheated from the high output low charge load. Many posters have mentioned that scenario in a hilly high load event. Must be hard on the traction battery though.

Good luck with your nose!

 

Don't be worried....your just driving with heavy load on hills which tends to push a battery assisted car to the max. If it was me I would push up my maintenance to protect your car.

Use full synthetic motor oil. You must ask for it at the dealer.
Change that every 5,000 miles.

Change the trans fluid every 30,000 miles. I do. Seen many many different dealer quotes ranging from $125 to $200. Shop around.
Its a smart thing to do.

And don't drive with the windows down. Opening that window by that fan will not help.
You have a very nice ac system with a filter on re-circulate that uses very little energy to run compared to a normal car. Its electric. It will clean & condition the air and keep the inside of the car dry preventing premature corrosion of the hundreds of electrical connections in the cabin especially on the many hybrid battery terminals inside the hybrid battery box which you are putting a heavy stress on already.
Plus it will assist in keeping the battery cool. That fan is coming on because the battery is heating up under load.

You should not hear that fan come on if you are parked in the sun. I live in Fla and my parked car see's blistering sun and I have never heard that fan come on. Thats very strange. I have owned my 07 since new and have never heard that fan come on.

Also keep that little battery vent clean and clear of obstructions especially if you have passengers back there. Keep the interior of the car dry & cool. It costs next to nothing.

Good Luck!

 

Which way does the fan direct air ? I presumed it was cabin -> battery.

 

I think it's mainly your battery cooling system. I sometimes got that smell if the fan was working hard.

Go out and sniff the battery vent, that's probably what your smelling.

 

I believe it is cabin too battery then out through the vent tubes that run across the 12v battery area to the outside.