well i took a short trip up mt spokane climbed maybe 3000+ feet to the top at 5880 feet at summit...did ok but towards the top the motor seemed to struggle and a chemical smell came through the air vents...no warning lights came on and nothing seemed wrong under the hood, on the way down i smelled the same smell for a minute....posted in a different forum asking what it could be and no responses...today i drove to work 6.3 miles some down hill only got 84.6 mpg when last time i got 99.9 mpg but coming back from work posted about same overall 56.1 mpg for the 12.6 mile commute as i usaully do... seemed like the car was reluctant to switch and stay on electric but it is only one day out of 6 days i have had my prius...should i go back to the dealership? or is it only a break in period buring off any manufacturing chemicals?
This happened to me today too, just a couple hours ago! However, my climb was only about 1000 feet, going about 35 MPH in Power mode. I definitely wasn't pushing the engine that hard but it was probably the hardest the engine has worked yet since I normally drive around slow in ECO mode. As we got to the top of the hill to a parking lot we noticed a strong smell like burning plastic or rubber through the vents but no warning lights. When we parked and opened the hood there was no smoke and it all looked and seemed normal but there was still a smell coming from the back of the engine for about 30 seconds. My dad thought it might smell like some leftover tape or wiring harness loom touching the exhaust. Maybe it's just something burning off like you say? We parked the car for an hour and drove back down the hill without smelling it again. I've only had the car since Friday but I emailed the dealer to see if I can bring it in ASAP, I don't want to take any chances. I'm big into winter sports, my car needs to make it up hills better than that!
My dealer said to expect some burning smell within about the first 100 miles, as parts get hot for the first time. But I haven't experienced it.
It's fine. It's probably some leftover stuff in the engine burning off (fine particles or whatever is left over from the manufacturing process). I did have a smell come into the cabin while climbing one of the local ski hills but again, no smoke or any visible damage.
My dealer didn't mention that but that would explain it. I've got about 180 kilometers (110 miles) on it so far and that was the first time it got much of a workout. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one having that crazy toxic smell coming through the vents!
it happened within the first 200 miles to me...i hope everything is ok, i will do the trip again to see if it repeats.
Generally all electrical devices smell a bit the first few times they heat up. Combine that with any new smells from the engine and you have your explanation. Tom
I spoke with my dealer and he echoed what was said here. He said I could bring it in anyway for a check but I'm not going to bother unless it happens again. EDIT- Drove the car back up the mountain today, with a little more power this time. No more stink, even under the hood. In celebration, the car was nice enough to pose for a picture... Maybe one day we'll get some sun in Vancouver so I can get a decent shot.
We drove our new Prius 131 miles up and down mountains between Grants Pass and Coos Bay Oregon Friday. All we could smell is oxygen-enriched air. You would think that climbing up and down mountains would hurt your mileage but we still got our 50-mpg for the 131 miles. You would think that weaving your way through the mountains would lower your mpg but it didn't. Dan
Well the story with the mountains and MPG is that what goes up must also go down. So your MPG drops on the way up and goes up on the way down and at the end you are still getting quite well balanced MPG due to Prius regenerative braking and ability not to use the ICE when it does not need to.
My pre-hybrids love the mountains. As long as the downhill is not steep enough, or turns tight enough, to require significant braking, mpg is better than on flat sea-level freeway runs. Mountains create a natural Pulse & Glide. And high altitudes create less air drag, and less engine pumping loss (a lesser factor with Atkinson-cycle engines, including hybrids). My hybrid hasn't been in the mountains yet.
