Burning Smell After Towing

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crfracer671

Member

:

2016 CX-5

• May 10, 2017

• #1

I recently began towing a trailer that is hovering around the 2000# capacity and i notice a burning smell when coming to a stop after highway travel. The smell only lasts a short duration and upon inspecting outside of the vehicle I cannot pin point where it's coming from. My guess it is either the clutch or the brakes. Has anyone else experienced this? My cx5 is a 16 touring with 20k miles on it.

 

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batmancx

:

2013 CX-9 AWD, 2016.5 CX-5 AWD

• May 10, 2017

• #2

crfracer671 said:

I recently began towing a trailer that is hovering around the 2000# capacity and i notice a burning smell when coming to a stop after highway travel. The smell only lasts a short duration and upon inspecting outside of the vehicle I cannot pin point where it's coming from. My guess it is either the clutch or the brakes. Has anyone else experienced this? My cx5 is a 16 touring with 20k miles on it.

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do you have a AWD ? if so, I would go underneath and check the front transfer case and rear differential for any signs of oil leak, they only hold about 1/2 liter of oil each, if strained they tend to overheat and spew oil thru the breather valve if pressure gets too high

 

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eyedocorlando

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2014 Mazda 6 GT with MRCC

• May 10, 2017

• #3

That sounds like brakes if it's not an oily smell. Brakes will get seriously hot and put off quite a lot of smell after towing and coming to a stop.

 

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crfracer671

Member

:

2016 CX-5

• May 10, 2017

• #4

Yes, AWD. It's a hot rubber type smell so I'm hoping it's the breaks. I will also check the transfer case and rear diff for leaks. How often should the oil in these be changed?

 

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Moonlighter

:

CX5 Akera 2.2 Diesel

• May 10, 2017

• #5

Has your trailer got brakes?

 

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Kedis82ZE8

'15 CX-5 AWD GT w/Tech Pkg

Contributor

• May 10, 2017

• #6

crfracer671 said:

Yes, AWD. It's a hot rubber type smell so I'm hoping it's the breaks. I will also check the transfer case and rear diff for leaks. How often should the oil in these be changed?

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If you tow or have a rooftop carrier manual says to replace rear diff fluid every 30K miles. Even though owners manual doesn't call for it I am changing the front transfer as well at those intervals.

 

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Guest2019C20

• May 10, 2017

• #7

I had this smell after my first tow.

It wasn't the brakes, I bedded them in, and when towing, I coast to a stop.

I think some of it is just burning gunk (cosmoline?) off the exhaust, or surrounding areas.

Some might be oil near exhaust, too.