Smelly Brakes

Valandis91 · Post by **Valandis91** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 9:53 am

This has happened twice that when braking from 100kph fairly hard but no squeeling or anyhting my brakes smell like off egg and it stinks the inside of the car...
anyone know why?
could it just be bad pads?

RallyMad · Post by **RallyMad** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 10:25 am

That rotten egg smell is usually from burning power steering fluid. I feel sorry for you mate it's a disgusting smell.

If it's only happening when your braking I'd say you must have a leak in the system thats dripping on the brakes and then burning off when you hit the brakes. Not sure of any lines that run near the wheels to help you there sorry, unless the pump has gone. It's the top pump on the front of the motor. The first belt you see closest to the engine drives it, I'd be checking for signs of fluid. Power steering fluid usually has a redish colour.

Hope this helps mate, if someone comes along and confirms that it is something with your brakes then just ignore me

But I've only ever heard of that smell from burning power steering fluid.

Valandis91 · Post by **Valandis91** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 11:03 am

hmm but it only happens when i brake hard...
like braking normally in traffic nothing smells or nothing...
strange
unless braking normally doesnt get it hot enough to burn the fluid?

RallyMad · Post by **RallyMad** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 11:34 am

maybe, that makes sense to me. The hard braking I think would produce enough heat that would burn off the fluid that may be dripping on some part of the hub. The reservoir is just over the drivers side wheel arch so there might be a leak there somewhere.

Post by **I8A4RE** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 11:46 am

In my experience rotton egg smell is usually from a F^&ked cat, not brakes.

Sorry rallymad but i dont think that power steering fluid could get on the brake disc, but thats just my opinion, i could be wrong (but i doubt it jok). However it could be some other sort of chemical that may of splashed on there and when heated starts to burn

Jack the front of the car up, take the wheel off, start the car put into gear and mimic what you would be doing on the road and you should be able to see whats happening.

Also check your exhaust that a plastic bag hasnt stuck to the underneath of your car.

ALL NORMAL DISCLAIMER APPLIES

NOTE: Axle stands should always be used when working underneath a vehicle

Valandis91 · Post by **Valandis91** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 11:54 am

but if its from the cat shouldnt it always smell when its on???
cos it had a new high flo cat installed like a year ago by the previous dude
ill have a look tonight

RallyMad · Post by **RallyMad** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 11:59 am

I8A4RE wrote:In my experience rotton egg smell is usually from a F^&ked cat, not brakes.

Sorry rallymad but i dont think that power steering fluid could get on the brake disc, but thats just my opinion, i could be wrong (but i doubt it jok). However it could be some other sort of chemical that may of splashed on there and when heated starts to burn

Fair enough, I agree with you though, just thats my experience of that smell, though I can't think how it could get onto the disc, thought it could be getting onto the hub and the heat from the brakes could be burning it but still can't think of how it could get from the pump or reservoir to there.

I'd say do what I8A4RE has said and while your at it with the car up check for fluid leaks etc

nikhan · Post by **nikhan** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 10:54 pm

I dont think its your brakes tat is the problem. I have the same problem when i flog my baby above 120kmh. The is a nasty smell both in and outside the car after tat. Dstocks said there might be an oil leak somewhere and might have got burnt in the exhaust. So u might wanna check for any oil leaks by jackin up the car and lookin under it. Dstocks said something about the drive shaft boot lid or something like tat. I done tink its my cat because i jus changed mine 3 mths ago. Tats my opinion and may be wrong

pete_gpx · Post by **pete_gpx** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 1:26 am

nikhan wrote:I dont think its your brakes tat is the problem. I have the same problem when i flog my baby above 120kmh. The is a nasty smell both in and outside the car after tat. Dstocks said there might be an oil leak somewhere and might have got burnt in the exhaust. So you might wanna check for any oil leaks by jackin up the car and lookin under it. Dstocks said something about the drive shaft boot lid or something like tat. I done tink its my cat because i jus changed mine 3 mths ago. Tats my opinion and may be wrong

Haha, I have the exact same problem as you at the moment. Any hard driving results in a bit of smoke and fumey smell... Time to get my oil leak looked at.

However, I believe this is a different problem to what Valandis is talking about.

Post by **dstocks** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 7:34 am

Split drive shaft boots. When you cane it itll flick out grease everywhere, including the exhaust (from memory it was the passengers side for me). Awful smell. Needs to be looked at quickly because the grease lubricates the joint and once there is none left, itll overheat and detemper the steel. Once thats happened, youre screwed.

Just check for leaks in general though. Any fluid leaking onto a hot exhaust will cause a nasty smell.

Post by **I8A4RE** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:30 am

^^^^^^^ yep that could definitly be the problem

Valandis91 · Post by **Valandis91** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:15 am

that does sound quite a possibility...
actually i reckon your on the money...
cos i do have a slight oil leak...
well i think its a oil leak...
i should probably take the car in for a service
are split boot shafts expensive to fix?
about how much?

cheers

Post by **I8A4RE** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:58 am

There's a guy here on the coast, who does them for $60.

Post by **vipfto** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 9:19 pm

I8A4RE wrote:There's a guy here on the coast, who does them for $60.

hhaha great when he in tas lol

yip would say its cv boots easy to replace or should be under 100 anywhere if you get them done by mech

if they are fine would be looking at cat though

Valandis91 · Post by **Valandis91** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 10:15 am

is there any diys on how to do it?
got so much for the mechanic to do already
wikll be quite costly so considering this ones easy might give it a shot myself

RallyMad · Post by **RallyMad** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 11:09 am

Personally, for that money I'd give it to a CV shop to do. I've only done it once myself and you can pretty much throw away the clothes you were wearing when your done, extremely greasy job. Won't be doing it myself again when I can get someone else to do it for less than $100

Highly reccommend just getting a CV shop to do it mate. Check in the phone book for a CV centre, pretty much every city would have one.

Plus that way you can be sure that it's done properly, in my experience it can be easy to pinch the boot when replacing it and your back where you started.

I think you have to remove the drive shafts to do it, means draining gear box oil, removing the drive shaft from the hub ( not sure of how to do this on a FTO, maybe drop the lower control arm?) then pull out of the gearbox. Then the fiddly crap of removing the old boots, cleaning out all the old grease, fitting new boot and re-greasing then reversing. Very thanksless job if you ask me.

nikhan · Post by **nikhan** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 2:28 am

Anyway, so I took my FTO to the mech to have it checked out. The drive shaft boot wass split at the inner section which splattered oil all over the base of the engine as well as the top of my exhaust. Really messy down there. The cost of replacing the boot is about 80 max. So anything more u noe others are ripping u. Hope tis helps dude. Cheers

Valandis91 · Post by **Valandis91** » Wed Nov 12, 2008 8:51 am

anyways after taking my car in yesterday they said the cv boots are fine...
it was just the thrashing smell they said...
bit odd i thought

oh my car is so much better to drive with new plugs and leads!
the ones in before were the original ones which had done 150,000km!!!!

so im happy apart from i have several oil leaks around the cam area starting from the top and making its way down

Post by **vipfto** » Wed Nov 12, 2008 6:33 pm

Valandis91 wrote:anyways after taking my car in yesterday they said the cv boots are fine...
it was just the thrashing smell they said...
bit odd i thought

oh my car is so much better to drive with new plugs and leads!
the ones in before were the original ones which had done 150,000km!!!!

so im happy apart from i have several oil leaks around the cam area starting from the top and making its way down

get the timing belt water pump and seals etc theymight be original too and thasts not good