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Burning electrical smell coming from HVAC

Snakebite

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This morning, while I was waiting for my Bronco to warm up, I had a strong burning electronic smell coming through the vents after a couple minutes. It was -10 F out this morning in good ol North Dakota, and the first time my Bronco sat outside all night. The smell seemed to go away from the vents after about 10 minutes (Once vehicle was warmed up), but it stunk inside my Bronco the whole ride home (15 minutes). I was actually very hesitant to park it in my garage.

Does anybody know, does the Bronco have an electric heater in the HVAC that turns on until vehicle is warmed up. That was my first guess, that the electric heater fried or was the first time it heated up. But I consider myself a fairly mechanically inclined person, and this smell was like and electronic part fried, not just heated up for its first time (2 totally different smells).
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Dubby

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Happened with mine for the first week or so. Seemed like it was coming from under the hood and leaking in through something. It went away...
 

TxBadlands

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I drove mine at the dealer yesterday with 9 miles on it and smelled it. Popped the hood and it was smoking. The dealer said it was just the new plastic and would settle down. I smelled again briefly this morning on the way home from the gym. I’ll be more concerned if it continues for weeks, but otherwise trusting the dealer… brave, I know.
 
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Snakebite

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I drove mine at the dealer yesterday with 9 miles on it and smelled it. Popped the hood and it was smoking. The dealer said it was just the new plastic and would settle down. I smelled again briefly this morning on the way home from the gym. I’ll be more concerned if it continues for weeks, but otherwise trusting the dealer… brave, I know.

I've got over 1000 miles on her already in just the 2 weeks I've had it. So most of those smells are pretty much gone I think. I thought this was more of a burning electric smell and not a plastic smell. But I never did pop the hood. So I'll have to do that if I smell it again.
 
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SpeedTwin

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Yep, right at 500 miles and I've experienced the same smell, just figured it was new parts getting heat cycled in.
 

tjnoffy

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~1,800 miles on my OBX delivered 10/15, and never smelled this. Have run the heat most days in November and December. Glad to hear it's going away for some who have experienced it, but I can't imagine that smoke and a burning smell is "normal." I'd look closer at the cause were it me.
 

TxBadlands

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I've got over 1000 miles on her already in just the 2 weeks I've had it. So most of those smells are pretty much gone I think. I thought this was more of a burning electric smell and not a plastic smell. But I never did pop the hood. So I'll have to do that if I smell it again.
Gotcha. Yeah, that sucks. I guess the two smells are similar to me? Or just the fact that it smells like anything other than new car smell is what bothers me lol
 
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Snakebite

Snakebite

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Could be the electric preheat burning off dust.
Thats what I was wondering. Does the Bronco for sure have an electric preheater in the hvac???
 

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604Bronco

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I noticed this in mine today too. I have just over 1,000 km on it now; only a few weeks old. It went away on its own. I did pop the hood when I got home but didn’t smell anything out of the norm under there. Hopefully it’s just “new vehicle” stuff and is normal.
 

VoltageDrop

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Thats what I was wondering. Does the Bronco for sure have an electric preheater in the hvac???
I don't see it in the wiring diagrams book so I'd say no.
 

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20 miles in, I get a strong burning rubber smell when I park, or reverse.

Also got a parking brake fault when I got into the car (the brake was not set, and the fault went away when I started the car, and I was able to cycle the parking brake with out issue) I was briefly worried I drove with the parking brake on and that was what I was smelling... but I think I would have noticed the drag, and I didnt.

anyway, Im expecting its just the machining fluids and whatever else burning off the powertrain.
 

Ford Motor Company

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This morning, while I was waiting for my Bronco to warm up, I had a strong burning electronic smell coming through the vents after a couple minutes. It was -10 F out this morning in good ol North Dakota, and the first time my Bronco sat outside all night. The smell seemed to go away from the vents after about 10 minutes (Once vehicle was warmed up), but it stunk inside my Bronco the whole ride home (15 minutes). I was actually very hesitant to park it in my garage.

Does anybody know, does the Bronco have an electric heater in the HVAC that turns on until vehicle is warmed up. That was my first guess, that the electric heater fried or was the first time it heated up. But I consider myself a fairly mechanically inclined person, and this smell was like and electronic part fried, not just heated up for its first time (2 totally different smells).
Hi there! Please send us a private message with your VIN and the name & location of your Ford dealership, along with some more details about your situation. I’ll look into this for you. Thanks!
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