Burning electrical smell coming from HVAC

[Tetsuo9106]

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).

I am getting a burning plastic smell as well. I'm in Maryland and it has been around 20-45F. A bit of snow and ice. It is a little disconcerting. I smell it most of the time now after any length drive. 3000miles on vehicle. Any response as to what to do? Thanks

Update:
No remote start here. I can smell it outside the vehicle as well. I have 2.3l. Manual. Soft top. Lux.

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[Julz670]

I've also noticed the electrical burning smell occasionally. Seems to go away pretty quickly. I keep forgetting to mention it in this forum because it does go away within the first few minutes of driving then its out of mind. I think every time I've smelled it was after remote starting and letting it warm up for 10-15 minutes. I was hoping it was just new electronics and heating stuff burning off so was going to give it some time before asking a dealership. I don't recall smelling it within the last week or so (have had my Bronco for 4 weeks now).

OP, let us know what you hear back from @Ford Motor Company after you PM. If this is an issue I'll definitely bring mine in, but I'm glad to hear I'm not alone in the smells.

 

[WuNgUn]

@Snakebite
Do you have a smell outside the car as well??
I get this when I remote start it seems. And it's been well below freezing lately as well.
Over 3000km on the odometer

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/anyone-else-have-a-burning-smell-when-remote-starting.32836/

 

[Lurker B6G]

I've also noticed the electrical burning smell occasionally. I think every time I've smelled it was after remote starting and letting it warm up for 10-15 minutes.

Exactly this. It only happens when I use the remote start and let it warm up for 10-15 minutes. The smell is strong enough to be on the edge of disconcerting, but if I lower the windows for a couple of seconds after I start-up it pretty much clears out.

Now the kicker. I'm waiting for my Bronco. This is exactly what is happening in the Explorer Timberline I got a few months back while waiting. Only been cold now for a little while, and I am hoping that it dissipates the more I use the remote start...

 

[Julz670]

Do you have a smell outside the car as well??
I get this when I remote start it seems. And it's been well below freezing lately as well.
Over 3000km on the odometer

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/anyone-else-have-a-burning-smell-when-remote-starting.32836/

I've only noticed the smell inside the vehicle, haven't smelled it as I walk up to the vehicle. But I also don't park in a garage so if there is a smell outside for a few minutes after remote starting, it could be blowing away before I get to the vehicle.

 

[WuNgUn]

Is the air pump trying way too hard lighting off the catalytic??
Something is getting really hot somewhere and I don't like it.

 

[Shacky4]

I'm getting something similar. I've been observing for a while now. I do not think it's related to the seat warmers. It seems like after the Bronc is running for a while or after I have been driving a while, all of a sudden a smell comes on and I think from the heat vents. I wouldn't say it smells like burnt electrical, it actually reminds me of hot cloth. Like if you are ironing something. Not burning cloth, just hot. I know that sounds weird. It goes away after a while but it happens pretty regularly. I've got nearly 3k on my BB so I don't think it's a thing related to it being brand new.

 

[skithebadlands]

I've experienced something very similar. I have a badlands 2.3 manual hardtop took delivery in NJ late October. Currently have @3k miles. I don't have remote start (manual transmission). I don't recall smelling this in the first 1k miles at all. The odor is essentially what others have described. I seem to smell it when a come to a stop. It can't be stuff burning off. It's noxious enough that I open the windows to air it out and it eventually dissipates. It is 100% not under the hood as I've jumped out and popped the hood about 3 times already and while I can smell it in the cab there is no odor whatsoever in the engine compartment. This evening I was driving in heavy snow, about 20 degrees outside, had been driving about 20 mins and missed a turn on narrow backwoods roads. I drove in reverse about 40 ft and noticed the burnt electrical/plastic/fabric or whatever odor stronger than ever. I opened the driver window and it was largely gone in about 3 minutes. But at this point I've smelled it probably a dozen times. At 3k miles there shouldn't be any of the oil coatings still burning off. It seems that the colder it is outside the more likely it will happen but I've been using the heat essentially since taking delivery of the vehicle. It sounds like others are experiencing something similar which means it's not likely a random freak issue with one vehicle. Hopefully someone finds out what it is so that we can all get it resolved.

 

[IXxMcCoyxXl]

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).

same here. following

 

[Snakebite]

@Snakebite
Do you have a smell outside the car as well??
I get this when I remote start it seems. And it's been well below freezing lately as well.
Over 3000km on the odometer

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/anyone-else-have-a-burning-smell-when-remote-starting.32836/

I have a manual. So no remote start for me. I haven’t noticed the smell since that first time, so I haven’t had the chance to see if it smells like that outside the vehicle

 

[IXxMcCoyxXl]

I have noticed it twice but could not find source. Smelled like it was coming from vents but how would you know. I have about 3700kms on it and has been in last week that i have noticed it. 2.3 Manual

 

[Broncolli]

This happened to me once - I used remote start about a couple of weeks ago. I came out and there was a burning smell and smoke coming from the hood. It was a snowy day as well. I could smell the burning of something and saw the smoke. The smell was on the inside and outside of the vehicle. All temperatures looked normal and no error messages so I drove for about 10 minutes, then I opened the hood and looked around, everything was fine and no more smell. I had chalked it up to a plastic bag getting caught near the exhaust on my driveway, although I never found anything burnt anywhere until I saw this thread.

 

[wetdog]

Under the hood of the 2.3 and the 2.7 is a lot of plastic parts close to really hot parts ,I would look there closely.

 

[WuNgUn]

This happened to me once - I used remote start about a couple of weeks ago. I came out and there was a burning smell and smoke coming from the hood. It was a snowy day as well. I could smell the burning of something and saw the smoke. The smell was on the inside and outside of the vehicle. All temperatures looked normal and no error messages so I drove for about 10 minutes, then I opened the hood and looked around, everything was fine and no more smell. I had chalked it up to a plastic bag getting caught near the exhaust on my driveway, although I never found anything burnt anywhere until I saw this thread.

Smoke? And you went for a drive before looking??
That would be like blowing on a cinder to get a fire started!
Becareful

 

[Broncolli]

Smoke? And you went for a drive before looking??
That would be like blowing on a cinder to get a fire started!
Becareful

yes - I know it was cold outside and after seeing all the gauges ok, I figured something had gotten stuck in the exhaust pipes, like a plastic bag. When I got to where I was going, everything looked absolutely normal.

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