weird smell from rear of car

[jds]

My 2001 Honda GX has had a strange smell after driving, sort of like overheated rubber. The smell is detectable only outside the car on the driver's side, and seems to emanate from the rear of the car -- it does not seem to be coming from under the hood. The car does not overheat, and it is running just fine. It was recently serviced -- oil changed, etc. -- and is up to date on all maintenance.

I know I should take it in to get this checked out, and I will do so next week. However, I have to drive 200 miles this weekend -- two 100-mile trips -- and am wondering whether there is any reason I should consider not doing so. I just don't know what this could be, and am concerned it may have something to do with a seal on the tank or something since that's approximately the location of the smell. CNG vehicles are new to me -- I've had this car for about 6 months (though I do have all of the records for it). I also don't know much about car repair in general.

Any advice would be appreciated -- I guess I just want to know that this has nothing to do with the CNG tank and that it's fine to drive it until I have a chance to take it in.

Thanks!

[PaulH]

Re: weird smell from rear of car

Any chance that the guys who changed your oil spilled some onto a surface that allows the oil to drip onto the exhaust pipe?

[Green GX]

Re: weird smell from rear of car

Any chance that the guys who changed your oil spilled some onto a surface that allows the oil to drip onto the exhaust pipe?

...or anything else that gets kinda warm? It may take a while to burn off.

Bill

[WellFedEd]

Re: weird smell from rear of car

You might check under the car to see if a plastic shopping bag got caught up on your exhaust, that could melt to it and really stink.

[jds]

Re: weird smell from rear of car

Thanks -- I'll check under the car. It's been almost a week though -- anything should have burned off by now I'd think. But I'll check.

[WellFedEd]

Re: weird smell from rear of car

Not in my case, it happened on my previous car and I was told it would burn off. After a few weeks I ended up jacking it up and scraping it off, what fun!

[Larryect]

Re: weird smell from rear of car

Spilled oil probably would not take as long. But a shopping bag could. Good suggestion.

[ch4]

Re: weird smell from rear of car

You might check under the car to see if a plastic shopping bag got caught up on your exhaust, that could melt to it and really stink.

It's the absolute worst. I thought I'd just center the car with the bag and that way I would not run over anything. Took 2 months to get it all - best advice is get it quick cause it does not burn off.

[freedml]

Re: weird smell from rear of car

If it were a gas leak, it would smell like 'gas'. NG has no smell by itself, so they add an odorant for leak detection.