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Burning Plastic Smell

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Msw1382

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Just turned over 500 miles. On the way home the truck started to idle a bit “off”, I was able to hear a slight declining whistle sound when letting off the throttle (not the turbo) and it smells of burning plastic.
Anyone else have this happen or know wtf this is? I’m sitting in my living room with the windows open and can smell it. I crawled under and didn’t see any wires melting next to the exhaust but the smell is stronger under there than it is in the engine bay.
 
Diesel? Sound likes you had your first diesel exhaust fuel regeneration. It smells.

Msw1382 said:
Just turned over 500 miles. On the way home the truck started to idle a bit “off”, I was able to hear a slight declining whistle sound when letting off the throttle (not the turbo) and it smells of burning plastic.
Anyone else have this happen or know wtf this is? I’m sitting in my living room with the windows open and can smell it. I crawled under and didn’t see any wires melting next to the exhaust but the smell is stronger under there than it is in the engine bay.
Click to expand...
 
Yeah, 6.7 Cummins. At 500 miles and no notice on dash?

also forgot to mention mpg tanked within 5 miles. I was at 14.5 and on my way home it dropped to 13.6. also noticed at deceleration the mpg meter wouldn’t go all the way to the top of the gauge. It stays just above 15.
 
From what I understand, the engine uses more fuel to work harder and generate the heat necessary to burn the residue in the DPF filter.
My first Cummings too, so someone correct me if I am wrong.

Msw1382 said:
Yeah, 6.7 Cummins. At 500 miles and no notice on dash?

also forgot to mention mpg tanked within 5 miles. I was at 14.5 and on my way home it dropped to 13.6. also noticed at deceleration the mpg meter wouldn’t go all the way to the top of the gauge. It stays just above 15.
Click to expand...
 
Regen. Most of the time you won't ever even know its doing it's thing, that's good. Very little will it actually pop up on your screen that it's doing an active regen. It does happen and that's ok, just make sure to keep driving it, preferably at hwy spds until it goes out. You can scroll to your regen filter %% ful screen. You can watch the %% gauge increase in small increments from zero and go up. Its not a vey exciting gauge to watch as you don't normally catch it with a %% above zero, but if you watch long enough you will see it climb, 7% 12% 25% 37% and start screaming come on baby, fire up. If I'm not mistaken, it gets somewhere around 1800 degrees when it's at its highest heat during a regeneration, so smelling something burning, especially when new, although uncomfortable, it's normal and a good thing. Alwys makes me happy to smell it, see idle increase or fuel and or def fluid to drop quicker than normal , this means its working properly
 
Not sure if it’s the same issue as you’re having but I had something similar happen with my gasser around 500 miles, determined it was the exhaust system burning off the factory coating. Happened once and then was gone, hasn’t happened since. It smelled like a combo of hot brakes, hot transmission and burning wires. You could really smell it strong at the right rear of the truck by the resonator, no smell at the front. I don’t know what to tell you about the turbo whistling or if the 2 things are related. Ramcares monitors this forum and I’m sure will offer to help you if it continues to be a problem. Good luck
 
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Kimo7 said:
Not sure if it’s the same issue as you’re having but I had something similar happen with my gasser around 500 miles, determined it was the exhaust system burning off the factory coating. Happened once and then was gone, hasn’t happened since. It smelled like a combo of hot brakes, hot transmission and burning wires. You could really smell it strong at the right rear of the truck by the resonator, no smell at the front. I don’t know what to tell you about the turbo whistling or if the 2 things are related. Ramcares monitors this forum and I’m sure will offer to help you if it continues to be a problem. Good luck
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Hey kimo, yours was just having a mistaken identity newborn crisis. She was trying to be a big girl and regen, i think I can REGEN, i think I can REGEN, then she came to terms that I am what I am and fizzled out, wong Wong wong:plolhaha
 
Bad smell and bad mileage. Diagnosis is definitely regen. Your truck is functioning as designed! Drive it hard or at highway speeds and burn the soot off. You’ll get used to it after a while.
 
Thanks all. First deisel but didn't expect it at 500 mike's and really didn't expect burning plastic smell
 
Okay, I am not sure if this is what I have been smelling but it smells like hot brakes or a burnt clutch? I have just over 10k on the truck and this is the first I have smelled this smell? This is my first diesel... Normal or not?
 
Yeah when I started it the Regen screen was on. So I guess that is what it was...
 
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