Burning smell
Burning smell from engine bay or cabin; can be oil leak, clutch, brakes, or electrical.
HIGH RISK
Common symptoms
- See page for quick checks
Cost expectations
Typical costs vary by car and region. Use this as a ballpark.
- DIY / parts: £20–£80
- Garage / labour: £80–£250
Most likely causes (ranked)
Start at the top. Rule out the common, cheap causes before expensive ones.
- Oil leak onto exhaust
- Clutch slipping
- Brake drag
- Electrical overheating
- Coolant leak onto hot parts
Quick checks (fast, low-cost)
Fast checks you can do with basic tools before buying parts.
- Check for visible smoke and source location.
- Inspect for oil around turbo/exhaust manifold.
- Check clutch for slip under load.
- After short drive, check if one wheel is very hot (brakes).
- If electrical smell, stop and inspect wiring/battery.
Recommended tools
These tools make diagnosis faster and stop you buying random parts.
Related fixes
If your symptoms don’t match perfectly, check these next.
What to do next
- Treat electrical burning smells as urgent.
- Fix oil leaks to prevent fire risk.