# Burning rubber smell

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/burning-rubber-smell/30301>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [May 11, 2009, 2:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/burning-rubber-smell/30301 "2009-05-11T02:13:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![tomfaber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc29f/32.png) [@tomfaber](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tomfaber)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 2:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/burning-rubber-smell/30301/1 "2009-05-11T02:13:35Z")

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i have a 04 f-150 ford truck . about 2 month ago the rear roters & pads were replaced . since then i have only driven it for not much more than 20 miles a day . today i drove it about 100 miles . when i got home something smelled like burning rubber . i then noticed that the rear passenger rim was very hot to the touch and that was where the smell was coming from . any ideas ?

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**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 2:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/burning-rubber-smell/30301/2 "2009-05-11T02:18:08Z")

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It sounds like you either left the handbrake (parking brake ) on or your rear calipers seized up. You obviously need to take it back to the shop and have the problem diagnosed.

Sometimes you have a problem that fits no standard explanation. Like a few years back I got a plastic garbage bag stuck on my hot catalytic converter. The only solution was to just burn it off with the accompanying horrible smell.

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**Author:** ![edb1961](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/edb1961/32/122_2.png) [@edb1961](https://community.cartalk.com/u/edb1961)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 3:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/burning-rubber-smell/30301/3 "2009-05-11T03:46:05Z")

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I had the same problem with my 2000 Blazer after the rear pad were replaced. Both calipers seized up and had to be replaced. I also noticed the truck was sluggish and of course the mpg went down. Hopefully it’s just the parking brake in your case.

Ed B.