Oil/chemical smell within the first 100 miles

[PaulJohnsonAK]

Hey guys,

first time 4Runner owner. My wife and I just bought our 25 SR 5 this past weekend. We have owned a RAV4 and a Tacoma in the past.

With our 4Runner we have noticed a distinct chemical smell when we arrive in our garage after a drive. Doesn’t exactly smell like oil burning. We have 68 miles on the vehicle.

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this and how long it lasted?

Thanks,
Paul

Sponsored

 

[Mad Ghost]

Yeah it lasted probably a hundred miles. Turn on your heat etc to get rid of it

 

[Nodak]

interior off gasing of plastics will linger a while longer than exterior smells.

this is more pre-dominant on the lower trims with more plastics

 

[kinetic262]

Had it on my 2025 ORP. Dissipated very quickly.

 

[risurfstyle]

Had it on my 2025 ORP. Dissipated very quickly.

I also had it for first drive or two, went away quickly

 

[dandan310]

I have a 2025 SR5 with 4000 miles on it anytime I hit the gas and the turbo kicks in with the rear window cracked or down there’s a burning smell and also like a rotten egg smell. I thought this was normal when the car was brand new but as time goes on, the smell remains are almost gets worse. I took it to the dealer to get checked out. They had another 2025 that they compared it to and that one smells as well I was told to try different octane levels of gas in different stations, which I have with minimal to no change. The smell usually kicks in when I’m getting up to 40 or 50 miles an hour with the back window cracked.

 

[Vahn]

I realize this thread is a bit older, but between this one and the one @dandan310 started, this seemed like the better fit for what I’m experiencing. I figured I’d bump it rather than start another thread.

I just brought home a brand-new Platinum trim today — only 6 miles on the odometer when I picked it up.

There’s a very distinct burning or burning-rubber smell. It doesn’t smell chemical to me (though I don’t have the best sense of smell), but it’s definitely noticeable. My wife can smell it too.

I can’t pin it down to using the turbo or the brakes. I don’t have to roll the windows down to smell it, and it’s not constant, but it frequent. I tried to push the Turbo or get on the brakes hard, but I can't quite put my finger on it.

A couple of searches tells me I shouldn't worry, get my break-in done, and this goes away after a few days --so that's what I am going to do.

I also felt obligated to put this into the universe because we don't have a lot of threads about it here on 4runner6g.

Please shout out if you got something that fresh off the boat and experienced this.

 

[Nodak]

The typical "new car smell"

• What it is: A combination of gases released from new materials used in the car's interior, such as plastics, leather, adhesives, and carpets.
• What's happening: These materials release VOCs as they heat up and are used for the first time.
• Why it's there: It's an unavoidable byproduct of the manufacturing process.
• Other burning smells:
  • Possible cause: A protective coating on the engine or exhaust system may be burning off.
    
    
  • What to do: This is often normal and will go away after the first few hundred miles. Drive with your windows open to help air it out. If the smell persists or you have any concerns, contact your dealership.

this applies to any vehicle, not just toyota.

and if you have read the owners manual and maintenance manual, they tell you to do a maintenance break in procedure/interval before driving like you stole it.

i think the new max is like 500 miles but old timers will go out to 1000 miles (the old standard back from the 80's and earlier).

i personally go out to 1000-1200 miles then do an oil change, then at 5k, then every 5k after that interval oil change regardless of engine type or manual recommendation (most push 5000, 7500 or 10,000 intervals)

but dino blends cannot reach the new winter spec of "0" (the first digit is the winter weight of an oil ie: 0-20w)

dino blends the lowest they can usually go is like 10-xxW, but synth can and usually go to 0-xxW


0-20w = Extremely cold climates, as it offers the fastest lubrication at startup.
5-20w = Moderately cold climates where temperatures do not consistently drop below -30°C.
10-20w = Milder climates with less severe winters.



some die-hards will push 3k oil changes from the old days when we used the old dino based oils vs the new synth blends now.

 

[Mad Ghost]

I realize this thread is a bit older, but between this one and the one @dandan310 started, this seemed like the better fit for what I’m experiencing. I figured I’d bump it rather than start another thread.

I just brought home a brand-new Platinum trim today — only 6 miles on the odometer when I picked it up.

There’s a very distinct burning or burning-rubber smell. It doesn’t smell chemical to me (though I don’t have the best sense of smell), but it’s definitely noticeable. My wife can smell it too.

I can’t pin it down to using the turbo or the brakes. I don’t have to roll the windows down to smell it, and it’s not constant, but it frequent. I tried to push the Turbo or get on the brakes hard, but I can't quite put my finger on it.

A couple of searches tells me I shouldn't worry, get my break-in done, and this goes away after a few days --so that's what I am going to do.

I also felt obligated to put this into the universe because we don't have a lot of threads about it here on 4runner6g.

Please shout out if you got something that fresh off the boat and experienced this.

Mine smelled for a few days as I recall of some burning, figured it was brakes being broken in. It was pretty strong but did go away.

 

[Vahn]

Mine smelled for a few days as I recall of some burning, figured it was brakes being broken in. It was pretty strong but did go away.

I took mine out for over 130 miles today, mostly freeway, so not a ton of braking, but I didn't smell it once. Yesterday, it was so bad you'd think the car was on fire.

 

[ugahairydawgs]

I realize this thread is a bit older, but between this one and the one @dandan310 started, this seemed like the better fit for what I’m experiencing. I figured I’d bump it rather than start another thread.

I just brought home a brand-new Platinum trim today — only 6 miles on the odometer when I picked it up.

There’s a very distinct burning or burning-rubber smell. It doesn’t smell chemical to me (though I don’t have the best sense of smell), but it’s definitely noticeable. My wife can smell it too.

I can’t pin it down to using the turbo or the brakes. I don’t have to roll the windows down to smell it, and it’s not constant, but it frequent. I tried to push the Turbo or get on the brakes hard, but I can't quite put my finger on it.

A couple of searches tells me I shouldn't worry, get my break-in done, and this goes away after a few days --so that's what I am going to do.

I also felt obligated to put this into the universe because we don't have a lot of threads about it here on 4runner6g.

Please shout out if you got something that fresh off the boat and experienced this.

Dealer warned us about this when we picked up my 4Runner last week. Said it was something they use to preserve the trucks for the boat ride over and that the smell would fade relatively quick. Took a couple of days, but the smell is gone now. I am at 180 miles on the odometer for what it’s worth.

Sponsored