So this has happened twice now. I picked up the truck in August it now has 3500 miles on it. First time towing my boat up a mountain pass at around 300 miles on it, I noticed this horrible smell when we stopped at the top of the pass. The boat only weighs about 7000 pounds - which is nothing for a new powerstroke. But the transmission temps on these things run super hot... I was pushing 240-ish which is apparently normal. I thought maybe this was a break-in thing. Then a couple days ago I pulled my camper over a mountain pass - much heavier around 15K pounds, stopped at the top and sure enough, same smell. No other symptoms, watched my temps on the way up and it was very cold outside so it really never got over 220-230.

Is the smell from transmission fluid? Oil/Exhaust temps? I hate to bring it to the dealer without some sort of idea of what it is first. It smells like fresh asphalt or actually burnt rubber - like when you smell a burnout at the drag strip. I don't know. Anyone else run into this with a solution? My old powerstroke had the 6 speed and jeez it was bullet proof and ran nice and cool no matter what I threw at it, so this new 10 speed makes me nervous.

 

I would guess this is something burning off on your exhaust. Do you have any kind of undercoating on it? Can't see how this could be anything to do with the transmission.

 

I didn't personally have any special undercoating applied. Whatever they normally do from the factory. This was a special order tremor package, with the blackouts and stuff, but can't see how that would have anything to do with it. Thanks for the reply.

 

My guess is this is just your emissions equipment at work. When towing heavy, my 6.7 would always smell like burning brake pads when I'd stop to refuel.

 

Sounds like you are smelling a Regen event and it can get rather obvious when stopped.

 

Possibly a regen. Maybe pick up an iDash or something to hook up so that you can monitor the regen status and EGT temps. Saying that, I have never really smelt anything like you explained, even when I know it's in a regen, which I always do.

 

I've noticed it stinks during/right after a Regen as well. Not that mine tells me it's in Regen, but the dip in mileage and 5,000* exhaust are tipoffs... lol

 

oh, it stinks regardless. I started mine up in the garage the other day to do some forscan work and run the scan tool through it. Door was open, but still, the smell permeated the garage and it stinks! What you smell is more likely a heavy use of DEF and residual REGEN heat.

 

Is it like a burnt rubber smell?

 

Am I reading that correctly 240 trans oil temps?
That's not out of line for engine oil but that sounds high for trans fluid.

 

Yes it does... I often wonder what it smells like when traffic is behind me when I'm in the middle of active regen on the expressway...

 

Through all the mountain passes I've been through, my transmission temperature has never gone over 235°F. The engine oil temp on the other hand has hit 243°F as I recall.

When new and I towed for the first time, I thought my truck was on fire it smelled so bad. I even took it and the trailer right to the dealership. Now it doesn't smell like that. A regen and perhaps DEF will stink a bit.

 

Thinking about this, didn't the 17 plus MYs change from the 11 to 16s using the the secondary cooling systems to the primary cooling system to cool trans fluid?

 

my 2021 trans temps when heavy towing in the mountain gets around 220F. Oil hits about 227F then it gets real agressive with the cooling fan on high.

Coolant never reallly gets more than about 215F.

Get something to monitor the vitals. I have the idash too. Just plug and play to monitor with.

 

Yup. Did it again this morning when I was almost to work. I'm sure the morning temps in the teens made it take longer to warm up, but it picked the worst time to go into Regen, lol