Burning smell

[grant_w]

I've had my DS3 DStyle Nav for a couple of weeks now and I've just done 1,000 miles. I do 65 miles per day for work, and this weekend we went to the mother-in-laws which was a 2 hour drive. All totally fine. While we were up there we drove into town for lunch, but driving back from town (around 2 miles) the car absolutely stank of burning. You couldn't notice it inside the car, as soon as you got out you could smell it. I lifted the bonnet and it was definitely coming from under there somewhere, don't know what though, so I left it to cool down (it did feel really hot for a 2-mile journey) and went back out to run it for a little bit later on, but it seemed fine. Then we had our 2 hour journey home, again fine.

Hopefully a one-off but has anyone got any ideas what it could have been?

[mjogreen]

Hmmm. Wasn't the clutch by any chance was it? Poor clutch control can create a nasty smell that lingers for ages.

[cyclone]

You do not say what type of engine you have but if it was a diesel it may have been trying to do a DPF regeneration after your long drive.

[grant_w]

Yes its a diesel

[grant_w]

Could be DPF regeneration, to be honest I'd never heard of it before

Just looked it up and I'm 100% sure it was this. Thanks

[Bigfeet]

If the car is a diesel then yes most likely it's the DPF system regenerating. The smell will be something similar to a burnt charcoal.

[Old Bloke]

... or a plastic bag blown under the car and stuck to the exhaust. Not uncommon.

[lfcrule1972]

Burnt charcoal ?? Nah that's way too posh, the burnt plastic bag is closer to the smell in my experience