[JoeKaws]

i got a 2011 honda CR-V 2.4 A/T, and there is a burning smell entering the cabin (seems like coming from the AC) during hard acceleration, especially at around 5000 rpm+. Is this a common issue for 3rd gen CR-V since I notice this since the first week after i bought the car, like 7 years ago. is there any fix for this issue?

If i want to improve ride quality, does 15 inch rims fit this car, or 16 is the minimum?

thx

 

[racoon]

I have a 2014 CR-V with a 2.4L A/T and do not have a burning smell in the cabin.

Have you talked to your Honda dealer about the smell?

I checked tirerack.com to see what they sell that would fit a 2011 CR-V.
The smallest wheel they sell that would fit is a 16", although it lists 17" as the original size.
And they do sell up to 22" wheels.

My guess is that the issue would be the same as the 2005-2006 CR-Vs.
The 2002-2004 CR-Vs came with 15" wheels, but the 2005 and 2006 CR-Vs came with 16".
The reason for the increased wheel size was larger brakes on the 2005 and 2006 CR-Vs.

 

[wlong01]

Check the cabin air filter, see what kind of shape it's in.

 

[JoeKaws]

I have a 2014 CR-V with a 2.4L A/T and do not have a burning smell in the cabin.

Have you talked to your Honda dealer about the smell?

I checked tirerack.com to see what they sell that would fit a 2011 CR-V.
The smallest wheel they sell that would fit is a 16", although it lists 17" as the original size.
And they do sell up to 22" wheels.

My guess is that the issue would be the same as the 2005-2006 CR-Vs.
The 2002-2004 CR-Vs came with 15" wheels, but the 2005 and 2006 CR-Vs came with 16".
The reason for the increased wheel size was larger brakes on the 2005 and 2006 CR-Vs.

They don't find anything wrong with the car, but i'm not sure if they check the car properly or not, since im not in the US.
I did a couple of hard acceleration test recntly, and if i turn off the AC, the burning smell enter the cabin much slower, however, as soon as i turn on the AC, it smell very badly. And also, if I put the car at 3rd gear, and let the rpm rise to around 4K, it start producing the same smell again, but much less.

for rim size, if it's only 1 size down (18" to 17"), is the ride quality difference will still be huge?

Check the cabin air filter, see what kind of shape it's in.

I change it already, the old one was very dirty

 

[kloker]

Just in front of your windshield, below the wipers, you will see the cowl fresh air intake grill. It is very easy for leaves and other detritus to get into the fresh air intake duct from there. I once actually had those leaves catch fire running the heater in winter time. Had to disassemble it and clean it all out. No damage, just cleaned it out, problem solved. However, if the burning smell is happening with the A/C, it could be your blower fan motor going out. Check to see if the motor is hot when you smell it. If it is hot the bearings are burning up, and there might possibly be foreign matter stuck in there, like leaves, or a pencil. Solution - replace the blower motor, make sure to feel around inside the housing to see if anything is in there that shouldn't be. I have found paper clips, leaves, paper, pencils, etc. Things can get in there from the fresh air intake cowl or the defroster ducts on the dash and cause friction. You might also check the fan speed resistor, sometimes they will smell when burning out slowly. A factory service manual is your friend for this sort of stuff - it will help you see what is involved in taking it apart, and where things are in there.

Another thing to do is, get the smell happening, then open you hood and walk around the engine, smelling it, to see if you can determine if it's coming from the engine compartment. It is possible, but I doubt it. More likely it is one of the above things. Is acceleration really involved? Are you sure about that? If it is, you could have an oil leak or trans problem, but, once again, I expect the problem is in the above paragraph. If all else fails, find an actual real mechanic (most dealerships don't have any - they just have parts replacers).

Wheel size has no effect whatever on ride quality or road noise. Your stock 17" wheels are perfectly fine, just get better tires. Ask your tire man for the quietest, best riding tire, but do your own research first. Your issue is 100% tire-related, assuming the struts/shocks are good. Smaller wheels would likely cause interference due to brake caliper clearance, even with more offset. Just don't go there. I'm not sure where you got the idea that wheel size was the issue, but it most assuredly is not, and whoever told you this does not know what they are talking about, period.

 

[JoeKaws]

Just in front of your windshield, below the wipers, you will see the cowl fresh air intake grill. It is very easy for leaves and other detritus to get into the fresh air intake duct from there. I once actually had those leaves catch fire running the heater in winter time. Had to disassemble it and clean it all out. No damage, just cleaned it out, problem solved. However, if the burning smell is happening with the A/C, it could be your blower fan motor going out. Check to see if the motor is hot when you smell it. If it is hot the bearings are burning up, and there might possibly be foreign matter stuck in there, like leaves, or a pencil. Solution - replace the blower motor, make sure to feel around inside the housing to see if anything is in there that shouldn't be. I have found paper clips, leaves, paper, pencils, etc. Things can get in there from the fresh air intake cowl or the defroster ducts on the dash and cause friction. You might also check the fan speed resistor, sometimes they will smell when burning out slowly. A factory service manual is your friend for this sort of stuff - it will help you see what is involved in taking it apart, and where things are in there.

Another thing to do is, get the smell happening, then open you hood and walk around the engine, smelling it, to see if you can determine if it's coming from the engine compartment. It is possible, but I doubt it. More likely it is one of the above things. Is acceleration really involved? Are you sure about that? If it is, you could have an oil leak or trans problem, but, once again, I expect the problem is in the above paragraph. If all else fails, find an actual real mechanic (most dealerships don't have any - they just have parts replacers).

Wheel size has no effect whatever on ride quality or road noise. Your stock 17" wheels are perfectly fine, just get better tires. Ask your tire man for the quietest, best riding tire, but do your own research first. Your issue is 100% tire-related, assuming the struts/shocks are good. Smaller wheels would likely cause interference due to brake caliper clearance, even with more offset. Just don't go there. I'm not sure where you got the idea that wheel size was the issue, but it most assuredly is not, and whoever told you this does not know what they are talking about, period.

So, i did a couple test related with the AC:
1. transmission in N, A/C on, rev to 4500 rpm+ for 40 sec = no smell
2. Transmission in N A/C off, rev to 4500 rpm+ for 40 sec = no smell
3. Hard acceleration, A/C off = no smell
4. hard acceleration, A/C on =burning smell very badly
5. 3rd gear @4500rpm for 30 sec, A/C on = slight burning smell
6. 3rd gear @4500rpm for 30 sec, A/C off = no burning smell
7. 2nd gear @5500rpm for 30 sec, A/C on = slight burning smell, lesser than test 5
8. 90mph, A/C off = no burning smell
9. 90 mph, A/C on = burning smell, as bad as under hard acceleration
so I think there is something wrong with how the A/C work related to engine rpm AND speed since in Neutral, even at 4500 rpm+ it doesn't smell at all, but i don't know much about this. i'm going to ask the mechanic on monday

For the tire, my car come standard with 18 inch rim, I read from some website that says lowering the rim size will increase ride quality since you can put a thicker wheel to match the OEM diameter. So, i'm considering switching from 18 inch to 17 or 16 if the ride quality difference is huge.

 

[genuser]

OP, may be we should focus on burning smell on this thread. A separate thread can be started regarding the rims.

Let's take this to the next level.
What kind of smell?
- Rubber / plastic
- Metal
- Oil
- Biological (dead creatures)?
- Fuel
- fruity smell
- Rotten eggs
- Other flavors?
- Right after test #4, park the vehicle. With engine running and hood up, observe the following
- what location in the engine bay the smell is strongest?
- Do you see any smoke, vapor, fumes etc?
- Any leaks in the engine bay?
- under car, any leaks?

Do you hear any unusual noise when the it smells? (squeals, grinding, rattling, metallic, non-metallic etc)

Stop the engine
- Check the fluids (oil, transmission, coolant etc). Is any level slowly going down?
- How long does it smell after the crv is turned off?

A/C
- Does the A/C work when it is turned on?
- Is the A/C refrigerant at the correct pressure?

 

[kloker]

Genuser - I already told him to do these things.

JoeKaws - What country are you in ? The stock wheel size for 2011's (and all Gen3's 2007-2011) is 17" worldwide. If you have the stock original wheels that came on the car from the factory they are 17," NOT 18" - If they are 18" they are NOT stock. I have 18" aftermarket wheels on my 2007 with no issues. But, again, wheel size has no relation to ride at all. That website told you wrong, so just forget you ever saw that - it's bad information. Changing wheel sizes will have absolutely no effect on the ride, I don't care what anybody tells you. It is simply not true. Whether you have 18" or 17" wheels you will get the same exact effect on ride with new, better riding tires.


I noticed in your "testing" - In every instance where you say there is no smell, the A/C is off. That would tell me the problem is in the A/C. Engine or car speed is not related in any way, so forget that. You either have leaves or other foreign matter burning inside the ducts (but this is only likely while running the heater and not the A/C), or (most likely) your blower motor bearings are burning up.


Now that you have been given all this info repeatedly, the ball is in your court. Good luck.