Foul smell when turn heater on 06 pt

[kkrtype]

hi everyone,

New to this site - have been having a few problems lately, but the latest is that when I turn the heat up real high, or in the higher mode, there emits a super foul smell, like rubber burning, a burning smell, and you think the car is going to start shooting flames at any moment?? What is wrong?

Lately, every now and then, the instrument panel will light up and then light off, it's a random thing, but tends to happen when I turn right and/or the heater is on - any connection???

[CREWZIN]

Welcome to the forum.

The burning smell (hopefully) is just collected dust and maybe dirt in the tubes and collectors of the system. maybe you can turn it on the hottest setting, full fan and leave it that way for a few minutes to get rid of it. If there's mildew, some owners have use Fabreeze. Spraying it into the vents. Use both the inside and outside air to get to all the vents.

Heating/air-conditioning systems in the house also have that smell for the first few times the heat is used in the winter months.

The lights problem , I don't think, has anything to do with the heating system, but you might have a bad ground in the instrument cluster. Not an easy thing to fix. Lots of labor time.

[kkrtype]

Thank you! However, I live in the northeast, and this is not the first time I have put the heater on, and it was fine before. And it's more than just a foul smell, it smells like burnt rubber, and that the car is going to get on fire at any moment! So I am afraid to turn it to the highest heat, for fear I will burn something.

Any other suggestions?

[2004PTCruiser]

Just a thought but maybe a blower motor going bad or if your having a short under the dash you maybe smelling burning wires either case hard to find but needs to be checked out

[teahead]

Does it make any weird noises? Usually a blower motor would make some funky noise if it goes out.