txshawn

OK guys, need some help because I'm at the end of my rope. Sorry it's long.

Couple days ago my wife pulls into my work parking lot and there's white smoke rolling out from the passenger side undercarriage. My mind goes right to coolant. She's in a hurry to hit the restroom, so she goes inside with the keys and of course locked the doors so I can't pop the hood.

I get to the car and it isn't a coolant burn, it's electrical. Has that very distinct odor only electrical fires have. I look as best I can, but I see nothing obvious burning. Goes on for about 3 minutes and then stops. She gets back to the car with the keys and I start looking. Fluids all good, no signs of charring, all the lights work, a/c works, radio works, wipers work, etc. Fire her up, all readouts look fine, battery charging looks fine. I pull codes: nothing.

Get her home (drives like nothing's wrong), sit it up on jack stands and start looking around. I cannot find a damn thing. No sign of burning, charring, loose cables, burnt wires... nada. I have triple checked every electrical function I can find and nothing is broken. I'checking codes every day and nothing.

What the hell can burn out that doesn't functionally affect the vehicle and registers no trouble codes?!

Chromeshadow

Sounds like you ran over a grocery bag and got it stuck on your muffler.

2005Redfire6

Exactly what I was going to suggest, it has a very distinctive smell too.

jz78817

like they said, something that isn't part of the car

look over your entire exhaust system for burnt residue, especially on or near the catalytic converters.

teepee542

It's a slightly different smell but did you check the brakes?

txshawn

Yeah, no residue. Brakes still got plenty of meat. I initially went for a bag or something but a) no sign left, and b) it smoked for several minutes with a lot of smoke. Guess I ride it out until something comes up feeling broken...

Thanks for the input guys!

2005Redfire6

I know of someone with a 2010 mustang that hit a trash bag and it was caught on the cat, it melted it all off and it stunk for a few days like you're describing with little to no residue on the cat.