[cuzed2]

I am hesitant to call this a problem, and am wondering if anyone else has noticed this? Perhaps this will go away over time (car was purchased end of Nov, only 3500 miles).

Several times now I have been running without ERDTT. Outside temperature was upper 40's, and I had the heater on Max for a quicker cabin warm-up. After about 10 minutes I noticed the odor of "hot-electronics", seemed to diminish when i switched to eco. I assume the Volt HVAC system incorporates a resistive heating element, and wonder if this is what I am smelling? Have others noticed this? Perhaps it will go away over time, or ....?

 

[VoltenRock]

Purchase it used, or a demo? A 2017 or 2016? With so little miles, it is possible that the car has not used heat very much, or at all, especially if it was sitting around. It's likely just residue from the manufacturing process. Give it a good blast or two on MAX for a period of time to clear it out.

 

[cuzed2]

Thanks for the quick response.
It is a 17 volt purchased new in November. I even noticed this smell again about a week after taking an 800 mile road trip (majority of that trip running ICE). Hopefully it will go away over time.

 

[Norton]

You want an 'electrical burning smell' to go away over time!?!
The resistance heating element is under the hood and it warms a coolant loop. When the engine is on a valve opens that loop to the engine.

I smell a big red flag.

Use that warranty. Figure out if it's repeatable so you can show the dealer.

 

[quirkySquirt]

Not quite the same HVAC situation as OP, but my Volt did have a distinct new plastic smell during the summer, whether I ran AC or not. By fall when I started using heat/defog more, it was still present but only from initial start after being off for 8+ hrs. By winter, I don't smell anything anymore.

 

[voganni]

I think it's more likely coming from the blower motor. Hence the reduction in odor on ECO (motor runs slower). Would also account for smelling it with a/c on. Very unlikely the heater module could produce a smell inside the car. It heats water in a sealed unit on the firewall, in the engine compartment. It could foretell a blower motor failure though, but I've seen motors produce insulation smells when new that go away later. I run mine on auto fan mostly and it seldom runs at high speed for too long.

 

[VoltTR]

Yes, I have noticed the problem, but only when the engine is running. My Gen 2 Volt has 14K miles and the burning smell has not gone away. It is currently at the dealer for this problem, because the smell is so bad it made my daughter nauseas. So far the dealer has not been able to diagnose the problem, which is starting to concern me, because it seems like this smell is never going to go away on its own.

 

[Droser]

This sounds similar to what I had recently with freeway driving in hold mode. Temp was on the 40s and I was running heat in max mode. 2017 with about 1100 miles at the time. I stopped at a rest stop and upon return found the car had a burnt electronics ozone smell and seemed smokey. I hoped it had come in from some of the big rigs parked near me and proceeded but noticed the smell a couple more times before arriving. I now have about 2200 miles and have not noticed the smell again but intend to bring it up the first time I get it in for service.

 

[kubel]

There's a TSB out on this. A sticker on a heat shield is burning and the fumes are being ingested into the HVAC system and delivered to the cabin. The bandaid is to apply a carbon cabin filter until either the sticker burns off or they replace the heat shield with one that doesn't have a sticker. There's a wait on the new parts, so the air filter route is the best solution they have.

 

[obermd]

Building HVAC systems do this every fall. It's an accumulation of dust on the heating elements.

 

[voltco]

I've had the exact same issue is OP on my 17 Volt Premier. Occasional very bad burning smells when running the ICE and the heat. It seems to be worse when at a stop compared to cruising along. We just bought mine in April and we had a couple cold snaps here, but now that I am not using the heat I haven't had any issues. I've had no problems at all when running the AC, whether the ICE is on or not.