New ZR2 - What's that smell?

[BG'sZee]

Hello all, I bought my bad-ass ZR2 a few weeks ago, and love it. North sky blue, comfortable, solid, powerful, easily modded -a damn fine mo-chine.
Help out a newbie: there is an odd smell coming from under my Zee. Smells are hard to describe - let me try...imagine driving down a steep mountain pass behind some Semi trucks - that brake smell in the air as you get to the bottom of the pass - brakes heating up. That's what I smell from the left and rear of my truck. There is no brake pull, no drift, no brake squeal or noise - no color change to the disc (like a dragging pad would heat up the disc). Parking brake works fine. No obvious fluid leaks - no spots on the ground.
List of possibilities in my mind - brakes, a fluid leak (tranny? diff?), something in the exhaust or cat, something accidentally stuck on the exhaust at factory?
ZR2 has 120 miles - still using my other car...
Just new truck smell?
2023 ZR2

 

[Freak]

I smelled something like oil when I first picked my truck up, I assume it was just coating on the exhaust manifolds to prevent rusting when the parts sit before assembly. Went away after a couple days. Nothing like burning brakes though.

 

[andrec10]

Hello all, I bought my bad-ass ZR2 a few weeks ago, and love it. North sky blue, comfortable, solid, powerful, easily modded -a damn fine mo-chine.
Help out a newbie: there is an odd smell coming from under my Zee. Smells are hard to describe - let me try...imagine driving down a steep mountain pass behind some Semi trucks - that brake smell in the air as you get to the bottom of the pass - brakes heating up. That's what I smell from the left and rear of my truck. There is no brake pull, no drift, no brake squeal or noise - no color change to the disc (like a dragging pad would heat up the disc). Parking brake works fine. No obvious fluid leaks - no spots on the ground.
List of possibilities in my mind - brakes, a fluid leak (tranny? diff?), something in the exhaust or cat, something accidentally stuck on the exhaust at factory?
ZR2 has 120 miles - still using my other car...
Just new truck smell?
2023 ZR2

View attachment 4788

Normal.

 

[ZR2NYC]

Hello all, I bought my bad-ass ZR2 a few weeks ago, and love it. North sky blue, comfortable, solid, powerful, easily modded -a damn fine mo-chine.
Help out a newbie: there is an odd smell coming from under my Zee. Smells are hard to describe - let me try...imagine driving down a steep mountain pass behind some Semi trucks - that brake smell in the air as you get to the bottom of the pass - brakes heating up. That's what I smell from the left and rear of my truck. There is no brake pull, no drift, no brake squeal or noise - no color change to the disc (like a dragging pad would heat up the disc). Parking brake works fine. No obvious fluid leaks - no spots on the ground.
List of possibilities in my mind - brakes, a fluid leak (tranny? diff?), something in the exhaust or cat, something accidentally stuck on the exhaust at factory?
ZR2 has 120 miles - still using my other car...
Just new truck smell?
2023 ZR2

View attachment 4788

We gotta form a North Sky Blue club....seem to be the oddballs. I love the color.

 

[waken305]

I smelled the same thing, it goes away once you break in.

 

[AXE]

Yeah just some of the metals buring off residual oil and chemicals from manufacturing. I smelled it on the test drive in my ZR2 and wife's Tahoe, thought it was on fire. Probably did it for the first few drives.

 

[Bigrig520]

Hello all, I bought my bad-ass ZR2 a few weeks ago, and love it. North sky blue, comfortable, solid, powerful, easily modded -a damn fine mo-chine.
Help out a newbie: there is an odd smell coming from under my Zee. Smells are hard to describe - let me try...imagine driving down a steep mountain pass behind some Semi trucks - that brake smell in the air as you get to the bottom of the pass - brakes heating up. That's what I smell from the left and rear of my truck. There is no brake pull, no drift, no brake squeal or noise - no color change to the disc (like a dragging pad would heat up the disc). Parking brake works fine. No obvious fluid leaks - no spots on the ground.
List of possibilities in my mind - brakes, a fluid leak (tranny? diff?), something in the exhaust or cat, something accidentally stuck on the exhaust at factory?
ZR2 has 120 miles - still using my other car...
Just new truck smell?
2023 ZR2

View attachment 4788

Well I had that same smell….. on my new zr2 about 150 kms in, I found out what it was.. transfer case. Had to replace it 9 days in the shop.

 

[ZR2NYC]

Well I had that same smell….. on my new zr2 about 150 kms in, I found out what it was.. transfer case. Had to replace it 9 days in the shop.

that sucks

 

[Bigrig520]

that sucks

Yes it did then 2000kms later engine blew out.. thrust bearing on came failed 5 1/2 weeks in the shop..

 

[black rock crawler]

Hello all, I bought my bad-ass ZR2 a few weeks ago, and love it. North sky blue, comfortable, solid, powerful, easily modded -a damn fine mo-chine.
Help out a newbie: there is an odd smell coming from under my Zee. Smells are hard to describe - let me try...imagine driving down a steep mountain pass behind some Semi trucks - that brake smell in the air as you get to the bottom of the pass - brakes heating up. That's what I smell from the left and rear of my truck. There is no brake pull, no drift, no brake squeal or noise - no color change to the disc (like a dragging pad would heat up the disc). Parking brake works fine. No obvious fluid leaks - no spots on the ground.
List of possibilities in my mind - brakes, a fluid leak (tranny? diff?), something in the exhaust or cat, something accidentally stuck on the exhaust at factory?
ZR2 has 120 miles - still using my other car...
Just new truck smell?
2023 ZR2

View attachment 4788

It’s a sticker on the muffler. It burns off and stops smelling after a few miles.

 

[BG'sZee]

I smelled something like oil when I first picked my truck up, I assume it was just coating on the exhaust manifolds to prevent rusting when the parts sit before assembly. Went away after a couple days. Nothing like burning brakes though

I smelled the same thing, it goes away once you break in.

Yeah just some of the metals buring off residual oil and chemicals from manufacturing. I smelled it on the test drive in my ZR2 and wife's Tahoe, thought it was on fire. Probably did it for the first few drives.

Well I had that same smell….. on my new zr2 about 150 kms in, I found out what it was.. transfer case. Had to replace it 9 days in the shop.

Dayum! I hope that is not the case with my Zee. I'm sorry for your misfortune - and hope that shit stays up in Canada!

It’s a sticker on the muffler. It burns off and stops smelling after a few miles.

Thank you, everyone. Agree that something coated or stuck on manifolds, cats, or mufflers is probable source.
On Sunday I went up into the mountains and when I parked at the top, some dude says - "Hey Dude! You're riding your e-brake!" Again with the heated up brakes smell.
I've had it checked at the Service Dept - 1st time about 2 weeks ago, no such smell at dealer - started to stink-it-up again about 15 minutes on the way home. Brought it back in today, and Service Manager agrees with some coating burning off. So I'll give it 1000 miles and keep a sharp eye out for smoke or worsening stank (mutter a prayer for my transfer case).
Again - thanks to all - and I'll keep you updated.

 

[BG'sZee]

We gotta form a North Sky Blue club....seem to be the oddballs. I love the color.

OK - you're President. I'll be secretary - first order of business: send your dues to me! Or in lieu of dues, we start an NSB photo thread in the Photos Forum.

 

[ZR2NYC]

OK - you're President. I'll be secretary - first order of business: send your dues to me! Or in lieu of dues, we start an NSB photo thread in the Photos Forum.

lol..

 

[BG'sZee]

Update - after a few weeks of conservative driving (still using my other car), the smell had gone away. Today was the first time driving the ZR2 to work - about 25 miles each way, with freeway driving. While waiting at the light at the bottom of the off-ramp - there's the smell again - much stronger than before. After work, I started it up and the smell was back super strong right after start-up. I crawled under and couldn't peg it to the engine bay, or near the tranny or dif.
After getting home (driving about 15 miles up a pretty good hill), the smell is definitely coming from the tail pipes. Still smells like brakes / clutch - but now with a kinda sweet smell.
Any ideas?
I'll bring it in to one of our bigger Chevy dealers in Salt Lake next week - drop it off and tell them to find the smell and fix it. I've owned a few new cars through my looooong life, and never smelled this before.
Also, finally laid into the gas a bit tonight - holy shit, this thing is punchy - alot of torque!

 

[ZR2NYC]

Update - after a few weeks of conservative driving (still using my other car), the smell had gone away. Today was the first time driving the ZR2 to work - about 25 miles each way, with freeway driving. While waiting at the light at the bottom of the off-ramp - there's the smell again - much stronger than before. After work, I started it up and the smell was back super strong right after start-up. I crawled under and couldn't peg it to the engine bay, or near the tranny or dif.
After getting home (driving about 15 miles up a pretty good hill), the smell is definitely coming from the tail pipes. Still smells like brakes / clutch - but now with a kinda sweet smell.
Any ideas?
I'll bring it in to one of our bigger Chevy dealers in Salt Lake next week - drop it off and tell them to find the smell and fix it. I've owned a few new cars through my looooong life, and never smelled this before.
Also, finally laid into the gas a bit tonight - holy shit, this thing is punchy - alot of torque!

as president of NSB club, i support your decisions.

 

[AXE]

Update - after a few weeks of conservative driving (still using my other car), the smell had gone away. Today was the first time driving the ZR2 to work - about 25 miles each way, with freeway driving. While waiting at the light at the bottom of the off-ramp - there's the smell again - much stronger than before. After work, I started it up and the smell was back super strong right after start-up. I crawled under and couldn't peg it to the engine bay, or near the tranny or dif.
After getting home (driving about 15 miles up a pretty good hill), the smell is definitely coming from the tail pipes. Still smells like brakes / clutch - but now with a kinda sweet smell.
Any ideas?
I'll bring it in to one of our bigger Chevy dealers in Salt Lake next week - drop it off and tell them to find the smell and fix it. I've owned a few new cars through my looooong life, and never smelled this before.
Also, finally laid into the gas a bit tonight - holy shit, this thing is punchy - alot of torque!

Might be burning coolant! When you say sweet, that's where sweet comes from, so definitely an issue.

 

[BG'sZee]

Update - smell gone after 2000 miles. Must've been some adhesive or some shit on the exhaust. Love my ZR2
Now, if I can just figure out the passenger engine bay squeak, I'd be happy as clam - why the hell are clams happy...