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Electronic burning smell under hood

ElAviator72

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Hi,

100% stock car.

Just took it in for an oil change. When the lot attendant drove my car out, I smelled an acrid smell (burning electronics smell). It was after the service department went home, so I elected to drive the car home. Nothing obviously wrong with the car. The smell eventually blew out of the cabin (I turned the recirculation off). When I got home, I caught a small whiff of it. It smelled like it was coming from under the hood. I popped the hood, and checked things out.

An examination from the super sniffer reveals that the remnant of the burning odor seems to be emanating from a weird location: around the driver's side strut tower!

Any ideas? There seems to be some clutch hardware down next to the strut tower...wrong side of the engine for oil leaking onto the turbo or manifold...and I did thoroughly check around the battery and underhood fuse compartment!
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kent0464

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It’s possible,( unlikely). That they pinched a wire putting the belly pan back on, or pulled on something while changing the oil filter....could simply be the degreaser used to clean the oil residue.
 

H@mmer

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Both my F150 Eco and the Mustang Eco smell like that after driving them. Every time.
I just chalk it up to the heat of the turbo cooking all the wires and hoses under there.
 
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ElAviator72

ElAviator72

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Dealer's saying it's the alternator, and is quoting me over 1 grand to repair it. I told them that's a hell no diagnosis. Anyone know it it would be possible to spill oil into the alternator via carelessness?
 
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ElAviator72

ElAviator72

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Anyone know why it would be over $500 in labor to replace the alternator? Part itself is $589 from Ford (w/core exchange)
 
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ElAviator72

ElAviator72

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Had it towed home(AAA), taking it to the local tire shop on Monday (who quoted me a much better price), sourcing a rebuilt alternator. I trust these people, worked on lots of my cars before...
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