I've been trying to figure this out for a while now. Have looked through forum posts and have come up empty.

After driving for a few minutes and the car is thoroughly warmed up, I can smell what smells a little like heated brakes while stopped at a light (i.e. doesn't smell electrical or like oil). If I put the transmission into Neutral, I don't notice the smell. This has been going on for several months. So far, the tranny has been fine with no signs of slippage or fluid discoloration. I did replace the solenoids last year...after which it had been running perfectly. I've been running Mobil1 synthetic...assuming that it would be preferable.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

If it smells like heated brakes, it is quite likely heated brakes.


Pull over when you smell the smell. Touch all four wheels with your hand.
One might be much hotter than the other three.


You might have partially seized caliper. The reason would be rust buildup inside the caliper. The piston in the caliper would not retract properly, causing the heat.


Another possible cause might be rubber bits inside the brake hoses. These sometimes act like one-way valves. They allow high pressure through them to engage the brakes, but block low pressure in the opposite direction.


Does your car tend to pull towards the right or left when you brake?

 

JvG...thanks for the response. I originally thought the same and had done what you suggested. None of the brakes were hotter than normal. And as noted, the smell seems unnoticeable when stopped and in neutral.