I drove about 50 miles at 70 mph then a few more miles on residential streets before parking it in my driveway with the parking brakes on. There was no hard braking at any time.

As I walked towards the back, there was this awful smell, like rotten fish or something. Upon closer inspection, it smells like air when its stored inside a tyre for a long time, except 10 times worse. I can't go anywhere near it.

What could it be? What can be done? This is going to more than negate the car's positive in the pickup mode department.

 

burnt clutch?

 

I think you're right. This time I decided to back into my steeply inclined driveway instead of fronting it. I read a post about an odd smell in reverse.

Why in reverse only and not while forwarding? The car has not been abused, and has only 16k miles. Is this normal? Jeez does that stink!

 

Wow that's a great way to describe the smell..the smell inside tires! That's where I've smelled it before.

 

You're sure you didn't roll over some dog doodoo

 

^ That's what I was thinking!

 

Or hit a skunk?

 

I vote for overheated brake pads. Driving with the parking brake on will force the brakes to always be dragging, creating heat and eventually overheating. I'd bet that if you took the rear brakes off and compared the surface to the front brake pads you'd find a glazed surface on the rears. It'd probably easiest and safest just to replace the rear pads. Check the rotors for signs of excessive wear/heat cracks.

 

If the brake pads check out okay, it could be the clutch since you mentioned a reverse uphill, or the diff fluid if there's a leak (that stuff's nasty)

If you're sure it's the tyre, go empty out the air and refill it again....

///Robin

 

Why in reverse only and not while forwarding? The car has not been abused, and has only 16k miles. Is this normal? Jeez does that stink! [/QUOTE]

Because the reverse gear in our cars is so tall that its hard to back slowly without riding the clutch a little which is a bad thing over time.