electrical burn smell

Question

I have a 2006 Keystone Sprinter 5er.  I need some help trying to figure out where I'm getting an electrical burn smell.  Because its coming from the entertainment center, logically it would be the tv, dvd player or cox dvr but when I get a good close smell...nothing.  Where I am getting the smell is in the compartment below the dvd player and cox dvr.  But in that compartment there is nothing electrical..not so much as a plug...and this is where the smell is coming from.  I'm not certain...but the smell seems to get worse when I run a fan but that runs on a plug in the living room near the kitchen...it could be on the same circuit but I'm not sure.  I'm a half a$$ mechanic in most areas but in electrical I'm really out to lunch.

artum_snowbird · Answer

Look to where the white wires are joined and all come back to the electrical box. Very often you will find that the connection fairly close to the main box gets hot because of loose connections.

A very useful tool in this situation is a laser thermometer probe. You point the laser beam at the hot spots and it gives you a readout on the back of the pistol device of the temperature. I got mine on sale for only $30 and have used it to detect cold air coming into my house, tire temperatures while running the rig, and electrical box hot spots as well. Just point and shoot.

ehoefler · Answer

Look for a junction box in the cabinet where you are getting the odor.  Pull out the drawers, if any, and look for a blank cover.  It sounds like a loose wire, and there may be a box that is used for several wires together.  If it is in a slide, look underneath the slide, there will be a junction box there as well.

takingthe5th · Answer

If the fan is an exhaust fan it may be sucking air from other places, so the fan might not be the direct cause. Look for holes in the cabinetry and check out where they are going.

veebyes · Answer

Turn circuit breakers off then turn them on, one at a time, till you find the circuit that is causing the smell. Burning smells in a dry wood &amp; fiberglass vehicle is not good. Deal with it while it is only a smell.

peg_leg · Answer

I have no idea of your layout. I tried to track down a very elusive burnt smell that wouldn't last very long. Mine ended up being a resistor in the converter which caused the transformer to heat up the coatings on the wire windings. The fan would dissipate the smell and it would seem to be coming from a different area.

Forum Discussion

electrical burn smell

About Fifth Wheel Group

Related Content

Burning Smell

Burning smell from new trailer furnace

Burning Smell and super hot lights

Burning man?

burned plug