That's it in a nutshell. My guy took a look and said that my antifreeze levels look okay, except the dipstick is charred (!). That would make sense; for the past month or so, whenever we get out of the car, there's a slight burny smell that's gotten stronger recently. It smells like hot plastic, not oil or metal, which would tally with the dipstick being burned (?!).
Twofold question: 1. Why/how the fuck would that happen, and 2. What kind of shop should I take it to? Our local Jiffy Lube is excellent, but I don't know whether this falls under their domain of...dipstick...stuff. Should I try a more expensive full-repair shop? I have to drive a few hundred miles this weekend, and I'm disinclined to let it get any more fucked up, especially not knowing the problem.
Oh, and-- Is it weird for the antifreeze to have a dipstick in the first place? The car is a 2003 Kia Rio, 75,000 miles.
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When is the last time you had the oil changed?
It was white.
We've checked the oil, and it's a tad low, but looks fine. I intend to ask the Jiffy Lubers about it, but the smell strongly indicates some insidiously plastic origin (corroborated by not only my car-savvy bf, but a friend of ours who said it reminded him of burning Barbie dolls as a kid).
...Pardon my potential stupidity, but wouldn't that smell tastier than plastic? Antifreeze IS magically delicious. (I know little else of vehicles, so blast away if I'm incorrect on that score.)
I do know a good full-service in town. I suppose it'll depend who's available and when I can get a ride to and fro.
Is it Idling really rough as well. If you have an tachometer watch it and see if its bouncing up and down. Could mean the problem is in the drive system or belts and help narrow down your search.
And antifreeze burning smells rather sweet. It's a distinctive smell, too, you wouldn't miss that. I've got a truck that's still burning that smell off from changing a radiator a few months ago. :P
Nope. I once played a round of "Let's ignore skyrocketing car temps till we get home--oops, dense plumes of smoke so we have to stop dead under an overpass and have an asshole construction worker yell 'Hey, you can't park there!'" and dun wanna repeat the experience.
Last question: should I go to a Kia dealership, or are they common enough that a good full-service shop could cover it?
Also, yes, it has a very distinctive smell when burned, and not at all like plastic. It's a sweet smell.
It's probably just a belt not being happy or something.
Hopefully it's something small. If it's got any warranty left, hit the Kia dealership. Otherwise, take it to a shop. Preferably one that a friend has used or you've used before. And ask lots of questions when they bring you the verdict so you can understand what they found and how.