My 99.5 1.8TQT Avant (now with 2400 miles) has had a burning/electrical smell from the day I purchased it. At first I thought it was something that would just go away, but it didn't. I checked the archives, but they weren't of much help for this problem.

I brought the car into the dealer and they agreed it was a problem. The dealer deodorized the ducting (no help), and then replaced the fan blower motor according to Audi's recommendation. I've been driving the car for a bit over a week since the blower motor was replaced and the problem persists (it seems maybe a bit better). My reasoning was that the smell was in the vents and would go away, but this has not happened.

The symptoms are simply a bad/electrical (burning) smell that becomes obvious when the car first warms up. I can smell it even with the climate control completely turned off. After a maybe 10 minutes or so, the smell mostly passes. The smell is worse when I turn on the climate control (comes through the vents), but again, it passes.

The dealer checked the AC system and all AC wiring, etc. and everything seemed to be OK. If you open up the hood when the car is warmed up, you cannot detect the smell at all. My dealer has been helpful and spent quite a bit of time working on the problem and I do plan on returning to pursue a fix. However, I would like advice and input from A4 Org'ers.

What in the world could be causing this burning smell?

I had the same smell when I let a friend take my A4 for a spin around the block. Apparently, he reved it to the redline and I noticed that my tires were burnt too. I ain't EVER lettin' somebody drive my A4 ever (ever) again. But the smell only lasted a couple of days. Sounds like an engine problem.

That's what they told me at my 1st maint. service and suggest me to replace the pump. I need to schedule the repair. However. I didn't get the smell so often. I had the smell a few times while I was driving on a freeway. Actually I haven't smelled it anymore for over a month now.