So I'm working on a 99 Durango, it has a weird almost like electrical burning smell coming from the vents in side. I could smell it on the outside of the car also.

What do you guys think?

 

perhaps the fan is burned up.

 

yeah, it might be the fan motor

 

... and before someone says blower motor resistor... if yours was a 2001, that is exactly where to look. Since it is a 99, yours is outside and under the wiper cowl. There it is doubtful that you would smell it. Plus the style of yours doesn't melt down like the newer ones tend to do.

As such, if it is electrical melt, the likely culprit is the fan.

 

I agree with the fan as well. Since it isnt a foul, old smell then it shouldnt be mold or moisture built up in there.

 

I had a burning smell to and it was the valve covers leaking oil on the exhaust manifold. I smelled it in the car also

 

Its not a oil smell. Its something like the fan motor, however it also has a noise pulley, so I started it up, turned on the heat full, and saw that the A/C compressor was not engaging with A.C on, it was almost like slipping were the clutch was. and after running it for a little bit, the smell was stronger under the hood vs. inside. So I'm about 99.9% the A/C compressor was the smell also.

And when I took off the belt, the pulley on the compressor moved all around lol.

 

That is a shot bearing, you need a compressor.

 

+ 1 adukart

 

Oh yeah...especially if the smell is produced only when the ac is on and its both in the passanger compartment as well as in the engine.