I am having an issue that smells like an electrical fire in my 2002 Jaguar X type with the 3.0l v6. I can't track it down but the only time i actually smell it is when im outside of the vehicle. It almost looked like the smoke was coming from my exhaust but I don't think it was. It happens every time almost immediately after starting it. Car doesn't even have to be warm. I read in a post something about pulling a fuse from the "windscreen" im not sure what that is. I am assuming it is the nav screen but i dont see why that would cause the smell outside of the car.

 

I'd hazard a guess that you actually have a small oil leak at the pan, which is dripping onto your exhaust when you park the car. When you start it up, it cooks off.


Oddly enough, it does smell like burning electrical insulation.

 

That's what I was thinking. Did you recently have the oil changed or any other work done to the car?

Or could it maybe be a belt starting to go? Or maybe like a burning rubber kind of smell?

Do you have any kind of symptom in the performance of the car, any lights on the dash, any unusual noises? If something electrical is to the point where it is producing smoke I would think there would be some symptom that showed when driving it.

 

In answer to your original question "windscreen" is the Queens English for either the front or rear windows. Side windows are "curtains" The pulling of a fuse would be to remove power to the windscreen heaters is so equipped.

 

Sorry my friend but here in the UK where we speak the proper Queens English like what you should, the side ones are side screens.