Scary - should I be concerned?

ChrisSlicks

Electricity is completely odorless, so I'm not sure what you mean exactly by an electrical smell.

You can certainly occasionally smell some parts that consume or produce electricity such as the alternator, electric fans, or high power transistors. There is also the burnt electronics smell which you get when certain semiconductors blow up, but that one is much stinkier. Electrical arching produces ozone, which has a distinctive smell. Some electric motors have a fine coating of oil on their windings to prevent corrosion, and when they get hot you can sometimes smell this ... although it will diminish with age.

dbrs0821

Thanks for the clarification, Chris. Technically speaking, you're absolutely correct...electricity is odorless. Perhaps what I smelled (and hopefully won't ever again from this car) was something arching which doesn't seem normal.

I remember once when my cousin installed a ceiling fan and wired the light kit incorrectly. When we turned the power back on it started to smoke, and that smell was exactly the same one that I smelled coming through the Z's air vents.

I've put my concern to bed and will deal with it if it happens again!