my mom complained a few days ago that her SSEi had a bad "chemical" smell coming from the vents. She couldn't describe it. I took it for a quick drive and noticed nothing odd about it but didn't bother to pop the hood because she said it was coming from the vents. Today, she got home again and said that she was still getting a bad smell every once and a while. I popped the hood this time and I'm perplexed as to what the smell is, too. I have no idea. It isn't oil or transmission fluid, I know that for sure. It almost smells like supercharger fluid, but I don't see any leaks from the snout or anything, and the fluid level is fine. Whatever is leaking though, it smells RANCID and burnt. I'm not sure. There is also a high pitched humming/rubbing sound coming from the accessory side of the engine. Listen for it in the video.. you might not be able to hear it though. The sound is originating from right around the alternator area, but it seems to be coming from near it, or below it. I can't exactly pinpoint it. The smell is coming from the same general area as well.


On an unrelated note, the engine is also idling rough. The engine literally shakes while it idles. It probably moves .25-.5" when it'* idling.

That does sound a lot like the alternator or a bad pulley. Pull the belts and turn all pulleys by hand to double check.

Yeah it could be a bad pulley and the belt is dragging acrossed it. Does it smell like burning rubber?

it doesn't smell like a burning rubber, if I had to describe it as something, it smells like the nasty supercharger fluid, yet it doesn't appear to be leaking it anywhere.

Have you ever smelled a transformer when it burns out, or hot wires? Smell anything like that, if so?

You could have lost the nose drive bearing and the smell is cooking SC oil that is venting out of the nose drive.
You can get a rebuild unit for less than $100.