I recently took my '91 L-series (carbureted EA82) offroad in light sand. After driving for an hour in 4WD-hi (mostly 3rd and 4th) I stopped and noticed that the car was making a funny sound. It was sort of a hum or whirring sound coming from tthe engine compartment. I popped the hood and found the sound to be coming from the right side of the air filter (or whatever that thing is on top of the engine that has a peanut-shaped lid held on by 3 wing nuts). Could anyone tell me what this sound might be? The sound persists, 5 days and 400 km later.
The following morning, still driving in the sand, I had been driving for 1/2 hour before driving a few minutes along a track with very low shrubs up the middle. I happened to get out of the car while it was running and noticed a new smell that would waft up from the wheel wells, from under the front bumper, and from the engine compartment once I had popped the hood. The smell is subtle, sort of like the smell of rotten wood. The smell persists. I checked for any bits of shrub that may be caught under the car--nothing.
Last bit of info--the temperature gauge indicated the engine temperature was normal.
I noticed a similar (yet slightly different) smell that developed in my '89 Legacy VZ (quad-cam).
Any thoughts?
John