Weird plastic burning smell - never had this happen before

[2009 Deluxe GT]

So I finally got my 09' out of storage a week or so ago and took it out yesterday for about the third time. I store it in an enclosed car bag so nothing animals can make it in over the winter. After the first time driving it I thought I noticed a weird burning type smell. Then the second and third time as well. I started to get really worried like maybe I forgot to take one of the dessicant packs out from under the hood when I got it out of the bag but couldn't see anything anywhere under there.

Next I jacked it up to take a look underneath. Lo and behold, on the bottom and inside of the drivers side exhaust pipe between the cat and the H connection in the middle is what looks like white melted plastic! Wire brush wouldn't touch it, nor would it scrape off with a screwdriver. Had to use a box cutter type knife blade to scrape it off a little at a time. It didn't come off easy at all!

So best I can figure out is that on my first time out I ran over a plastic bag and it stuck and melted to the exhaust. Does that sound possible? Has anybody ever heard of such a thing?

 

[Juice]

Yup. Used to see that complaint a lot.

 

[WNYGT5-0]

Omfg I would be pissed.... I wil not run bags or debris over. I’ve had a grocery bag wadded up in the serpentine before. No bueno...

 

[Jgt58]

Been there. Behind a truck and a plastic tarp flee out and I couldn't avoid it. Took forever to get the melted plastic off the exhaust.

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[Macman45]

Been there. Behind a truck and a plastic tarp flee out and I couldn't avoid it. Took forever to get the melted plastic off the exhaust.

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I, like an idiot, left the Pypes sticker on and it nuked to the exhaust pipe. Anyone have a good method to remove the hardened plastic? Wire wheel? No “solvent” will touch it

 

[07 Boss]

My exhaust seems to catch everything. It’ll always get hung up on a clamp bolt or sensor but I still have chunks of plastic stuck on there.

 

[WJBertrand]

BTDT, even if you're able to scrape most of it off it'll continue to stink for weeks, especially if you park in a garage. Not too much can be done but to let it slowly burn off.

 

[Macman45]

Im close to taking a wire wheel to it next time its on the 2 post

 

[2009 Deluxe GT]

Fortunately, in my case, lots of scraping and a 30 minute freeway drive and the smell is gone. Just never imagined that would happen.

 

[JeremyH]

Happened a few times over the years. I just pull as much as I can off and let the rest burn off.

 

[crjackson]

Wife did that in her 2014 Track-Pack. Took me a couple of days to realize what happened. Then a week later, I did the same thing in my 2014 Track-Pack.

I have since read dozens of posts by others having the same issue.

Welcome to the club

 

[kazman59]

propane torch and scraper

 

[oldyella]

My Pypes exhaust caught a Walmart sack last fall and it smelt like Chernoble for 2 months or so. I STILL have the black molten lava pasted to the side of the pipe. It's so petrified now that it no longer omits toxic waste scent.

 

[Laga]

propane torch and scraper

This is what I had to do. I unknowingly dropped a screwdriver and it got caught on top of the header. Smoke and stink.