The other day I was driving home and I kept getting whiffs of something burning.  I thought, this is great, now I am having the mystery smells coming from my car.  I also kindof blew it off as being another car, or someone burning garbage or something.  I pulled in the driveway and smelled it stronger and I knew it was my car then.  I got out and raised the hood and really smelled it good.  It smelled like plastics.  I looked and looked and smelled around, thinking that I would probably never find it, unless it started blazing.  

  Anyway, I followed my nose and tracked it down to the rear part of the exhaust manifold on the driverside.  I discovered that some of the underhood insulation (which seems to consist of foam and a plastic coating - at least on the 80s S-Class) had falled down on the manifold and had melted to the manifold.  I thought this is great.  I removed as much from there as I could.  Hopefully that smell does not linger about.  I pulled off the other loose insulation under the hood.  
So, if you smell an unusual smell under your hood- also check for fallen underhood insulation on your exhaust manifolds.  
