I have a 2017 black Honda Accord Hybrid I-MDD sedan that is a front wheel drive, that is a 4 cylinder and that  is an automatic. The VIN starts with J and a sticker says it was made in Japan. 

The mileage is around 85,100 miles. 

Last year, in 2023, I started to smell an odor going up steep hills, and unfortunately, I have a steep hill I have to drive up to go to and from home.

Last year, I got the transmission fluid changed, because it was overdue. I also changed the cabin air filter, because it had been about 2 years, and I changed the engine filter, which was black and dirty. 

The smell came back a few months later. My brake fluid change was overdue and I took care of that. 

In November of last year, the driver side mirror lights had a short and stopped working. The Honda dealership I went to said it was optional to leave it unplugged and wouldn’t affect the car, so I did that. 

I also went too fast over a speed bump last year and I heard the bottom of my car hit last year. I checked and didn’t see damage. 

I thought the odor problem was solved, but on March 30th of this year, the smell came back when I was going up a steep hill. 

I noticed when I go up and over a steep hill, I will get a smell that can be weak, weak and gets stronger over time, or is strong. 

I know I have a wearing brake pad I have to address. I don’t know if that’s part of the problem with the odor going uphill. 

I changed my cabin air filter, because it was dirty, and the smell went away for a week or two before coming back. 

In addition, I was told by some to try using sport mode to go up steep hills, which worked for a few days until this evening when I had to go up a steep hill. 

Once in awhile, I will see a clear stain under the engine on the driveway, but it dries up and goes away. 

The weird thing is, my dashboard shows no Cold to Hot, and my dashboard has no engine warning light on. 

I have a T-Mobile SyncUp Drive that is supposed to notify me of car problems, but it hasn’t spotted anything. 

I also have a friend that has a Honda at 80,000 miles. He has had few problems. The big difference is he doesn’t have to deal with steep hills much where he lives at. 

I generally go to gas stations that are the cheapest, but I have heard from some people that’s not always safe gas to buy. 

So I have a few questions.

What could the cause or causes be of my car smelling going up and over steep hills? 

Can a wearing brake pad cause a car to smell going uphill or going over a steep hill? 

Does a Honda Accord 2017 hybrid have a transmission filter or a fuel filter? 

Is it better to go to a known gas station chain like Arco or Costco than a small business operated gas station? 

Should I have done a transmission fluid wash instead of a transmission fluid change?

I am sorry this is long, but reading and knowing the guidelines, and me needing help, I wanted to give as many details as possible. 

If my concerns and questions are put into a video, that would be awesome. 

Any help, assistance and advice from car experts and car mechanics will be much appreciated. Thank you.