Jump to content
SAU Community

Recommended Posts

Hi all,

Over the past week I've noticed a burning smell coming from my car. Started off as just the smell but today after pulling into the driveway I saw a bit of smoke coming from the engine (couldn't see where from specifically). Smells like either burning oil or burning clutch. Any thoughts? The only thing that has changed recently is I've been driving around without the engine under tray on (didn't get around to putting it on after the last oil change about 2 weeks ago), could that cause a problem, or cause me to notice a problem?

There is also some kind of leak coming from the drivers side front corner (near the coolant reservoir) that has been there for ages (can only tell cause the tray is dirty at that point). Not sure what it is but never seem to lose coolant so I'm guessing it's not that.

Any thoughts anyone?

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks,

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/442225-m35-burning-smell-and-smoke/
Share on other sites

Most common issue with burning oil smell is the cam covers leaking onto manifolds, and in particular around the turbo area.

Have a look for smoke / oily dampness round the rear of the engine bay passenger side.

will be fixed by replacing the seal around the cover.

Most common issue with burning oil smell is the cam covers leaking onto manifolds, and in particular around the turbo area.

Have a look for smoke / oily dampness round the rear of the engine bay passenger side.

will be fixed by replacing the seal around the cover.

Thanks for the advice. Had a look around the rear and it actually looks surprisingly dry and clean (unless I'm looking in the wrong spot). However the front and half way down the side is fairly covered in oil. Could this be the same problem? See image attached. Any thoughts would be really helpful, don't wanna be driving it if I'm causing more damage.

It has always had a bit of an oil leak somewhere as the oil level drops by a litre or two by the time I get to the 5000-7000km oil change

post-105237-13982581140452_thumb.jpg

The passenger rocker cover seal goes hard due to the turbo heat, it weeps down onto the turbo causing an oil smell when you put the heater on.

As the gasket seal is only $25 I would just change it, well known problem. It will take you a while to change it the first time, the plenum needs to come off.

Part No: 13270-AL612

Thanks guys, appreciate it. After having a sniff this morning it does smell like it's coming from the area you are describing so I guess I'll give it a go. There isn't any how to for this is there haha? Is it a job someone with limited mechanical experience could tackle?

Just make sure the gasket doesn't fall out of it's groove as you slide it under the heater line, check with a mirror or small screwdriver before tightening the cover bolts.

add a little gasket goo so it sticks in the seam and less chance off falling out as that heater hose is a p@ick to navigate

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Similar Content

  • Latest Posts

    • Meanwhile, 20+ years ago, I pulled out the 105mm hole saw and went straight down through the inner guard in front of the airbox to get my stormwater pipe cold air intake in. Right behind the two stock holes for the intercooler pipes. Those have no reinforcement (apart from a couple of robust pieces of steel pipe through them!). I feel that the Australian vehicle standards crews put way too much emphasis on "maintaining the crash performance" of cars and not enough consideration of "any crash is a new and wonderful experiment with a random selection of parameters and you will never be able to tell if an extra 80mm hole through some sheet metal caused a significant difference...but if you close your eyes and squint at the whole structure, engage your engineering brain and have a good think about it, you'd have to expect that it would do jack all."
    • You guys are focussing on the wrong part of this post and have headed off on an irrelevant tangent!  Clearly I'm not going to put my most prized physical possession (well it will be once I'm finished it...) on a piece of shit contraption that might fail and crush me or my car!  At no point was that even implied I was trying to buy a butchered P.O.S that some shonky clown had thrown together with a gasless MIG....  Either way I would love to see the build quality of a rotisserie that has failed.  Actually I'd love to see a photo of one that has failed full stop.  Google fails to deliver.  Never happened?? I'll either make one that won't fail or will buy one that wouldn't fail! End Post.....
    • Yeah, if you can't breathe for more than about 2 minutes, you're cooked.
    • Well, all the power should be getting dissipated across the starter motor. Therefore, ideally, the voltage drop across the earth lead should be convincingly close to zero. Certainly you'd want it to be only a volt or so at max, because otherwise that volt doesn't turn up at the starter to do what is required. A car can probably survive a bad enough earth to crank and start with only 9V or so at the starter motor, maybe even a bit less. But you're seeing only 8V at the battery terminals when cranking, so there can't even be that much available over at the starter, which simply won't do. I would have thought that you couldn't pull enough current (with a healthy starter) to make the battery drop to 8V locally. But I was ignoring the possibility that the starter is in fact crook. If it has shorted windings (or maybe the solenoid is borked and shorting to earth) then I guess it could pull a stack of current and not even look like wanting to turn over. So follow the other boys' reccos too. Because they are just as likely at this point.  
    • Depending where the whole gets drilled, and what country/state you're talking about, quite likely not.   Under ole vehicle mod rules in NSW, VSI06 allowed for drilling of holes in "non structural" areas. So you could drill a hole through the inner guard, and not need engineering. You couldn't drill over seams, and it was advised to add extra reinforcing around the hole, as well as something to protect from sharp edges.   Again, it's all about finding the documentation for where the mod is to be done, AND then being able to explain the situation, with the documentation as to why you don't need engineering, with a positive attitude, to any one of the likes eg, police, vehicle inspector, etc.
×
×
  • Create New...