20K miles and now I smell it?? - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

jjanders0 · 06-28-2011, 10:29 AM

Okay. I've gone through a few threads related to a burning smell coming from the engine and all the answers seem to be..."It's the new-ness of the parts/engine/exhaust burning off". Well..my car has 20,000 miles on it now an it's just beginning to develop a strong burning smell but only in certain situations.

The only time I can smell it is on a relatively long continuous (non-stop/start) drive after I come to a stop. Example: When I drive into to work (20 interstate miles) and I stop at the bottom of the off-ramp, I can smell a strong burning smell. It's about another mile from the ramp to my office parking lot and when I get there the smell is almost gone. I drive about another mile to my office and when I get there the smell is almost undetectable.

It's tough to think this burning smell is due to the car being new as I've got 20,000 miles on it and this only started about two weeks ago. Any insight is appreciated.

shawn18 · 06-28-2011, 10:55 AM

Keep a check on the fluids and take it to the dealer and have them check it out for you.

SolarFlare · 06-28-2011, 11:09 AM

Sane here only when I go past 90

garcmol · 06-28-2011, 11:10 AM

Have you looked under the car? Might have picked up a baggie or some type of debris that's hitting the exhaust on the highway and not making contact when your driving in start/stop traffic. Worth a look

TJ91 · 06-28-2011, 11:24 AM

this is exaclty what I have noticed recently too. Ive pulled over multiple times to pop the hood and check and I dont smell it any more. Walk around the car and cant smeel. so I think it was the car ahead of me. Start driving again and there it is. My car just started doing this and im at 19k miles

Jcobra · 06-28-2011, 12:02 PM

I picked up shrink wrap 3 weeks ago on the exhaust near the headers and it still smells. I tried scraping as much as I could away but it's still there. Guess I'll have to live with it until it burns off.

Jay_LHD3 · 06-28-2011, 12:06 PM

what does it smell like? hot metal, burnt plastic, sulfur, etc

garcmol · 06-28-2011, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jcobra

I picked up shrink wrap 3 weeks ago on the exhaust near the headers and it still smells. I tried scraping as much as I could away but it's still there. Guess I'll have to live with it until it burns off.

Yeah, I had road kill armadillo on my exhaust for a day or two.

Wasp · 06-28-2011, 01:51 PM

I only have 6000 miles on mine and when i push the clutch in and rev it it stinks so bad. Is mine something different? Did i burn the clutch up? First time it happened was when i 1-4 shifted at a red light

JVSS · 06-28-2011, 02:03 PM

I had a strong burrning smeel and it was a leak in the oil pan seal near the oil cooler. It was dripping on the exhaust so nothing to show on the the ground, took the dealer 2 attempts to get it fixed. They had to replace the oil pan seal and the oil cooler seals.

Supa Snake · 06-28-2011, 02:19 PM

alot of reasons cause that
- plastic burning smell
- metal smell
- burning oil smell

it's 20.000m so rather check with the dealer

Dave Coyle · 06-28-2011, 02:35 PM

Can you clear up what you mean by a strong burning smell? Does it smell like wood burning, rubber burning, electrical burning, etc. I have just over 6000 on mine and only noticed a strange smell after I ran her REALLY hard and parked it in the garage. Just would like to know so I can see if I start to get the same smell once I get close to your miles.

Wasp · 06-28-2011, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Coyle

Can you clear up what you mean by a strong burning smell? Does it smell like wood burning, rubber burning, electrical burning, etc. I have just over 6000 on mine and only noticed a strange smell after I ran her REALLY hard and parked it in the garage. Just would like to know so I can see if I start to get the same smell once I get close to your miles.

Rubber n metal maybe? I ran her hard too

jjanders0 · 06-29-2011, 10:34 AM

For me, I thought it was a burning plastic smell. Well..yesterday after getting back to office after lunch, I saw a small puddle just left of the spot I parked in that morning. I touched it and it was oil. I checked the engine again and sure enough there's a leak. It was pretty noticeable at this point. The best I can do to describe the location (forgive me since I have a limited knowledge of the engine part names) is ,if you're looking at the engine from above and in from the "tower" structure just in front of the dipstick is leaking. In particular, it seems to be leaking from the seam. You can sort of see the area I'm talking about in the attached pic. Just in from of the dipstick and just below and to the right of the oil cap.

I took it to the dealer late yesterday so we'll see what they say. I just hope they don't give me too much grief about my Airaid CAI.

06-28-2011, 10:29 AM	#1
jjanders0 Drives: Imperial Blue LS Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 40	20K miles and now I smell it?? Okay. I've gone through a few threads related to a burning smell coming from the engine and all the answers seem to be..."It's the new-ness of the parts/engine/exhaust burning off". Well..my car has 20,000 miles on it now an it's just beginning to develop a strong burning smell but only in certain situations. The only time I can smell it is on a relatively long continuous (non-stop/start) drive after I come to a stop. Example: When I drive into to work (20 interstate miles) and I stop at the bottom of the off-ramp, I can smell a strong burning smell. It's about another mile from the ramp to my office parking lot and when I get there the smell is almost gone. I drive about another mile to my office and when I get there the smell is almost undetectable. It's tough to think this burning smell is due to the car being new as I've got 20,000 miles on it and this only started about two weeks ago. Any insight is appreciated. Last edited by jjanders0; 06-28-2011 at 10:43 AM.

06-28-2011, 10:55 AM	#2
shawn18 OWTATIME Drives: 1969 CaRaMo Join Date: May 2009 Location: North Carolina Posts: 3,080	Keep a check on the fluids and take it to the dealer and have them check it out for you. __________________

06-28-2011, 11:10 AM	#4
garcmol Drives: 10 1LT SIM; 91 B4C sleeper Z Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ft. Mitchell, Alabama Posts: 7,198	Have you looked under the car? Might have picked up a baggie or some type of debris that's hitting the exhaust on the highway and not making contact when your driving in start/stop traffic. Worth a look __________________ Pedders Pace Car Package, Injen CAI, Flowmaster AT, AAC Lighting, ZL1 fascia/skirts, RKSport Ram Air hood, vented fenders, painted stripes (Gary's Customz), Honor and Valor badged (Thank you, John)

06-28-2011, 11:24 AM	#5
TJ91 :chevy: Drives: 2LT/RS Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 13,035	this is exaclty what I have noticed recently too. Ive pulled over multiple times to pop the hood and check and I dont smell it any more. Walk around the car and cant smeel. so I think it was the car ahead of me. Start driving again and there it is. My car just started doing this and im at 19k miles __________________ CAMARO Consult your doctor before taking Camaro Side effects include Sudden increase in Heart Rate, Insomnia and occasional hallucinations If you experience Permagrin exceeding 4 hours after taking Camaro, seek immediate Camaro5 Help CAMARO Bringing excitment back into the Garage

06-28-2011, 02:19 PM	#11
Supa Snake Drives: sierra dually 3500 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: middle of nowhere Posts: 122 View My Garage	alot of reasons cause that - plastic burning smell - metal smell - burning oil smell it's 20.000m so rather check with the dealer __________________ power , style , pride old school MUSCLE CARS

06-28-2011, 11:09 AM	#3
SolarFlare Drives: 2010 IOM 1LT Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Saint Louis, MO Posts: 121	Sane here only when I go past 90

06-28-2011, 12:02 PM	#6
Jcobra Drives: 2010 2ss/rs M6 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Il Posts: 931	I picked up shrink wrap 3 weeks ago on the exhaust near the headers and it still smells. I tried scraping as much as I could away but it's still there. Guess I'll have to live with it until it burns off.

06-28-2011, 12:06 PM	#7
Jay_LHD3 Drives: 2019 F150 RCSB Abyss FX4 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 2,277	what does it smell like? hot metal, burnt plastic, sulfur, etc

06-28-2011, 01:51 PM	#9
Wasp Drives: 2011 Camaro Victory Red 2SS/RS Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: South Carolina Posts: 564	I only have 6000 miles on mine and when i push the clutch in and rev it it stinks so bad. Is mine something different? Did i burn the clutch up? First time it happened was when i 1-4 shifted at a red light

06-28-2011, 02:03 PM	#10
JVSS Former 2010 Camaro owner Drives: blah Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: blah Posts: 55	I had a strong burrning smeel and it was a leak in the oil pan seal near the oil cooler. It was dripping on the exhaust so nothing to show on the the ground, took the dealer 2 attempts to get it fixed. They had to replace the oil pan seal and the oil cooler seals.

06-28-2011, 02:35 PM	#12
Dave Coyle Drives: 2010 SS , 1970 Z-28, 2002 Avalanche Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,524 View My Garage	Can you clear up what you mean by a strong burning smell? Does it smell like wood burning, rubber burning, electrical burning, etc. I have just over 6000 on mine and only noticed a strange smell after I ran her REALLY hard and parked it in the garage. Just would like to know so I can see if I start to get the same smell once I get close to your miles. __________________ IF IT'S WORTH HAVING, IT'S WORTH WAITING FOR!!!! (AND IT WAS) 434RWHP/403RWTQ Livernois Motorsports 2C Cam kit Kooks 1 7/8 LT Headers/Hi-Flo Cats/Corsa Exhaust Roto-Fab CAI / Port Intake Precission 2400/2800 Converter/3.73 AAM gears Livernois Motorsports Tune Best time: 11.97 @ 117 MPH

06-29-2011, 10:34 AM	#14
jjanders0 Drives: Imperial Blue LS Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 40	For me, I thought it was a burning plastic smell. Well..yesterday after getting back to office after lunch, I saw a small puddle just left of the spot I parked in that morning. I touched it and it was oil. I checked the engine again and sure enough there's a leak. It was pretty noticeable at this point. The best I can do to describe the location (forgive me since I have a limited knowledge of the engine part names) is ,if you're looking at the engine from above and in from the "tower" structure just in front of the dipstick is leaking. In particular, it seems to be leaking from the seam. You can sort of see the area I'm talking about in the attached pic. Just in from of the dipstick and just below and to the right of the oil cap. I took it to the dealer late yesterday so we'll see what they say. I just hope they don't give me too much grief about my Airaid CAI.