Oil Smell - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

Crand · 05-22-2013, 04:36 AM

Recently I've noticed that when I switch the A/C system from recirculated air to fresh air and I'm idling at a stoplight, I smell burning oil like if I had spilled some on the headers during an oil change. This was late at night with nobody on the road anywhere near me and it was consistent every time I stopped. When I got home I popped the hood and couldn't smell it anywhere. No drips, no smears on anything, no smell AT ALL. Has anybody else experienced this? Anybody have any ideas what may be causing it?

Midnight Rat · 05-22-2013, 03:25 PM

My 2011 did the same thing. Never saw a oil,leak.

Crand · 05-23-2013, 12:38 AM

The only thing I can find in the Interwebz is that the Camaro smells like oil sometimes. The fix is to ignore it.

TOYMARO · 10-24-2013, 09:49 PM

old thread....but there are others. Rear main seems to be answer. Someone said a TSB was issued.

aggieguy13 · 10-24-2013, 09:51 PM

Belt might've just slipped

White_SS/RS · 10-24-2013, 10:01 PM

I get the oil smell too every once and a while, I like it!

Walker_1LE · 10-25-2013, 07:59 AM

I'm glad someone else has posted about this! I get the smell when my car is put on defrost... Almost runs you out when you're stopped! Possibly the rear main seal?

delphigto · 10-25-2013, 11:52 AM

Mine does it also.

1leNPP · 10-25-2013, 12:10 PM

Same here

wakespeak · 10-25-2013, 01:06 PM

I used to get it but fairly rarely. Never saw a leak so I assumed it was some kind of crankcase fumes. Now it seems like it stopped since I put on the GM oil separator. Are you guys that are getting the oil smell running with the separator on or off?

delphigto · 10-25-2013, 03:50 PM

Mine is on.

Stock Boy · 10-25-2013, 04:02 PM

Let me ask...is it a "sweet oil" smell, or just a plain acrid burnt oil? I had a an oil separator on my last veh which vented to the atmosphere. Strong odor that I thought was oil being burned but it turned out to be just the crankcase fumes. If it has sort of a sweet smell to it is probably just those fumes making it's way into the cabin through ac system.

detox · 10-25-2013, 06:33 PM

Yea...oil seperator. Only the 1LE Camaro has it. It is not emmision legal, but some dealers install it anyway. It is packed in the trunk when dealer receives car...i read here.
http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showth...ight=separator

Ask this question in the regular SS section. Maybe someone has same smell without using seperator.

Crand · 10-27-2013, 01:07 AM

Imagine that. I was just thinking about resurrecting this thread. The problem I was having is that I overfilled the oil when I changed it. It didn't take much, just .5 of a quart was enough to do it. I'm not sure exactly why but I'm guessing that with the extra oil, the crankshaft whipping through it must create an oil aerosol that when ingested through the PCV system, smells like burning oil. The night I had the epiphany that this may be the cause, I checked the oil, it was high, I turned around and drained what felt like a quart and went back out. Smell gone.

Anybody else able to replicate my results?

05-22-2013, 04:36 AM	#1
Crand Drives: away the ladies :( Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 235	Oil Smell Recently I've noticed that when I switch the A/C system from recirculated air to fresh air and I'm idling at a stoplight, I smell burning oil like if I had spilled some on the headers during an oil change. This was late at night with nobody on the road anywhere near me and it was consistent every time I stopped. When I got home I popped the hood and couldn't smell it anywhere. No drips, no smears on anything, no smell AT ALL. Has anybody else experienced this? Anybody have any ideas what may be causing it?

10-24-2013, 09:51 PM	#5
aggieguy13 Drives: 2013 SS/RS VR 1LE Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: MCKINNEY,TX Posts: 1,278 View My Garage	Belt might've just slipped __________________ 2013 SS/RS 1LE VR-Backup System, SOLO Perforsance HF Cats, Muffler Delete, BBK Off-road X-pipe 2002 35th Aniversary SLP SS-Sold

10-24-2013, 10:01 PM	#6
White_SS/RS Drives: 14 1LE Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 1,567	I get the oil smell too every once and a while, I like it! __________________ LMS Engineering

10-25-2013, 11:52 AM	#8
delphigto Drives: 14 1le Join Date: May 2012 Location: Walton, In Posts: 329	Mine does it also. __________________ 06 gto Maggie 489 rwhp sold 05 gto ERL/HKE 454 609rwhp na sold 06 Z06 500 rwhp sold 10 2ss ERL 427 530 rwhp sold 14 1ss 1le

10-25-2013, 03:50 PM	#11
delphigto Drives: 14 1le Join Date: May 2012 Location: Walton, In Posts: 329	Mine is on. __________________ 06 gto Maggie 489 rwhp sold 05 gto ERL/HKE 454 609rwhp na sold 06 Z06 500 rwhp sold 10 2ss ERL 427 530 rwhp sold 14 1ss 1le

05-22-2013, 03:25 PM	#2
Midnight Rat Drives: SS 1LE Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 1,829	My 2011 did the same thing. Never saw a oil,leak.

05-23-2013, 12:38 AM	#3
Crand Drives: away the ladies :( Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 235	The only thing I can find in the Interwebz is that the Camaro smells like oil sometimes. The fix is to ignore it.

10-24-2013, 09:49 PM	#4
TOYMARO Drives: 2011 Camaro SS/RS 2SS Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: here Posts: 591	old thread....but there are others. Rear main seems to be answer. Someone said a TSB was issued.

10-25-2013, 07:59 AM	#7
Walker_1LE Drives: VR, 1SS/1LE, NPP, Camera, 1 of 76 Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Gainesville, Georgia Posts: 35 View My Garage	I'm glad someone else has posted about this! I get the smell when my car is put on defrost... Almost runs you out when you're stopped! Possibly the rear main seal?

10-25-2013, 12:10 PM	#9
1leNPP Drives: 1LE , 1SS , NPP Join Date: May 2013 Location: calif. Posts: 274	Same here

10-25-2013, 01:06 PM	#10
wakespeak Drives: 2020 ZL1 1LE Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 1,335	I used to get it but fairly rarely. Never saw a leak so I assumed it was some kind of crankcase fumes. Now it seems like it stopped since I put on the GM oil separator. Are you guys that are getting the oil smell running with the separator on or off?

10-25-2013, 04:02 PM	#12
Stock Boy Drives: 2014 1LE Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 479	Let me ask...is it a "sweet oil" smell, or just a plain acrid burnt oil? I had a an oil separator on my last veh which vented to the atmosphere. Strong odor that I thought was oil being burned but it turned out to be just the crankcase fumes. If it has sort of a sweet smell to it is probably just those fumes making it's way into the cabin through ac system.

10-25-2013, 06:33 PM	#13
detox Drives: 2002 ss camaro Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: oxford, ga. Posts: 87	Yea...oil seperator. Only the 1LE Camaro has it. It is not emmision legal, but some dealers install it anyway. It is packed in the trunk when dealer receives car...i read here. http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showth...ight=separator Ask this question in the regular SS section. Maybe someone has same smell without using seperator.

10-27-2013, 01:07 AM	#14
Crand Drives: away the ladies :( Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 235	Imagine that. I was just thinking about resurrecting this thread. The problem I was having is that I overfilled the oil when I changed it. It didn't take much, just .5 of a quart was enough to do it. I'm not sure exactly why but I'm guessing that with the extra oil, the crankshaft whipping through it must create an oil aerosol that when ingested through the PCV system, smells like burning oil. The night I had the epiphany that this may be the cause, I checked the oil, it was high, I turned around and drained what felt like a quart and went back out. Smell gone. Anybody else able to replicate my results?