Oil smell coming through vents after some "spirited" driving...

[my3needsaname]

So I don't exactly beat on my car, most people are surprised that I say I haven't washed my car in 2-3 weeks since I'm just that nice to her. But I was rolling along with my friend and his Pontiac G6 GT as we had a nice little race across town, about 3.5 miles nothing big, and I was rolling with everything off so I could get the most power out of my engine/electrical system and when we finally got to the light (after hitting 80 on the streets) where we basically ended, I turned on my heater and got this wafting smell of not so much burning oil as just an engine that's been running too high for too long. Now keep in mind my car is about 20 miles from hitting the 3,000 mark and she's only about 5 months old. That gives me some theories as to what might make this smell and how I can get rid of it but since this is the second time I've gotten this (first time was doing about 95 in the high range on the freeway) I'm not too worried but I haven't changed out of my break-in oil yet or added/changed any fluids yet. Just to let you all know; it was more intense the second time around.

My couple of theories are:
I need to change the oil, although it is really good oil for the engine I smelled the dipstick the other day and it smelled like the back end of a go-cart, not sure if that's normal.
The car isn't getting a good enough mix of fuel/oxygen since I am still running that "tuba" intake under my hood.
I had too much weight in the car for the 2.3L to pull (my 200-220 lb. buddy was in the back seat)
The 4 banger just cant keep up with a Pontiac V6 which is kind of sad since his power to weight ratio isn't really that much better than mine.
I should've left the heater on to circulate more air through the ducts in the engine.
I have to do some more engine mods before I can run with the "big boys" (which is total bulls*** if I have to do that).
Lastly, it's totally normal and I'm just overreacting to something that I shouldn't be worried about.

Or possibly I'm a total idiot and anything I just listed doesn't make any sense and I'm totally overreacting because of my incompetence towards engines.

Please though, help me out. I lost too if that gives anybody some motivation to help me.(..don't want the Americans to beat the Japanese...again (usa) naw I'm jk)

 

[MightyMouse]

I'm not too worried but I haven't changed out of my break-in oil yet or added/changed any fluids yet.

I should've left the heater on to circulate more air through the ducts in the engine.

You are driving your car like this and you still have the break-in oil in the engine? I really hope you are kidding. There is a good chance you did some permanent damage to the engine.

Air throught the ducts? WTH are you talking about??!?!?!?

 

[bazooka joe]

what's the g6 v6 rated anyway....only 3k miles? maybe you were a little to rough on her..(shrug).she's still so new??

 

[my3needsaname]

You are driving your car like this and you still have the break-in oil in the engine? I really hope you are kidding. There is a good chance you did some permanent damage to the engine.

Air throught the ducts? WTH are you talking about??!?!?!?

Hopefully not and the break-in oil is supposed to be really good oil no matter what, all the dealers around here say drive it like you would normally and we'll change it out when its got like 5-10% oil life left. IDK what the hell I'm talking about, it seems like good logic to let air pass through the engine ducts and into the cabin rather than it just sitting there adding heat.
I honestly doubt that I caused any damage to my engine unless I bought a really bad drivetrain and Mazdas are much more sensitive than most others.
I live in a Ford house, we've got 2 Fords (one with a V6 and one with a V8) and an old I5 Turbo Volvo but I've never smelt oil quite like this and I've really beaten on that Volvo and gotten some stank through there before...I'm talking about 35-85 pedal-to-the-floor getting on a freeway cause some asshole was riding right next to me going down the onramp.

what's the g6 v6 rated anyway....only 3k miles? maybe you were a little to rough on her..(shrug).she's still so new??

The V6 is like 220Hp 220TQ but he's about 700-900 pounds heavier than me.
Maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit, we were going across town which is about 3-3.5 miles and I was pushing her a bit (like 3,500-4,000RPM at the most) but it was only when there was about 1 mile left that I was really pushing it (redlined once) to hopefully stay ahead. Most of it was the ability to change lanes so much faster in my car than his since his is like 2" ride height in the front and near 7" in the back.


So basically you guys are telling me I was smelling break-in oil that was heated a bit much...it's time to change my oil?

Point of Clarification: the dealer I bought the car from that told me after about 500-600 miles you can drive the car any way, shape, or form and redline it every 10 minutes on the minute if you wanted to was full of s***? They never said anything about me needing to change my oil before I start getting into my spirited driving modes and yes, I made sure to let the guy know that spirited means SPIRITED driving...

 

[hustler]

its more likely that you just got some heat going which burned off oil and stuffs which gave off a nasty scent. However, this was taken care of the first time I fired up my car.

As for the break-in, I wouldn't hang it in 3rd or 4th gear at high rpm for a while, but...

its 2008, and modern machining is different than it was 20-years ago. I just had an engine built for my turbo miata, and the machinist told me that the cylinder walls were honed in a way which resembles a properly broken in block. I followed his directions and idled the car up to operating temp, revving to 3k rpm slowly. Then let the car cool while you take the oil filter off and cut it open to check for metal shavings. Then take the car out for a drive with a few pulls at full throttle in 3rd gear up to 4k rpm, then downshift to pull vacuum as you coast down to idle in first. He said that after a few of these, the rings are broken in. Now, after 100-300 miles, with a break-in oil (intentionally not a great lubricant), the bearings and tappets are worn in, and you can hang it in 5th gear on the highway at redline if you want.

 

[my3needsaname]

That's some of the best and most promising info I've heard yet. But what's sad is that all the dealers around me say the break in oil is so good for the engine and that's it's better than the other oil they use, they run it on break in oil until it's black and comes out chunky, which can't possibly be good. So I guess it's time to change the oil. Besides oil burn off would also explain the fact that the dipstick and oil reservoir/reservoir cap smells like the back end of a go cart.c the only thing that puzzles me is that it didn't smell like burning oil, or at least no oil burn off I've ever smelt before and that volvo has given me some pretty nasty burning oil smells over the years but it could just be a different smell since it is break in oil and that I've never smelt burn before.

its more likely that you just got some heat going which burned off oil and stuffs which gave off a nasty scent. However, this was taken care of the first time I fired up my car.

As for the break-in, I wouldn't hang it in 3rd or 4th gear at high rpm for a while, but...

its 2008, and modern machining is different than it was 20-years ago. I just had an engine built for my turbo miata, and the machinist told me that the cylinder walls were honed in a way which resembles a properly broken in block. I followed his directions and idled the car up to operating temp, revving to 3k rpm slowly. Then let the car cool while you take the oil filter off and cut it open to check for metal shavings. Then take the car out for a drive with a few pulls at full throttle in 3rd gear up to 4k rpm, then downshift to pull vacuum as you coast down to idle in first. He said that after a few of these, the rings are broken in. Now, after 100-300 miles, with a break-in oil (intentionally not a great lubricant), the bearings and tappets are worn in, and you can hang it in 5th gear on the highway at redline if you want.

 

[hustler]

break-in oil typically has higher zinc and phosphorus levels than the eco-friendly stuff which is mass marketed. I put rotella dino-oil in my daily drivers and run the for 5k mile intervals. My turbo miata is (currently) getting broken in on rotella 15w40 (too thick though). After that I will switch to Redline 10w30 and probably run that all year / 12-track days or so. Of course I'll do a UOA to check everything out, but this was recommended to me by a friend/engineer with redline.

i was talking about "stuff" burning off on the surface of metal close to the exhaust. If your oil smells like that I would guess contamination.

If the car has 1000 miles on it, I'd say its broken in. It will continue to loosen up until you hit 5000 miles (based upon witnessing dyno plots get better after 5k miles). However, after 1000 miles, I say the car is ready to hang the tach in the red. Your car is fine, but I'd change the oil if its still the break-in stuff.

the "easy break-in" logic is garbage. It doesn't let rings seal, so the engine will always have some blowby, make less power, and you'll never get to play mythbuster based upon personal experience like I can. lol

 

[my3needsaname]

break-in oil typically has higher zinc and phosphorus levels than the eco-friendly stuff which is mass marketed. I put rotella dino-oil in my daily drivers and run the for 5k mile intervals. My turbo miata is (currently) getting broken in on rotella 15w40 (too thick though). After that I will switch to Redline 10w30 and probably run that all year / 12-track days or so. Of course I'll do a UOA to check everything out, but this was recommended to me by a friend/engineer with redline.

i was talking about "stuff" burning off on the surface of metal close to the exhaust. If your oil smells like that I would guess contamination.

If the car has 1000 miles on it, I'd say its broken in. It will continue to loosen up until you hit 5000 miles (based upon witnessing dyno plots get better after 5k miles). However, after 1000 miles, I say the car is ready to hang the tach in the red. Your car is fine, but I'd change the oil if its still the break-in stuff.

the "easy break-in" logic is garbage. It doesn't let rings seal, so the engine will always have some blowby, make less power, and you'll never get to play mythbuster based upon personal experience like I can. lol

(rei) I'm on that oil change, boss. Hopefully you're not right about it being contaminated, my mother had a 2001 Expedition Eddie Bauer and the dealer changed to one of those autonation ones and the tech "totally didn't" (******* asshole, totally did) wound up putting oil in her brake lines and since there wasn't anything my mother could do about suing them then (work was havoc) it could have cost her some serious damage not only to the monstrosity it was but they made her pay about $2K for a new master cylinder, brake lines, a flushing, and some other misc. things the guy had to do to get that big puppy stopping right again. Luckily when the braks went out she was only going about 5MPH, so she just threw it in neutral and hit the parking brake to stop it. That's why it scares me whenever somebody says a fluid in my engine could be contaminated and the dealer I bought the car from has a terrible service department so that's going to get checked out right away.

But to the bolded stuff...que?