Strange smell coming from my MSP!

[ChopstickHero]

So yeah, there's a strange smell coming from my MSP. I usually notice it in the morning when it's cooler, not much in the day time when it's warmer. I washed my car yesterday, popped the hood, no apparent oil leaks, no coolant leaks, no tranny fluid leaks. my engine bay is clean as a whistle actually. It does kind of smell a little like burnt oil, but i don't see any leaking from anywhere at all. i checked my engine oil level and they are normal. For sure it's not exhaust / sulphur smell.

So ... what else could it be? Anybody else get a smell from their MSP? (boom07)

 

[CitizenPro]

Is it like a rotten egg kinda smell?

 

[MSPM1cheLe]

:[

So yeah, there's a strange smell coming from my MSP. I usually notice it in the morning when it's cooler, not much in the day time when it's warmer. I washed my car yesterday, popped the hood, no apparent oil leaks, no coolant leaks, no tranny fluid leaks. my engine bay is clean as a whistle actually. It does kind of smell a little like burnt oil, but i don't see any leaking from anywhere at all. i checked my engine oil level and they are normal. For sure it's not exhaust / sulphur smell.

So ... what else could it be? Anybody else get a smell from their MSP? (boom07)

actually, i have experienced the same thing. i thought it was anti-freeze but i did the same as you and everything seems fine. when i smell mine its only occasionally. if i find out anything ill let youknow, please do the same for me.

 

[ChopstickHero]

Is it like a rotten egg kinda smell?

Nope... i know what that smells like. I can produce that smell after a hard night of drinking though.. haha... sorry

It's not totally a burnt smell. I know, it's hard to describe here.

Tomorrow I'm gonna go for a drive, then pop my hood and sniff around. I have a feeling it just might be oil burning somewhere? perhaps the turbo, or manifold area? My car is running great, no problems whatsoever.

What are other origins of smells besides the exhaust, coolant, engine oil and tranny oil?

 

[Aricjm15]

sometimes you get that smell when a cat converter goes bad, but i doubt that is the case.

 

[ChopstickHero]

sometimes you get that smell when a cat converter goes bad, but i doubt that is the case.

Well, my car does have almost 55,000 miles on it. But I believe the stock cats can handle much more than that.

 

[Aricjm15]

my car had 150k on it when i took the cat off and it was still good, althought you cant compare what i have to a protege. Some cars burn out cats much faster than others, typical life for a subaru cat is around 60k miles.

you have the unichip eh? if you are running either too lean or too rich you can do alot of harm to the cat. like one of the ecu flashes mazda put out for the RX8 to have better fuel econ leaned the car out to much and the dealer I worked at had a few cars that had completely melted the innards out of the cat. just an idea.

didnt run anything over did you?

 

[ChopstickHero]

my car had 150k on it when i took the cat off and it was still good, althought you cant compare what i have to a protege. Some cars burn out cats much faster than others, typical life for a subaru cat is around 60k miles.

you have the unichip eh? if you are running either too lean or too rich you can do alot of harm to the cat. like one of the ecu flashes mazda put out for the RX8 to have better fuel econ leaned the car out to much and the dealer I worked at had a few cars that had completely melted the innards out of the cat. just an idea.

didnt run anything over did you?

well, i noticed the smell before the Unichip too. I just never really thought much about it. but i hear ya on the running to lean/rich thing. sometimes i can still smell it, even if i haven't gone into boost at all.

nope, didn't run over anything.

 

[MP3Architect]

yeah i was gonna say a cat problem. is your car any louder than it used to be? maybe you have a small leak or something. does it smell like sulfur? (i cant spell)

 

[ChopstickHero]

yeah i was gonna say a cat problem. is your car any louder than it used to be? maybe you have a small leak or something. does it smell like sulfur? (i cant spell)

Nope, runs normal, runs good.

I am getting some clutch chatter when i'm coming out of first gear though. not a lot and not all the time. is it burning clutch smell?! oohhh.. i hope not! (rant)

 

[Aricjm15]

burning clucth smells kind of like brakes only more potent, if it was your clutch you would know.

 

[POSEIDON]

Smells like burning anti-freeze by chance? The ol' burning carpet.

 

[ChopstickHero]

burning clucth smells kind of like brakes only more potent, if it was your clutch you would know.

OK, it's not clutch then. cuz i've smelled burning brakes.. haha... on my old P5, the passenger side caliper seized... stinky.

 

[jmv]

yeeeah, the clutch smell is quite strong, and not too occasional. Not a pretty smell at all.

 

[Super Mario]

Sometimes i get a wierd burning electronics type of smell.

the only way i know how to describe "burnt electronics" is 35% burning smell, 65% bite to it.....ive only smelled it twice or three times and it might have been just due to outside air.. *shrugs*

 

[Rawyzf]

Check the oil cooler feed or return line. Mine had a little leak there and every once and a while I could get a little oil smell if a little leaked out.

 

[ChopstickHero]

drove to work today... 5 miles, went into boost a few times. parked it. smelled around the car. No smell. Popped the hood, sniff test. no smell.

WEIRD.

 

[carwurk]

drove to work today... 5 miles, went into boost a few times. parked it. smelled around the car. No smell. Popped the hood, sniff test. no smell.

WEIRD.

mine smells on long trips.. but i have a boost controler with stock management.. and it the ecm over compinsates for the boost so it doesnt detonate and runs richer than it should and my cat smells bad when its hot.
just a thought...

 

[vxfilmer1000]

yeah latly my car has like some burning smell. usually spell it once i walk into the garage in the mornings after it sitting in the garage all night.

 

[LEXi73]

yeah i have the same prob i think! i smell some kinda burning also. usually only small it once i stop at a light or stop sign for over 10 secs or so. some kinda burning kinda like oil. i do think that my car has been louder recently though so it possibly could be the cat. i was going to take it to the delier and have them look at it. also my rear defrost dosent work for some reason and get them to look at the bushings cuz they are way overly squeeky. hopefully all under waranty