Burning smell??

[JakeF777]

Hey everybody, I did a search but didn’t come up with anything. My 24 sport with only 1300 miles has an odd smell when doing a little mild spirited driving. Finally past the break-in so I’ve been giving it a little bit of gas but honestly, I really baby this car. It’s like a burning smell. I can smell it inside the cabin. It lingers in the garage just a few minutes after I pull in. All temperatures, oil and other fluids look good. No strange sounds or anything. Car runs excellent. Smells like an oil burning or even exhaust but not really engine oil. Hard to describe. Since my car is so new, could it be some type of coating from the factory burning off?

 

[FSUZ33]

My guess it what would burn off should already be burned off.

Have you had an oil change? If so, maybe some was spilled.

Make sure your oil cap is seated properly, and maybe the dipstick as well. Not sure a loose dipstick would create that though.

Right after you park it, pop the hood, turn off the lights in the garage and poke around with a really good flashlight. You may be able to see little wisps of smoke and figure out where it’s coming from.

Also, you could lay a clean sheet of cardboard under it. If something drips it will be easier to spot.

 

[JakeF777]

My guess it what would burn off should already be burned off.

Have you had an oil change? If so, maybe some was spilled.

Make sure your oil cap is seated properly, and maybe the dipstick as well. Not sure a loose dipstick would create that though.

Right after you park it, pop the hood, turn off the lights in the garage and poke around with a really good flashlight. You may be able to see little wisps of smoke and figure out where it’s coming from.

Also, you could lay a clean sheet of cardboard under it. If something drips it will be easier to spot.

Thanks for the reply. I have popped the hood numerous times and have found nothing. Oil cap and dip stick nice and tight. I plan to do the first oil change this next week so it wouldn’t be anything related to that. It doesn’t smell like motor oil to me though. I would almost think it’s catalytic converter smell. I do a lot of short trips.

 

[FSUZ33]

Could be simple like a chunk of road debris, plastic bag or something got caught underneath around the exhaust. I’d check the oil level just to be safe, and that it‘s still at a normal level.

 

[thesilverbullet]

Sounds like you are just burning the paint off of her. if it was oil, i would think the smell would linger for while.

 

[JakeF777]

Could be simple like a chunk of road debris, plastic bag or something got caught underneath around the exhaust. I’d check the oil level just to be safe, and that it‘s still at a normal level.

Just checked the oil and it is full. The level is right at where it was when I drove it off the lot. That’s a good idea on the plastic bag. I’ll get them to check that out when I get the oil changed.

 

[JakeF777]

Sounds like you are just burning the paint off of her. if it was oil, i would think the smell would linger for while.

The smell lingers only for a few minutes. Even after closing the garage I don’t really notice the smell. I popped the hood as soon as I pulled into the drive and I could smell it. Definitely not engine oil. When you say burning paint I assume you mean the paint on the motor?

 

[5thZ]

Has also happened with my new Z with less than 300 miles on it but has lessened over time

 

[alienpoker]

Just checked the oil and it is full. The level is right at where it was when I drove it off the lot. That’s a good idea on the plastic bag. I’ll get them to check that out when I get the oil changed.

The cats run at 1000•F or so. I ran over a plastic bag in a lowered 370Z and it stuck to the exhaust heat shields and melted. So there was always a funny smell after parking it. Ended up going underneath with a wire brush to try & clean it off. Got better in time. I suspect something is sticking to exhaust pipes, and it’s not coming from the engine bay.

 

[thesilverbullet]

The smell lingers only for a few minutes. Even after closing the garage I don’t really notice the smell. I popped the hood as soon as I pulled into the drive and I could smell it. Definitely not engine oil. When you say burning paint I assume you mean the paint on the motor?

yes and anything that gets hot - engine, brake calipers, plastic radiator, rubber hoses, gaskets, sealants, etc.

 

[up4speed]

It's normal if I had to guess. I say that because you said that you baby it.
When the car is new, the materials outgas as they get hot, and things like the exhaust will have a manufacturing oil residue on it (as well as some other parts). The first few hundred miles, the car usually smells really bad, then it will subside a little, especially if you baby it for break in. Then once you hit approx 1,200 miles and start beating on it a little more, the smell will return again. Then every time you beat on it more than the last, and heat it up more than ever, it will smell again. Once you bring it to redline a few times (after break in!), the smell will subside over the next 1,000 miles and shouldn't smell after that.
After that, you still may get that hot/burning smell in the garage every now and then. Just be aware that it's a turbo, so you shouldn't drive aggressively and then put it in the garage and shut it down right away. It's best to drive it very gently a mile or two before you shut it down, and then let it idle a little bit before shutting down.