I changed my oil two weeks ago. I'm sure I have a good deal of oil that ran down the backside of the block, from removing the oil filter. I cleaned it up, sprayed some brake-clean... but I'm sure there is still some residue. No big deal.

For the first time ever, I smell oil while in the car. Only when stopped or rolling so slow that I might as well be stopped.

It isn't very strong, but very noticeable and distinct. Subtle and easy identifiable.

I get out of the car, pop the hood: no smell. No oil burning fumes, nothing odd, nothing out of order according to my eyes and nose.

I haven't measured any oil loss on the dipstick at all. I know it only takes a drop of oil to make a stink, but after two weeks of smelling this almost every day, I'm confused.

When I rev into the high rpms, I smell nothing odd. ONLY at a stop, regardless of whether i just drove down the street at 4000 rpm, or I reved high, or coasted down the street in neutral.... 50% of the time I have this faint, distinct smell. Not when the car is off, ONLY after driving while stopped, and then only about 50% of the time, like I said previously.

I have:
-Inspected the engine block (nothing odd)
-Pulled the valve cover to look for obvious leaks (nothing)
-Brake-cleaned the area around the oil filter, where oil would be hanging out after my last oil change. (below the oil filter location and on the outside of the halfshaft, and on the header and lower heatshield)
-Checked for oil dripping on the garage floor (none)
-Climbed under the car twice to inspect again (nothing!!)
-Observed that my oil level has stayed the same for the last 14 days.

Ideas? Comments? Previous experience?

I'm lost, and concern is slowly creeping from my subconscious into my daily thoughts while driving. I'm going to gingerman this weekend for 2 days, and wouild like to at least ease my mind beforehand. Or get some definitive answers, if anyone has them.

I'm not taking any psycho-active drugs, prescription or non-prescription, and haven't had an hallucinations or trips to alternate realities and weird dimensions in the last 14 days.

So, what's the story? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

 

I had something similar happen to me and it happed to be my pcv valve. Too much blow buy and would stink at the same time yours does. Its a possible cheap fix to only like 15 bucks.

 

now.. to eliminate simple things.. your recirculating air button near a/c is pushed in right?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by vtec.dc2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">now.. to eliminate simple things.. your recirculating air button near a/c is pushed in right?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Nope. Recirculate was not pushed in. Top/Bottom vent, fan on 1. No A/C or Recirculate. Should I try pushing it in and finding out what I smell??

PCV... good idea. Is that the one that you can pinch to see if it is still operational? (i.e., pinch, and if it ticks, it is still good)

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Chris N &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Nope. Recirculate was not pushed in. Top/Bottom vent, fan on 1. No A/C or Recirculate. Should I try pushing it in and finding out what I smell??

PCV... good idea. Is that the one that you can pinch to see if it is still operational? (i.e., pinch, and if it ticks, it is still good)</TD></TR></TABLE>

that may expain.. althought what the other guy says could make sence.. i run oil catche can after pcv valve, if anything.. wouldn't it just get clogged up?

now, whenever i have recirculate button to get the air from outside.. i always gather odd smells.. i'll be driving and thinking i'm smelling some car fumes or cattle fumes on country roads.. next thin i know.. the button isn't pushed in.. so i always keep it on recirculate, this way no odd smells.

 

quit farting?

sk, whos car burns like a tanker and fills it back up with the diiirty oil.

 

I have that problem as well.
Everytime I come to a stop, interior stinks of burning oil
Haven't found out what it is yet either.

 

i have the same smell going on. not under the hood, only in the cabin. too used to it to care

 

What did you do 15 days ago?! Haha.

Cubs suck, I mean, damn, that Schaeffer sure smells good, I mean, put the cap back on the open bottle of oil in the back seat, I mean, jeeez, go take a shower once in a while, stinky, I mean, uh, wipe a rag under the oil filter and make sure its clean and leak free. Hi.

 

When I am buzzing in high rpms for a while ( car nice and warm ) If I bring it up to 8000+ and hold it there for a few seconds then let go or bring it to a stop quickly I get a strong smell of burnt oil. When I had My RX7 it did that all the time, my friends hated being in the car cause is stunk.

It does not bother me anymore, but when it first happened I was in shock- could not believe the car was burning that much oil.

Ahh, what am I going to do....

 

Check for any loose rubber hose connections. Check everywhere. I had a loose connection to the crank breather for the longest time. This probably happenned was after reinstalling the head to the block.

It was only discovered by Baby Nsx after a track day. Oil was found in that region. The smell seem to be coming from the injectors, but after close inspection with a trouble light he found the loose connection.

The hose connection to the breather ispress fit so it could have popped off if you have been working in that area. Having the connection open will give off a oil odour if you have the air circulating into the cabin. I smelled it worse at idle. Turning the re-circ will made the smell go away.

If it's not that, buy some engine degreaser ie. Simple Green and spray everywhere where you might suspect oil residue might be, and spray off with a garden hose.

Hope this helps.

 

the reason I compared the R to the RX7 is... the RX7 feeds oil into the motor while accel and will burn oil to lube the rotors therefor a smell of burnt oil. The R does not inject oil and should <U>not have a smell of oil</U> - therefor we are burning oil in the combustion chamber while the car is coming down the rpm Not good.

How to fix, new rings or we are getting blow by- what would cause that?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Edwin &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Check for any loose rubber hose connections. Check everywhere. I had a loose connection to the crank breather for the longest time. This probably happenned was after reinstalling the head to the block.

It was only discovered by Baby Nsx after a track day. Oil was found in that region. The smell seem to be coming from the injectors, but after close inspection with a trouble light he found the loose connection.

The hose connection to the breather ispress fit so it could have popped off if you have been working in that area. Having the connection open will give off a oil odour if you have the air circulating into the cabin. I smelled it worse at idle. Turning the re-circ will made the smell go away.

If it's not that, buy some engine degreaser ie. Simple Green and spray everywhere where you might suspect oil residue might be, and spray off with a garden hose.

Hope this helps.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

This gets my vote...a clean engine bay is a good way to stop a cars interior from smelling raspy

 

Update!

Took some pics last night while bleeding my brakes and replacing one of my caliper slider thingies. This 'stuff' is new to me, as it wasn't there last time I checked.

In case the pics are no good (i haven't reviewed them yet), here's what I found:
Oil on the oil pan (not dripping, but damp with oil, or film, but it is oil), oil on the halfshaft, NO oil near the oil filter, oil on the top of the oil pan where it bolts in. None of this oil I'm talking about is dripping or moving visibly, but all the same it is there, and it 'drooled' out or did something like that to get where it is.

First thought: Oil pan gasket. The oil spots are very localized, only in about a 3 inch radius, from the back left corner of the oil pan, to the halfshaft, etc.

So, Oil pan gasket... possible?

One other thing: I pinched the PCV as the Helms indicates. No audible ticking. Hell, I couldn't feel a ticking either. I did feel that there was some flow into the IM when I stopped pinching. I was confused as to what exactly I was supposed to be listening for. Replacement time?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Chris N &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">One other thing: I pinched the PCV as the Helms indicates. No audible ticking. Hell, I couldn't feel a ticking either. I did feel that there was some flow into the IM when I stopped pinching. I was confused as to what exactly I was supposed to be listening for. Replacement time?</TD></TR></TABLE>

When was the last time you replaced the PCV? I've never done the pinch test, but if you take it out and shake it, it should rattle.

 

Chris N, I've had this problem for awhile also. I never could figure ouit what it was. Does anyone have a pic of where the PCV is? I don't have my Helms on me.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MiraiZ &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

This gets my vote...a clean engine bay is a good way to stop a cars interior from smelling raspy </TD></TR></TABLE>

I think what Edwin means is if you clean your engine bay then you can determine where oil is coming from after you clean it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by hungsteR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Chris N, I've had this problem for awhile also. I never could figure ouit what it was. Does anyone have a pic of where the PCV is? I don't have my Helms on me.</TD></TR></TABLE>

If you stand on the driver's side, looking at the IM, it is on one of the runners, closer to the block/head than to anything else. The hose goes into the middle of the IM. That's the best I can explain without a picture....

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I think what Edwin means is if you clean your engine bay then you can determine where oil is coming from after you clean it.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I cleaned it last night, at least where the oil was 'hanging out'. We'll see how much buildup I have after a day or two.

 

Link to pics:

Halfshaft

Oil Pan

Oil pan bolts/Top of pan
Hard to see... but it was pretty damp from oil in this area.

More of the same

 

My oil pan looked the same a while back, torqued down all of the bolts/nuts and no more oil. Be careful, the torques are really low (I wanna say around 10-15ft/lbs). HTH

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Chris93Si &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">My oil pan looked the same a while back, torqued down all of the bolts/nuts and no more oil. Be careful, the torques are really low (I wanna say around 10-15ft/lbs). HTH</TD></TR></TABLE>

How loose were your bolts compared to the torque specs?

 

Any updates? Still smell oil?

 

is the filter on really tight?? any leaking from the filter? double check at least i would...cause if you have oil on the halfshaft it could come down from the filter cause it is nearby

 

The pics above tell the story.

I need to change my oil pan gasket. It is not doing 100% of its job.. maybe 99.9%. There's not enough oil to leak on the floor, but enough seeping out to cause buildup on the oil pan bolts, oil pan, etc. all oil buildup is from the oil pan on down, not above, not near the oil filter, etc.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MooFX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I have that problem as well.
Everytime I come to a stop, interior stinks of burning oil
Haven't found out what it is yet either.</TD></TR></TABLE>

If you have a straight pipe, that is a common symptom.