Burning smell

dodgeneonzl · Post by **dodgeneonzl** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 12:36 pm

Ok guys, i have a problem... is it normal to have a burning smell when you floor your car? Seems like everytime when i push my car hard and when the rpm runs high, i get a burning smell from the car... as if i'm just racing another car... Other times it is fine, no problem, no leak... but only when i'm flooring it and it gets up the rpm then it starts to smell... it's not very very strong, but strong enough for me to be concerned... I'm thinking it might be a problem with the oil?? Although i'm not leaking oil, but it does seem to run low after about a couple of months... when checking the dip stick... this didn't used to happen when i still have my old motor. Thanks

SOKADAO954 · Post by **SOKADAO954** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 1:20 pm

car can be runing ritch, do u see any smoke when turn on the car ??
and have u checked spark plugs take them out if on of them is black u geting a bit of oil in!! check these items hope this helps idk what everyone elz might think but thats something to look at

dodgeneonzl · Post by **dodgeneonzl** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 1:40 pm

Ok, so i just switched out new spark plugs... old ones were dark grey looking... like burnt color like... that's normal right? and yeah, i'm definitly leaking oil somewhere because i check my oil level today and it was below the minimal mark on the dipstick! yikes.... But i've checked around and didn't see any leaks... i especially looked at my oil pressure sensors and valve cover... but didn't find any oil leaks... it is possible that it's leaking into the cylinders? Thanks

Post by **occasional demons** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 2:12 pm

It could be going into the intake manifold via the pcv system. Maybe the valve cover baffles on the newer engine aren't keeping the oil out as well as the old one. Or you just need a new PCV valve. Pull the bellows tube/TB off and stick a light into the IM. If there is a lot of oil in the bottom, you found where it is going.

ZeroChad · Post by **ZeroChad** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 2:59 pm

When I'm plowing through snow at high rpms and not really going anywhere, I'll smell a "burnt" odor now and then. I wanna attribute it to the tranny overheating, but thats just a guess.

03wingswestR/T · Post by **03wingswestR/T** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 3:33 pm

if you run a motor hard alot you will loose oil! get a catch can! and that smell is heat. if it doesnt smell like burning oil or sweet like antifreeze or clutch then you should be good..

Post by **occasional demons** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 6:23 pm

ZeroChad wrote:When I'm plowing through snow at high rpms and not really going anywhere, I'll smell a "burnt" odor now and then. I wanna attribute it to the tranny overheating, but thats just a guess.

Off topic, maybe.

That is the fastest way to kill an ATX! Spinning tires, and no air moving through the radiator = failed ATX. But it would need to be substained for at least 5 minutes.

Since it is snow season, (here in the climate change states) if you do get stuck with an ATX, at the minumum, turn on the A/C so the fan runs. If I had an ATX, I would install a switched alternate power feed to the fan relay, to manually turn on the cooling fan, just for this reason.
I have run the piss out of mine, and never have I had a burning smell. Well, that wasn't the tires.

excon · Post by **excon** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 8:45 pm

Do you have a MTX? You could be smelling burning clutch!

dodgeneonzl · Post by **dodgeneonzl** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 7:31 am

Thanks for all the help guys, i have an atx... I'm gonna check the intake manifold tomorrow... It's just that i used to have my old motor and even when i ran it hard it didn't lose oil... at least not that much, i almost have to put in a quart of oil to replace what was lost in about what? probably 2months?

Also, if it's leaking would it be obvious? as in like a oily substance? or would the heat of the engine just dry it off? I can touch the back of the motor where the oil press. sensor is at but i can't see it... so i used my fingers to swap it but i don't get any oily stuff... just a little dirt and dust.

Passt · Post by **Passt** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 9:53 am

I'm going to follow this thread. When I was at the shop last week I noticed I was almost 2 qts. low. I don't have any exterior leaks.

arlenok · Post by **arlenok** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 3:17 am

It might be blow-by. If possible check your piston rings.

dodgeneonzl · Post by **dodgeneonzl** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 9:26 am

Ok, thanks man, but i wont' be able to check on it for a while, i'm in mississagua, ontario right now for a week or so... I drove 16hours straight lol...

Oh, anyone lives around here who wants to meet up?

mopar4life · Post by **mopar4life** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 5:14 pm

Passt wrote:I'm going to follow this thread. When I was at the shop last week I noticed I was almost 2 qts. low. I don't have any exterior leaks.

My SRT is the same way. When we took the turbo hoses off to put the clutch in a while back there was oil in them. Not alot but some, I believe Ill do the catch can before long and figure out the problem.

gopherfan2011 · Post by **gopherfan2011** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 4:01 pm

03wingswestR/T wrote:if you run a motor hard alot you will loose oil! get a catch can! and that smell is heat. if it doesnt smell like burning oil or sweet like antifreeze or clutch then you should be good..

What if you happen to be smelling burning antifreeze......I think my headgasket is going!

please HALP!

Post by **occasional demons** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 6:24 pm

dodgeneonzl: Did you ever figure it out? after re reading this It may have been the catalytic converter heating up due to a rich mixture at WOT.

gopherfan2011: Is it the sweet smell, like 03wingswestR/T decribed?
How does the overflow/expansion tank look? Check that it is not leaking/spilling over onto the exhaust mani.

I would check all the hoses first, as a small leak can leave a lot of oder as it will steam away quite a bit before it shows any signs of puddles on the ground. They can be hard to find, as it will only leave a smal amount of seepage sometimes. I could smell a faint hint of burning antifreeze before I did the timing belt/ water pump change. The waterpump was seeping ever so slightly, but not enough to leave any tell tale signs of a leak.

If you can smell it strong at the tail pipe, then there is a good chance it is getting into the combustion chamber. If it starts smoking white smoke out the tailpipe, it is definately getting in there. Then you are looking at a headgasket change. Or a replacement head. Usually the only way a head fails on these is if it was overheated.

Adionik · Post by **Adionik** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 6:43 pm

Mine is the same way. I have a catch can but I still need to check if there is oil...I am getting so tired of that smell.

gopherfan2011 · Post by **gopherfan2011** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 7:09 pm

I'll have to have my dad check, I'm away at school and he started it up and smelled it. Thanks for the help!

esfan · Post by **esfan** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 1:09 am

same problem i have before. then i change the driving belt and the pulley, (actually belt almost worn out, pulley damaged), the burning smell disappear. suggest checking driving belt and pulley, sometimes i thought they got slipped , that's why it burns...

Donkeypuncher · Post by **Donkeypuncher** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 1:37 am

I'm thinking the pcv or possible a slightly leaky heater hose on the back of the block. The pressure in the coolant system increases as the rpms increase, which can cause a slightly leaky hose to swell up and shoot coolant on the exhaust manifold.

If it just spritzes across the hot exhaust it could account for smell at full throttle high rpms.