Consistent burnt engine/rubber/plastic smell WOT high RPM
 

Hi guys,

Did a search on the topic but couldn't find a definitive answer.. My car's been doing this consistently and is well past break in (45,000 km)

Under hard acceleration (4000 rpm to 7000 rpm) doing pulls through to 3rd gear, I get a burning engine/rubber/plastic smell that comes through into the interior

only noticeable on hard runs (e.g. tracktime, mountain driving, hard highway pulls), if not at WOT or High RPM the smell is not apparent at all.

Anyone have any answers on the cause? Took it into the dealer but they said they didnt know what it was/couldnt reproduce it, but its definitely there after you do a couple of hard WOT pulls.

Cheers
Robert

Clutch, oil that leaked somewhere metal and then dried, or brake/clutch fluid.

Most likely clutch on pulls.

Is your car FI ..??

Do you have an aftermarket header .. ??

Have you removed any heat shields .. ??



humfrz

Thanks for the replies

Car is completely stock, no heat shields removed.

Clutch isn't slipping at all, and the smell seems to occur even without changing gears (e.g. if I just high rpm and WOT in 2nd gear) it'll come on through the vents/into the interior.

Doesn't really smell like oil, more like burnt engine/rubber/plastic? Doesn't smell acrid like a burnt clutch (i've smelt that before in a different car)

Going to ask the stupid question, but did you check for a melted plastic bag wrapped around your front pipe/mid pipe/catback, did you?

Good question (not a stupid one as I saw this as a potential cause on another thread) - Dealer couldn't find anything causing the issue when I brought it in, and when I've been under my car I haven't seen something like that before..

hmmmm......well, at 45,000 km any "new engine smell" is most likely gone.

I reckon the burnt smell is coming from a part of the exhaust system pushing against something, and burning it, when the engine is "torqued" over against the engine mounts.

I’d start by looking for anything that could burn which is near a part of the exhaust. Maybe a harness strap gave way, allowing a piece to come in contact with the manifold (header) or overpipe.

Back in the day, if we had someone we didn’t like, we would lay a piece of limburger cheese on a cool exhaust manifold of his car …….. let that sucker figure out why his car stunk, after he fired it up…….:D


humfrz

Have you checked your cam plate for leaks? It may be dripping oil onto your overpipe heat shield.

Thanks Guys,

Appreciate the replies, dealer had a look and couldnt spot any oil leaks.. I'll have a look at the car again and make sure nothing's dropping or next to the exhaust...

Cheers though :)

FWIW, check the cam coverplate for leaks yourself. I took mine into the dealership for a similar burning-oil-sort-of smell in the cockpit, and they assured me that there were no leaks. The next day I read this forum, checked my cam coverplate, and there was a butt-obvious leak there. Returned to the dealership to have it fixed... and they didn't know where the coverplate was.. sigh.

JIC.. it's on the passenger side of the engine, sort of facing the battery. Stand by the passenger door front seam abd look down into the open space between the battery and the engine, and you'll see a plain steel plate held on with 3 bolts. I bet the bottom bolt is oily and grimy. That's your problem, if it is. Easy fix.

Good luck.

But if it is the camplate leaking, wouldn't you see some burnt oil stains/spots on the overpipe heatshield?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no - depending on the amount of oil leaking and how long it's been leaking.

Mine did have some faint marks there from it burning up as it dripped but you had to look for it with a bright LED flashlight. I could see the dealership not looking hard enough.

Best way to check is simply running a folded paper towel under the bottom of the cam plate.

cam plate probably

I get a odd smell to in mine. I had no idea what it is but it smells like racecar to me lol.

in for more ideas

(also I checked my cam plates its not that, I also check my oilcooler and no leaks there anymore)