Noticed today while stretching the legs on my GP an odd smell.

Basically ran through the gears punching the supercharger to about 5-6,000 RPM. Well below redline.

I did this on a 1/4 mile stretch or so to give myself a chance to open 'er up.

Anyway, this funky smell started coming up after that.

Lasted maybe a minute and then went away for good.

Thoughts on what this might be?

Tough to say if it was a burning smell or not, but could have been.

Temp never went up on the gauge. Ambient temp probably 45-50.

Car has just over 6,800 miles and was warmed up. Original oil. No mods whatsoever.

Wondering if it could have been the supercharger?

 

Check the coolent expansion tank and the header heat shield. Odds are the coolent bubbled out the tank and burned up on the shield. The tank will have dried on coolent. This happens to my car from time to time, producing a burnt smell. I have not found a cure and nothing bad has come of it.

 

Another possibility is your aircon filter... I used to have this funky exhaust smell everytime I "stretched the legs" as well, and changing the filter drastically reduced the smell...

 

did you check your pants?

 

Belt slipping as you reach higher RPM?

 

Put something else smelly in the car.
Then instead of an odd smell, you'll have an even one.

 

perhaps you ran over a pack of grandmothers with thick coats of makeup?

 

maybe a little clutch smell?

 

 

Possibly fluid like nabeshin said. Not sure though.

 

Most likely clutch.....


Jack

 

Did you notice with the AC on or off?

I noticed something similar during breakin ... but only when the AC was on. Not when off.

 

Possible, but don't think so. Kept pulling strong and no notice of a drag in the pull.

I would think I'd feel the change if the belt started slipping. Also, wouldn't a noise occur?

 

That's what I'm thinking as well at this point.

From the searches I've done that seems to be a recurring theme for Minis.

Under acceleration and through the gears, the clutch comes up over and over as the source of the "smell".

I'll check the coolant suggestion as well. Should be easy to verify.

Thanks to everyone thus far for their suggestions.

P.S. The pants are good

 

it is the clutch! not a bad thing though. i smell it often and haven't smoked the oem clutch yet. it will be relpaced soon anyways....

 

Just a note here, even after I replaced my clutch I still get this smell from time to time. Although, not as often.

 

Nabeshin,

Did you replace with a stock clutch?

 

It was a Spec stage +2 lightened clutch. I, uh, kept the stock flywheel. I was surprised how much the stock clutch was slipping even though it had lots of life left in it. I guess you never really know how bad something is untill you change to something better.