Hi! This problem has been going on for quite a while. It happens everyday one time. When I accelerate from 0 to 70 miles fast, I smell something like oil burning coming from the engine to inside of the car. The smell lasts about 30 seconds then disappear. This smell occurs everyday just once, then stops. I recently went to the mechanics and they could not find it. Anybody know what might cause this smell?

 

Try searching around the forum, I know this has been touched on somewhere, but I don't remember where i ran across it. I believe that its usually coolant from a leaking CET dripping or spraying onto the exhaust and creating the smell during spirited driving, then burns off and the smell goes away. I experience this quite often when I run the car hard getting on the freeway.

Granted I own an older Jeep that burns more oil than it leaks, lol, and the smell from the MINI is nothing like the burnt oil smell from the Jeep. Being that the shop could not seem to find any major issues, I would say its probably just PS fluid or coolant that is burning off the exhaust.

 

Are you sure it is an oil smell and not a burning rubber smell from say a slipping belt or a failing crank pulley? Especially if you are smelling this after a really spirited acceleration it could be one of those issues as well.

 

Good call zombie... I really haven't noticed the smell in mine since I shredded my belt last weekend and replaced it with a fresh Gates K060547

 

Thanks,

My reason for pointing in that direction is I too had what smelled like oil or combustion related smells after passing cars at spirited speeds! I began researching and with the help of Way and a few others traced it to a bad pulley and belt related slippage.

After a new pulley and replaced belt, a check of the belt tensioner and other pulleys no more smells under hard driving.

 

I'm running a gates K060535 belt on my 16% pulleys had the hardest time using a 032 belt, should I be fine?

 

Get under your car and check for leaks. Valve cover gasket, oil pan gasket, temp sensor in the front of the block.....any leaks that let oil get on the engine block or exhaust is going to smell like burning oil. I had all three leaking just a drop or two. Fixed the leaks...the oil smell went away

 

The hard problem with tight engines and leaks is that they can be very difficult to see, especially if its small and dripping onto something that will burn off quickly.

Try and give it some spirited revs once it's all warmed up with the hood open and see if you notice anything on top or dripping below. Wait till it's at a warm temp, faulty gaskets leak more when warm.

Otherwise, +1 on the belt/pulley advice

 

Cam cover seal would be my guess, as the engine leans back slightly and encourages a drip over the rear lip onto the header flange, but as said, look for all oil leaks, as it will all usually blow to the rear and likely as not, touch the header as it comes away.


The coolant tank is common for leaking, and will leave white 'ish' splash marks around the black firewall plastics, sometimes the header seam failing, most likely on darkening bottles, but also common when overfilled, so keep the fluid just below the seam when cold. Caps can play up too, but then as also said, the belt presents another smell, which also fits your description potentially. The latter two are more consistent with harder throttle inputs.


Only my2p