The guys at the dealership didn't call your car Christine did they?

 

I get the same smell from my '05 MCS. I REALLY notice it after hard acceleration then pulling into the garage and turning the engine off. Never have noticed it coming through the vents. It's almost like a cooked oil smell. Hmm. Maybe we're onto something. Should we contact Yankee Candle Company for a new scent idea?

 

This may not be related- but why do some people put in oil catch cans?

Is it possible that the SC belt is burning?

Hard to tell about this odor thing- is it just a normal thing with MINIs or a sign of a problem. I don't think its normal, since other cars I have owned never had that problem.

I did have a Ford van once that had a similar smell at times. I never had it fixed, but I think I decided it was an oil leak, leaking down onto something hot, like the muffler or exhaust pipe.

 

bump

 

Bump. Dealer said this is due to a/c recirculation system funk - that all BMWs do it and that it's not covered under warranty. Anyone have any success in addressing this particular problem?

 

I know...it's Hugo Chavez's EGO!!

 

i've had this since the new fuel came into effect .

 

I get this smell in the cabin as well, especially when I'm taking one of my favorite freeway on-ramps. I've always associated it with dumping the clutch under heavy acceleration. It clears from the cabin quickly, but it is definitely noticeable.

I've never put reformulated fuel into my MINI, even though I live in a reformulated area.

As far as the warranty covering a mod'd MINI - another member (I'll not mention his username for fear of dealer retaliation ), complained about clutch issues during a recent service appt. The dealer wouldn't cover it, stating that he had a 15% pully installed, and the additional torque was most likely the culprit. Yeah, right...they don't cover the JCW & GP? They're running a heck of a lot more power through that drivetrain than an aftermarket pully will contribute.

 

ha ha ha

 

i tried some hard accels with the recirc. on and the smell did not enter the cabin. so it's gotta be from engine bay . since a 4" hole is in my back wall to my intake i gotta wonder if the quick shuting of the throttle isn't kicking some of the blow-bye gases back into the air box and then into the cabin when on normal air .