Oil Burning Smell in Cabin / after parking
 

Just noticed an issue on my 04 with 34k miles now that the summer is here in Michigan and I'm driving with the windows down... I tend to get a burning oil smell in the cabin when I open the sunroof and/or the windows. If I roll them up, i don't smell anything...but if I park, I can come back an hour later and the cabin smells like an oil change center.

I saw a lot of posts out there about people with new cars having similar issues, some sort of rust inhibitor that was on their exhaust, or something a dealer used to clean the engine or tranny after recent work, or from a recent oil change overspill, etc... but I haven't had any recent work and i'm almost to my next oil change interval...

Is there any specific areas to look for around the engine/trans that might be good to check out? With this smell coming in when I'm crusing at 45MPH seems to indicate that it's coming from the engine bay... or at least something that's venting forward of the windows/sunroof...but why the cabin gets this whole smell after I park makes me think it's something around the tranny area.... any ideas?

Pete

After it's parked, have you looked for oil spots on the ground? It may give you an indication of where it's coming from.

Also you say you haven't put any oil in it recently? Well I hope you're lying b/c putting oil in an rx8 is something almost everyone has done "recently" unless they aren't driving it.

Burning oil usually indicates something on the exhaust side of things though.

Good luck!

you may have caught a plastic bag and its stuck to the tranny>exhaust burning/melting. or you could have a leak

Yeah, i think i would have burned the bag up by now, though..this has been going on for a few hundred miles... I think the symptoms may even have been here longer, as with the windows up during the winter, you really didn't notice this issue..now that it's hotter outside, the smell is especially strong after the car has been sitting after driving for a while.

By oil adding, i meant an oil change...read a lot of folks saying they were getting oil burnoff and replies all referencing recent oil changes as the culprit. I'm putting in the normal oil amount, but using a funnel and haven't dripped any onto the engine/manifold/etc.

Don't see any spots/leaks on the ground, or unusual oil consumption... i watch this like a hawk too....

Is there anything unusual on how the engine compartment is cooled...where does it vent out to?

Pete

Plastic bags can take weeks to burn off :)

I picked up a plastic bag on my exhaust and had to jack my car up and used a brush to get this crap off. The smell was bad and since my previous experience when my 2004 caught fire I shit a brick when this happened. Fortunately the smell went away and no fire.

I just started noticing a burning medal smell in my cabin during the past week when ambient temps started to hold constant highs.. Sorry for the thread jack but it is a similar issue. After a semi long drive, i can start smelling it under 45mph as well. Then when i parked and popped the hood i smelt it more.

There is no oil leaking, there is no white smoke from burning oil, and there r no plastic bags. Im almost 1500 miles into this oil change. This is the time i usually throw in about a half a quart or so... but i checked the oil and it isnt low at all... Im beginning to worry. I still havent had the damn time to get the latest PCM flash to fix the oil metering problem so i got this feeling it is the engine cooking itself by lack of oil lubrication. Temp gauges and oil pressure gauges read normal with no fluctuation.

2004 MT. Driven hard frequently. 21k miles on original engine.

Im thinking i should just burn this engine to crisp so i can get a new one, then flash the PCM and not worry about my engine failing after 2012.

Had this same issue on my 04 with very similar miles.

Turned out to be leaking from the oil filler neck where it bolts to the engine. I cleaned up the area, tightened the bolts and all is well so far. That was about 300 miles ago. They can work loose over time.

would it be possible the smell is coming from the transmission shifter?

I know this post is dated but look on passenger side of engine between intake runners where intake manifold bolts to block. I have found oil puddling there.