Oil Scent In Cabin after Tranny Oil Change
 

So I changed my Tranny Oil on my 04 MT, and all went well, seemingly. This was 4 days ago. Since then, two persons have asked me why inside my car smells so oily, like a garage. When I put my nose down to the shift stick i can smell a strong oil odor.

I checked underneath the car and there appears to be no leaks.

Other than a leak underneath the car, what could cause the scent of oil to come up through the center console?

PS: Does anyone know a good place where I can buy my 4th Gear Synchronizer mail order?

RX8Prodigy

http://www.mazdamotorsports.com/

Gear oil has a high amount of sulfur in it. It is common for the smell to permeate into the cabin for a few days after a gear oil change.

Yeah, it only takes a small amount to produce a noticeable "bouquet". It'll pass. Most people aren't familiar with the smell because they never get their trans oil changed.

How did they fill it up? if they opened up the shifter and dumped it in there..they could have spilled..or ripped the boot seal?

The small amount of gear oil that gets on the outside of the transmission is enough to smell inside the car. I changed mine a month ago and I can still smell it faintly. Some carb cleaner on the transmission housing might take care of it... personally I don't mind it enough to bother though.

It was filled through the fill hole on the tranny housing with a tube and hand pump (A DIY Job). It seems that I only smell it when I rev the car (maybe thats in the mind...i will have to check). At idle I smell nothing, but under rev the scent permeates from the gear/center console area. The oil was changed on new years day. I spilled some (almost all - thought the catch pan was under the drain...it wasn't) in my dirt yard and it still reeks, after days of soaking rain.

PS: Also got some on my gloves and they still reek after two wash cycles :-)

So based on comments, there is a chance I may have a torn boot or may just need to take some carb cleaner to the tranny housing.

Carb cleaner and air freshner.