Hey guys,

Just over the last few days I've noticed a concerning odor coming from my engine. The uninvited fragrance only presents itself after the car has been running for about 10 minutes or more. Yesterday the dooming "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" light appeared.

I went to the mechanic today so he could charge me 70 dollars in labor to tell me the emissions control valve is bad, or at least the code came up telling him so (520 replaced with labor inc....)

smells fishy to me

 

I have a bad vc seal and it drips down the back side onto the exhaust. Does it smell like burnt oil?

 

It may be the smell of burning oil, I'm not 100% familiar with that scent honestly, levels are okay and it was just changed 400 miles ago

 

What code was found?

Sounds like whoever did your oil change spilled some oil.

 

I don't have the code but I'll get it tomorrow. Hopefully that's all it is. But I find it odd the problem is showing it's head now, 400 miles or so after the change

 

Do you use conventional or synthetic oil? There's a noticeable difference between the two in smell when they burn.

 

I've always used synthetic since I've owned the car. Bought it with 60K last January and she just passed 72K.

 

After you run your car and you start to notice that smell, turn off the engine and pop the hood. Using a bright flashlight, start shining around in every spot that you can to look for anything unusual. As you look, get close down and start smelling. Since heat rises, whatever is causing the smell will rise straight up, unless it's windy. When you do notice a smell coming from a particular area, try to shine your light from different angles to see if you can physically see anything unusual. I used this method many times to locate coolant and oil leaks. Give it a try.

 

Wont autozone or advance auto parts hook up their computer to get the code for free? Check the valve cover for signs of leaks. Turn on the car for 10-15 minutes, and place a piece of cardboard under the car and see if anything drips down while the car is running. If nothing drips down you may be ok.

Also, before you do this above, check your tailpipe by wiping your finger in it to see if it is dry or wet. If its' wet and black you have a problem. If its dry and grey, you are good to go.

 

If you have a cheap red laser (green is even better), it makes a great smoke detection tool.
When its dark and the engine is warmed up, shine it around under the hood in every direction you can, especially just in front of the firewall.

Don't look at what the beam is hitting, look at the beam itself. Any smoke will show up pretty plainly in the laserbeam. And usually if you can smell something, it's cooking off someplace under the hood or on the exhaust pipes.