Soup40

I'm a new corvette owner and recently added a airaid intake system and have just noticed when I run my heat I get a slight smell almost like burnt oil but no quite as bad. I haven’t had to run the heat when I first got the car but due to the weather change I have. I looked for the obvious like some spilled oil but dont see anything and have no drips in my garage. Could the oil on the new air filter be the cause? Has anyone noticed something like this? Thanks guys

Kdurgin

2011 GS with 9K miles, and I am getting a slight oil smell after my oil change also, inside the car. No drips or leaks, cap is on tight. I have also been getting a faint coolant smell as well. Also no leaks or level issues there. Someone suggested it may be from the overflow naturally venting. She's on warranty as well as the extended GM service plan, so the beatings will continue.......

bbudman

I never had an issue until I had the dealer changed the oil three weeks ago. Even since then once the vehicle has been running about twenty minutes or so I get the same smell through the vents. I have not gone under the car to inspect but I have kept a check on the oil level and also have no signs of drips on the garage floor. My thinking is that during filter removal oil was spilled on something under the engine that gets radiant heat from the exhaust which causes the smell since it takes so long after the engine has been running to detect. I will be washing my car today and I think I am going to raise the front and have a look.

Kenny94945

I would do two things.
1 - Lift the hood, in a wind free area, when you notice the odor and see if you detect the smell under the hood. Especially toward the rear of the intake maniford! I believe an oil sensor is located there.
2 - Pull the cabin filter and smell the filter for this oil odor.

That may help isolate where the odor is eminating from.

bbudman

I am pretty sure it is where the mechanic spilled oil because you do not smell it until the vehicle has been running for twenty minutes or so. Also I do not smell it when I am moving and usually start smelling it when I come to a stop. I am pretty sure I am going to find where it was spilled and it will probably be either near the filter location. I will post my findings once I figure it out.

OnPoint

It happened once on one of mine after an oil change. I snugged the oil filter - it wasn't tight enough, and wiped all the oil off of it that had weeped. Smell went away.

Everybody knows you don't want to overtighten an oil filter, but this one wasn't on nearly tight enough.

Soup40

Thanks guys. I did also send a message to the airaid rep and he said that sometimes the smell can come from the new plastic and rubber on the air intake system but should go away. The other thing I thought about was that I bought this car and it's an 08 but only had 5300 miles on it so the heat more than likley wasnt used very much. I also changed out the cabin filter as you suggested. I'll see what happens. Thanks all for the response.

bbudman

Think I found the problem. I lifted the car yesterday afternoon and had a good look around. It appears that the smell was probably coming from the oil that I found on the pan and the engine crossmember from where the tech drained it. There were no leaks but there was some oil that was not cleaned off the pan from where it had been drained. Also at the sump drain location a little oil had gotten on top of the crossmember. The exhaust is very close to these parts and I am sure they get pretty warm after the engine has been running a bit.

I took Simple Green and soaked the areas and then used a water hose to spray off the affected areas. I also took some shop towels and wiped everything off. I took the car for a short drive and came back and so far so good.

Soup40

Awesome thanks for the info I might put mine on the lift as well.

bbudman

Well, here is an update. The smell is back! I looked back under the car and there is no trace of leaking oil. I decided it's not my problem and I am going to let the dealer figure it out since it was not a problem until they changed the oil.

azc62006

or it could be that your oil pan gasket is leaking. i have a 2010 and it was wet during my first oil change at 5000 at 10000 they put dye in now at 15000 they said it is even more wet. see pic. i found no wet spots on the floor during this whole time. see pics to see what to look for.... it is in the shop getting the gasket replaced. luckily its under warranty.. i am an invloved person and the dealership knows this .when they say something is wrong i want to see it.... the tech has taken pics for most of the job...

bbudman

Wow, that is a pretty noticable leak there. As for me, I can find no trace of oil under the hood or on the floor under the vehicle. I spent almost 30 minutes under the car last night after I got home with a shop light and saw nothing. I even checked the filter as suggested earlier and it was tight.

For the most part I don't worry too much about little things but it freaking stinks every time you come to a stop and it is not getting any better leaving me to believe it has to be leaking somewhere.

lennieorr

There are few thread concerning this problem. I have the same problem with my '08 C-6. I tried removing the engine covers and cleaning everything I could reach with a rag, brake cleaner, and a screw driver. I got under the car and did the same thing with the oil pan, filter, and exhaust pipes. No improvement. I bought the car used a few months ago and the when I took it to the dealer they can't find the problem. I even tried removing the plug wires and removing excess dielectric grease to make sure it wasn't getting hot and dripping onto the heads. I don't what to try next.

clarkakirby

Anyone heard about any factory aluminum oil pan porosity problems?