"burning" Smell/smoke after engine is turned off

ok, so this kinda weird...i checked other threads and i don't seem to see anyone with a problem like mine...

 

when i get wherever i'm driving to (to work for example), as soon as i get out, i smell something like oil/grease burning BUT no oil leaking anywhere, no lights on the dash, everything appears normal. i also seem like smoke from under the car.

 

in my head i'm still thinking that this has to do with some kind of engine cleaner the used car dealer sprayed on it while detailing the car before i drove off the lot.

It could be the shaft seal. I hav that problem. It will tranny oil drips on to the exhaust pipe. That could be it. You havn't had no tranny work hav you?

All the Subaru's that my family has owned always smell hot when you get out of the car. My 1998 LGT smells hot when I'm done driving it and it gives off the smell you are describing but my grandpa's 2009 Outback smells the same after driving it. My grandpa's old 2008 Forester did the same thing. I thought it was just normal?

Oil leaking from somewhere. Doesn't take a lot to stink once it hits the exhaust pipe. Our '02 Outback did the same thing and I didn't have to add oil between changes. It could come from a multitude of places however.

Look on the passengers side and see if you have oil on the exhaust. Its common for the cv boot to tear and splash grease on the exhaust.

i have a little spot on my driver's side...on my heatwrapped header dammit

I have the same kind of smell. the bottom of the motor has oil kinda everywhere, but the 2.2 doesn't burn anything thru the exhaust, and I hardly have to add oil. it's just kinda slow leaks/old residue everywhere, but it does smell like something's burning. I brought this up a few months too

All the Subaru's that my family has owned always smell hot when you get out of the car. My 1998 LGT smells hot when I'm done driving it and it gives off the smell you are describing but my grandpa's 2009 Outback smells the same after driving it. My grandpa's old 2008 Forester did the same thing. I thought it was just normal?

 

so know subarus have a special scent too.... there are alot of special things with subaru that i can find on my friends cars. haha sweet.

 

the smell can be simply dirt or even the aluminum block. metals do give of smells. maybe even your rotors/ brakes.

Haha yupp, they have their own smell. I've never thought of it being an issue honestly. Every Subaru that I've encountered where I live has that smell.

It could be the shaft seal. I hav that problem. It will tranny oil drips on to the exhaust pipe. That could be it. You havn't had no tranny work hav you?

 

no, i just bought the car back in january

I once had a strange burning smell coming from my car too, similar to what you describe, but mine smelled more like burning popcorn or chicken. It was odd. Turns out, there was a small nest under my intake manifold slowly roasting whatever it contained.

 

Maybe check around for any debris that could be hiding, cooking up interesting smells.

would the grease from the boot cause the faint smoke i often see?

You sure it's not dripping oil on the exhaust manifold???

You sure it's not dripping oil on the exhaust manifold???

 

i have looked and can not find any leaks anywhere, nothing dripping on the ground.

i have looked and can not find any leaks anywhere, nothing dripping on the ground.

 

I don't want to keep pushing the same thing, but I'm only suggesting this because my car was dropped off at the shop this morning with a massive oil leak that has the entire undercarriage literally dripping with oil. It started as a little light smoke out of the hood that I only noticed when I stopped the car. I finally traced it to just a few drips on the exhaust manifold. There was no oil dripping on the ground, it would just drop on the exhaust and burn away.

 

3 months later, on the drive to the mechanics shop, I was leaving a trail of white smoke behind me today. Only suggesting that because the oil separator cover on the back of our engines has a history of randomly letting go and leading to the exact issue I had. Just trying to help, so if you've already ABSOLUTELY checked and there is no oil leak, then sorry for being annoying, lol.

i have the same problem with my 98 ej25. it started as a burning rubber smell. then it was faint smoke coming from underneath then now it smokes bad i replaced the 4 cam shaft seals the crank seal and the oil pan gasket. still smokes. i need an answer. but no one can help. i just want it to be how it was when i bought it.

Did you check the front driveshaft seal/gasket?

I saw smoke coming from the engine the other day, but it smelled rancid. Then I remembered rodents were coming in and pissing and s*****g everywhere, so I attributed it to that.

 

If there's any fluid anywhere on the engine, it will cook. And burn. And give an acrid smell. Check the bottom of your engine, check the cv boots (to make sure they're not torn), and check to see if there are any splotches on your exhaust manifold.

The best way to dianogis a leak or to temporary cure a smell its to get some engine cleaner and hose down your engine. this should get rid of any/most excess oil/fluids buring up on hot stuff in your engine bay. Then drive it for a whille and keep checking for anything leaking/ smelling.

 

I did this to find out I had a leaking power steering resovour but yeah subaru's do have a wierd smell to them when they they are ran a good distance

My power steering res. leaks too. Funny

Ugh. Found a huge oil leak in the rear of the engine. Oh well.

2009 First Starting the vehicle, WINTER Conditions: Heater On/ Noticing Burning plastic, wax, oil, grease smells ? Under hood no smell, coming from heater discharge there's a smell.

 

Then smell subsides in driving, or heater off it disappears, or cabin recirculation air on it subsides.

 

I believe your points on grease from drive boots, oil leak valve covers could be a hint, but no smell under the hood.

 

Subaru dealer Western NY just inspected today, but no leaks.

Under the hood no smells.

 

Will the HEPA cabin air filter change get rid of the odor? I will test it out.

 

Thanks for the forum

My car had that burning smell as soon as I bought it from a dealership. They at first told me it was because they had just changed the oil and must've spilled some. I believed them...my mistake. I ended up down the road having to replace a bunch of gaskets for a lot of money, and it still smelled after that. I wasn't sure what it was until my transmission started slipping. After getting a transmission shop to look at it, they said part of my transmission was shot and was leaking fluids and said that might've been the smell that I was smelling all along. I had the transmission rebuilt last year and I haven't had any problems since. I hope that's not your issue because it's not a cheap fix, but maybe it's something you should keep an eye out for.

Only suggesting that because the oil separator cover on the back of our engines has a history of randomly letting go and leading to the exact issue I had

 

What happens to the oil separator cover (crack, loosen???)

its plastic and just cheap. subaru makes a new metal one now.