SMELL OF SMOKE INSIDE CAR>

[tomcarey]

Hi guys, Ive got a 1998 XK8....which drives great....no rattles or whines since changing timing chains. MY PROBLEM IS.....if I accelerate really hard or fast....say from 30 mph.too 70+, I get a burning smell in the car ??????...Lasts a few seconds, then back to driving as normal...no smell..Had gearbox oil changed 6 months ago....don't normally put my foot down.(I wish, as sitting next to boy races lol)..but on occasions need to, and love the fun as car speeds away.
Anybody had this problem ????...Thanks, Tom.

[J44EAG]

On one occasion my V6 S-type had had a partial gearbox oil change.

Despite being topped up at the required temperature to the required level, I found that driving up hill produced clouds of blue smoke from under the car. I recall hacking up the long hill on the M5 from Gordano Services towards Weston-super-Mud laying a smoke screen like an RN destroyer!

The gearbox had been over filled and excess oil was flowing out of the torque converter, down the bell housing joint and onto the exhaust. The garage concerned dropped some oil out and smoke free service resumed.

Perhaps worth ensuring that you don`t have a similar issue. Although probably not the cause of your problem it might be worth a look.

Mike K

[tomcarey]

Thanks Mike,, Had this problem in the passed...oil on exhaust...smoke etc,etc......but this is different. No oil leaks, gearbox oil changed by gearbox company that only deal in gearboxes, Queensferry ..nr Chester, This only happens when I put my foot down hard for quick acceleration, and no smoke outside of car, just a smell of burning inside ??????....Tom.

[mike020150]

The description of the smell disappearing after a short while suggests that something is being burned off by the increased temperature of the exhaust system. Consequently, a good place to start looking for evidence might be the exhaust system. If there is evidence of unusual staining it could then provide clues leading towards a small fluid seep of some kind. For example, a very small volume of antifreeze can smell quite nasty when heated to a high temperature. A vague stab at diagnosis would also have me checking the hidden water pipes in the engine vee (hidden by the manifolds). They can leak with age and brittleness. When you accelerate hard any pooled water in the vee runs back rapidly and could drip onto the hot exhaust. Once the pool is drained the smell would cease until a small pool has had time to form again and from a small seep that could take a while. Mike H.

[tomcarey]

Thanks again Mike, Back to the garage for me, Il let you know what I find....Tom.

[J44EAG]

Occasionally, very occasionally, crankshaft rear oil seals can leak. The oil would accumulate at the bottom of the bell housing and again perhaps drip onto a hot exhaust.

Otherwise may be some heat or sound deadening material could conceivably make contact with an exhaust and be a cause of a smell.

I think the car needs to go on a ramp and a visual examination be carried out to try to find anything unusual. What we used to call "Mark One Eyeball" in the aircraft industry.

Mike K

[wuzil]

I was getting an occasional smell of burnt oil in the car when stationary and have now tracked it down to a slight weep of oil from the rear of the cam covers which presumably drips onto the exhausts just above the cats. Changing the cam cover gaskets has hopefully solved it, time will tell.

[J44EAG]

There is another issue with the V8 which concerns the so called "spectacle oil seals" which locate below the cam covers and form a seal between the cam cover and the cam carrier as I recall. The seals stop oil from dripping into the spark plug wells and accumulating in a "tube" with the screw in spark plug at the bottom. The well tube can fill with oil and drown the top of the spark plug and the rubber connector boot on the long, thin plug on coil boot and push on electrical spark plug connector. First signs of trouble manifest usually as a misfire due to excess oil in a place it should not be. Conceivably, I suppose there could be a time where that oil begins to combust and cause smoke.

Might be worth checking if you haven`t already eye balled this possible area although I would have thought in such an instance that you would almost certainly have noticed a misfire before you noticed smoke. Just an outside idea.

Anyway, lets hope you have cured the problem.

Mike K

[PTR200Jag]

I was getting an occasional smell of burnt oil in the car when stationary and have now tracked it down to a slight weep of oil from the rear of the cam covers which presumably drips onto the exhausts just above the cats. Changing the cam cover gaskets has hopefully solved it, time will tell.

I agree, when I was tracking down an XK8 (went through 17 before I found the right one ) at least three of the cars had a burning smell, hot oil on exhaust smell, and lo and behold it was the rear of the cam covers leaking.
One particular one, at a dealers I might add, was leaking so badly the smoke was coming up through the bonnet seams.

Check the rear of the cam covers very carefully, the oil drips onto the exhaust manifold/pipe, use a torch for the full revelation! Even just a slight weep seems to create the "smell in the cabin" problem.