Hot/burning oil after oil-change?
Steven Bixby
I'm at 37,500 on my 97 (Legacy) Outback, and just did my umpteenth
oil-change on it. I change regularily at 3750mi intervals, with the
dealer doing the major services.
After each and every oil change, whether by myself or by the dealer (or
once by a quick-change place), I get the odor of burning or hot oil
coming into the cabin when stopping at lights, at the destination, etc.
This seems to wear off over a period of 3-10 days, and I was assuming it
was just from someone spilling a bit of oil while removing the filter, or
refilling. On the last time around, however, I was extremely careful
not to spill any oil, as far as I could tell - and it STILL stunk for a
few days. What gives?
Well, yesterday I had a brain fade and put in 5.25 quarts before I
realized I was supposed to only put half of the last quart in. (Shouldn't
do car work after a fight with one's S.O.) Of course the car is
smelling of hot oil today, as usual.
This leads me to wonder if the reason for the oil smell might be
overfilling? Does anyone have any experiences to share about this
problem, and whether or not I'm being stupid to run with the 5.25 quarts
of oil when normal should be about 4.75 Q.?
Could a seal be blown from someone else overfilling it in the past? Or
could the oil be coming out a vent of sorts? Etc.
Thanks in advance...
--
-swb- (Steven Bixby, sbi...@crl.com)
emmpro
Steven Bixby wrote:
> Well, yesterday I had a brain fade and put in 5.25 quarts before I
> realized I was supposed to only put half of the last quart in. (Shouldn't
> do car work after a fight with one's S.O.) Of course the car is
> smelling of hot oil today, as usual.
>
> This leads me to wonder if the reason for the oil smell might be
> overfilling? Does anyone have any experiences to share about this
> problem, and whether or not I'm being stupid to run with the 5.25 quarts
> of oil when normal should be about 4.75 Q.?
>
> -swb- (Steven Bixby, sbi...@crl.com)
I do know that you should'nt run it with more oil than recommended, because
it has something to do with bubbles in the oil that causes a reduction in
the amount of lubricating the oil can do(I can't remember exactly, i learned
it way back in high school). Of course after a while, it will burn off,
possibly causing that smell.
-Aaron
Jack W. Judy
This sounds a lot like the "Outback: Odd odor" thread I attempted to start.
Yes, I smell a similar odor. It was pronounced after I drove up into the
mountains, but I have smelled it many time before, particularly after I
drove the car rather hard. Is your transmission manual? Mine is.
Here are my thoughts as posted:
> Subject: Outback: Odd odor
> Date: Sat, 07 Feb 1998 19:01:27 -0800
> From: "Jack W. Judy" <jj...@ucla.edu>
>
> I have a 97 Outback and I sometimes notice a strange odor.
> It smells like I drove around slipping the clutch, even when
> I know I have not. It can't be the viscous coupling fluid, can it?
> I thought that system is completely sealed. Also, the brakes
> shouldn't smell that much, should it?
>
> Can anyone report a similar experience?
>
> Thanks in advance for your comments and opinions.
>
> -Jack
I recall that this odor seems to happen after I drive at highway speeds (fast,
~70-80)
for a while, go up and down hills, and or do a lot of city driving in a hurry
(read:
jack-rabbit starts and stops, etc.). So far I cannot be sure where the smell
is
coming from. Likely candidates are: brakes, engine oil, transmission oil,
even
coolant overflow into the reservoir..... I am trying to pin it down. If you
or anyone
else can shed some light on this, I will greatly appreciate it.
-Jack
Alex Derr wrote:
> > After each and every oil change, whether by myself or by the dealer (or
> > once by a quick-change place), I get the odor of burning or hot oil
> > coming into the cabin when stopping at lights, at the destination, etc.
>
> The only time I smelled oil in the cabin was when my Legacy's oil drain
> plug fell out on the highway at about 80. The exhaust manifolds come
> together in a Y right behind the oil drain, so the car disappeared in a
> spectacular cloud. Doesn't sound like your problem.
>
> But I do smell burning oil (or transmission fluid?) if I drive to the top
> of a steep hill and stop. The dealer hasn't figured this one out yet. Do
> you smell it mostly when the car is heavily loaded (like going up a hill)?
>
> -Alex
>
> p.s. The dealer reimbursed me for the botched oil change, a new drain
> plug, and the towing.
Alex Derr
Neil Poese
My '94 Turbo wagon is really sensitive to oil spilling from around the
filter during changes (at least that's the only reason I have been offered
for the oil smell). My mechanics, both dealer and private, punch a hole in
the bottom of the filter to drain it before removing it. I guess the turbo
has some extra plumbing in the way that makes removal even more difficult.
It's possible that overfilling could also increase the smell - I hadn't
thought of that.
I also thought that overfilling was BAD, but the car guys (for what it's
worth) said on their show last weekend that it didn't matter- go figure!
Neil Poese
Steven Bixby wrote in message <6bnudq$9lp$1...@nnrp1.crl.com>...
>
>I'm at 37,500 on my 97 (Legacy) Outback, and just did my umpteenth
>oil-change on it. I change regularily at 3750mi intervals, with the
>dealer doing the major services.
>
>After each and every oil change, whether by myself or by the dealer (or
>once by a quick-change place), I get the odor of burning or hot oil
>coming into the cabin when stopping at lights, at the destination, etc.
>
>This seems to wear off over a period of 3-10 days, and I was assuming it
>was just from someone spilling a bit of oil while removing the filter, or
>refilling. On the last time around, however, I was extremely careful
>not to spill any oil, as far as I could tell - and it STILL stunk for a
>few days. What gives?
>
>
>Well, yesterday I had a brain fade and put in 5.25 quarts before I
>realized I was supposed to only put half of the last quart in. (Shouldn't
>do car work after a fight with one's S.O.) Of course the car is
>smelling of hot oil today, as usual.
>
>This leads me to wonder if the reason for the oil smell might be
>overfilling? Does anyone have any experiences to share about this
>problem, and whether or not I'm being stupid to run with the 5.25 quarts
>of oil when normal should be about 4.75 Q.?
>
Walter Clark
My '86 spilled a little oil around the oil fill-to-camcover flange while
driving when I overfilled it my first oil change. The oil dripped down onto
a header. I have had no oil come out in 35,000 miles except when it was
overfilled that time.
Walter
Rich Rubel
Walter Clark (Cla...@mail.dec.com) wrote:
: My '86 spilled a little oil around the oil fill-to-camcover flange while
: driving when I overfilled it my first oil change. The oil dripped down onto
: a header. I have had no oil come out in 35,000 miles except when it was
: overfilled that time.
You're lucky - once that flange started leaking on my '89, it never
stopped. It still seeps a bit today, 100k miles after it started. Not
enough to worry about, but it's there.
--
+--------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
| Rich Rubel | Happiness is an AWD Subaru! |
| rru...@umbc.edu | Turn a SNOW problem into NO problem. |
| | http://alumni.umbc.edu/~rrubel1/outback.html |
+--------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
AEngli622
Likely blowby from vent or something (not that engines have much atmospheric
venting these days in the US!). Often, quickie oil change operations will just
put in the next rounded-up unit from whatever capacity you have; ie 5 quarts
for 4.75 qt capacity -- they figure it will burn, blow, or wear off before you
care or notice (remember many USED cars go to the quickie lubes) and it makes
it easier for them to bookkeep (yep, used up 500 quarts! Order 500 more!)
If you do your own changes, a good tactic is to take the first quart and fill
the filter (assuming of course, an upright filter location!) before you install
it - close to the top is fine, don't fill completely. Then put in the balance
of full quarts, start it, then shut it of, check the dipstick & top it off thru
the filler tube. (Checked a book, looks like the Leg filter IS on of the
upright ones -- it's a real pain when they put it horizontally on the side/back
of a transverse-mounted block!). Also saves the first few seconds that used to
be taken up by the engine filling the filter, so it can immediately start
pumping the oil where it really should be.
Of course, you MAY have some kind of small leak, but I'd think your dealer or
another good shop could find it quickly & cheaply --- your car is so new it
really shouldn't have much of a problem!
Then again, maybe you've just got a REALLY sensitive nose!
Good luck!
>Subject: Hot/burning oil after oil-change?
>From: Steven Bixby <sbi...@crl.crl.com>>
kie...@baynetworks.com
In article <6br41j$mn$2...@news.umbc.edu>,
rru...@umbc.edu (Rich Rubel) wrote:
>
>
> You're lucky - once that flange started leaking on my '89, it never
> stopped. It still seeps a bit today, 100k miles after it started. Not
> enough to worry about, but it's there.
>
>
Rich- I know you're the man when it comes to subies but you may want to
watch that flange... mine started at 150k and my engine just blew up
(without any warning, e.g. serious leaking, at 200k). Maybe my problem
was more severe but it sure was unexpected.
Potsy
-------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====-----------------------
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Post to Usenet
Pvort
Jack,
I too recently have noticed a burning or hot oil smell in
my 1997 Legacy wagon with 12k miles. I noticed
the smell after the last oil change of which I performed
myself. It's been about 3 weeks and over 600 miles since
that oil change and I still have the smell. there are no
visible leaks. i even brought my car back to the dealer to see if they could
find any obscure leaks. they found nothing wrong. My oil level remains the same
as when I changed it on the dip stick so
i don't think my engine is burning oil either.
I am baffled about this smell which seems to materialize the most after a
longer trip and becomes noticeable in the cabin at idle speed. How long has
your vehicle had this problem? How may miles do you have? I am hoping this odor
remains only a minor annoyance and nothing major comes of it. Otherwise my car
has been flawless and fun to drive.
Dave Nicosia, pv...@aol.com
Brad Parker
I have a 97 Outback that had the same problem. I came to a stop after
exiting the freeway and noticed a foul smell. I thought it was the
truck next to until i rolled down the window and got a blast of
"fresh" air. After arriving to my destination, I figured I sucked a
plastic bag or something. No oil light or anything so far. The car
went to and exhaust shop after I could find nothing. Turns out the
seal on the oil filter cracked and leaked all the oil onto the cats.
The car nearly burst into flames. Thank god it was raining. Anyway
that was the problem and at no point did the oil light come on even
though every drop was gone by the time the exhaust guys figured it
out. No problems since, but the smell is here to stay.
Brad
Don Graham
I had this problem with my 98 Forester. The only time I noticed it is when
the exhast was hot and I came to a stop. The smell got sucked into the
fresh air intake. I could solve the problem short term by putting the
heater on recirculate. It turned out to be a leaking grease seal in the CV
joint, and then leaking grease through the axle seal onto the exhast. The
dealer fixed it by replacing both front axles. There have been a number of
Foresters with this problem, and I think other models too.
Don Graham
Brad Parker <bpa...@teleport.com> wrote in article
<34e8bf4b....@news.teleport.com>...
Karl Murphy
I have a `97 Legacy that has had the burning oil smell since my first
oil change. It goes away after about a 1000 miles. The dealer told me
it`s because I don`t take it to them to get the oil changed because
they drop t
he plastic shroud thats about 8" to the left of the filter. I have
never seen any oil leaking or any oil on the shroud.
Yesterday, I drove over Donner Pass in a near blizzard and smelled a
diferent smell, almost like the burning plastic bag discribed earlier.
the smell went away after the car could of been out of AWD. I also
seemed to be losing some traction during the worst of it, ( this could
be my imagination). I had to roll the windows down it got so bad.
I have printed out all the articles I could find on this thread in
order to take them to my dealer and pin them down. I can`t believe so
many people have this problem and Subaru service people don`t know
what`s going on
Karl Murphy
Karl Murphy
II have a `97 Legacy that has had the burning oil smell since my first
oil change. It goes away after about a 1000 miles. The dealer told me
it`s because I don`t take it to them to get the oil changed because
they drop th
Karl Murphy
Bombadil
I KNOW! What is happening is that if you are using any oil filter other
than the subaru oil filter ( or whatever comes on the car when you purchased
it) it is probably leaking at the seal. I was driving to work after I got
my oil changed at Valvoline (with a valvoline oil filter) and oil started
pouring out of the oil filter. Literally, with billows of blue smoke
pouring out the back of my '97 Legacy Outback. I went back to valvoline and
they replaced it, but I still smell a little oil smoke or sometimes a
plastic burning smell (this is after all the spilled oil has been either
cleaned off or burned off). I called the dealer and they said that they have
had problems with this especially with valvoline oil filters. Plus, the
engine has been running a little rough, and even died on me at a stop sign
with a cold engine.
Hope this helps.
*Karl Murphy wrote in message <6cqepm$7...@sjx-ixn10.ix.netcom.com>...
*>I have a `97 Legacy that has had the burning oil smell since my first
*>oil change. It goes away after about a 1000 miles. The dealer told me
*>it`s because I don`t take it to them to get the oil changed because
*>they drop the
*> plastic shroud thats about 8" to the left of the filter. I have never
*>seen any oil leaking or any oil on the shroud.
*>
*> Yesterday, I drove over Donner Pass in a near blizzard and smelled a
*>diferent smell, almost like the burning plastic bag discribed earlier.
*>the smell went away after the car could of been out of AWD. I also
*>seemed to be losing some traction during the worst of it, ( this could
*>be my imagination). I had to roll the windows down it got so bad.
*>
*> I have printed out all the articles I could find on this thread in
*>order to take them to my dealer and pin them down. I can`t believe so
*>many people have this problem and Subaru service people don`t know
*>what`s going on
Dan Kearney
Bombadil <bomb...@stlnet.com> wrote in article
<6d01n6$okr$1...@news.stlnet.com>...
> I KNOW! What is happening is that if you are using any oil filter other
> than the subaru oil filter ( or whatever comes on the car when you
purchased
> it) it is probably leaking at the seal. I was driving to work after I
got
> my oil changed at Valvoline (with a valvoline oil filter) and oil started
> pouring out of the oil filter. Literally, with billows of blue smoke
> pouring out the back of my '97 Legacy Outback. I went back to valvoline
and
> they replaced it, but I still smell a little oil smoke or sometimes a
> plastic burning smell (this is after all the spilled oil has been either
> cleaned off or burned off). I called the dealer and they said that they
have
> had problems with this especially with valvoline oil filters. Plus, the
> engine has been running a little rough, and even died on me at a stop
sign
> with a cold engine.
>
Add to that Warner oil filters. I had my oil changed twice at a shop that
used Warner filters. All was fine until about 4-5 weeks after the oil
change. At that time oil began pouring out of the interface between the
oil filter O ring and the engine block. Of course, the oil pours right
down in to the exhaust system's heat shroud that runs horizontally under
the exhaust system. It has taken weeks for the burning oil smell to
subside.
I went to a Subaru dealer a compared the Subaru OEM filter to the Warner
filter and a Fram filter that I purchased. None of the filters matched the
other, but the Subaru OEM was closest in design to the Warner filter. Both
of those used a narrow diameter O ring for seal. The Fram filter has a
big, wide, flat rubber gasket instead of an O ring. Since I put that Fram
filter on (About two months now) there has been no more surprise oil leaks.
--
Dan Kearney
Colorado Sierra, CO
Alt. 9,160' a.s.l.
Bernard Romey
If the car just received an oil change and the mechanic was sloppy and
spilled oil on the exhaust manifold, there will be a burnt oil smell until
the excess is all burnt off of the manifold.
Don Graham wrote in message <01bd3da8$d592a700$163195cf@cracker>...
Jack W. Judy
Please let us know what you find out!
-Jack
Karl Murphy wrote:
> I have a `97 Legacy that has had the burning oil smell since my first
> oil change. It goes away after about a 1000 miles. The dealer told me
> it`s because I don`t take it to them to get the oil changed because
> they drop the
> plastic shroud thats about 8" to the left of the filter. I have never
> seen any oil leaking or any oil on the shroud.
>
> Yesterday, I drove over Donner Pass in a near blizzard and smelled a
> diferent smell, almost like the burning plastic bag discribed earlier.
> the smell went away after the car could of been out of AWD. I also
> seemed to be losing some traction during the worst of it, ( this could
> be my imagination). I had to roll the windows down it got so bad.
>
> I have printed out all the articles I could find on this thread in
> order to take them to my dealer and pin them down. I can`t believe so
> many people have this problem and Subaru service people don`t know
> what`s going on
Jack W. Judy
Over a month ago I changed my own oil without spilling and I used a Fram
filter.
I still have the odor!
I am not convinced.
-Jack