Oil burning smell when ideling.

[TwoXist]

I had this issues develop about two days ago. I drove the car roughly 40 miles on the free way normal driving, nothing excessive. Got off and the first red light i hit i get this burning smell. At first i think its the diesel truck next to me. I drive off and it goes away. Hit another stop and there it is again. Went home and opened the hood. Didn't see any smoke or dripping. But i did remember spilling some oil when i topping her off a few days ago. So i figured it has worked it's way to some place it can burn off. However that was a few days ago. And since then the smell seems to come and go. And its been a lot lighter of a smell. I am at a lost as to what it can be. So does anyone have any suggestions?

[DV8]

smell stronger on left side of the car than the right?.....check for a leak in the PS hose.

[TwoXist]

Yeah the smell is stronger on the left side. I will take a look, thanks!

[DV8]

If it is a PS leak...check your front left brake pad/rotor for contamination.
If that's not it...check the oil pressure gauge sending unit for a pinhole leak.
After finding the culprit...be sure to check for resultant damage.

[Mike-92RT]

it could also be oil dripping on your downpipe, or exhaust manifolds. Check that out!.. friend of mine off another site had oil from his turbo lines leak onto the downpipe, and a nasty fire started.

[MADMarc]

it could also be oil dripping on your downpipe, or exhaust manifolds. Check that out!.. friend of mine off another site had oil from his turbo lines leak onto the downpipe, and a nasty fire started.

OUCH! Yes, also check for any dripping or burn marks on the exhaust. You'll have to use a flashlight to see some of the more difficult areas and those are where I'm having my problem...stoopid oil drain tubes...

[stealthee]

Could be a rear main seal or transmission leak. When I broke my 3rd diff I didn't even know it, but smelt oil burning. Thought it was rear main til I went to drain the trans to drop it to access the rear main and found no oil in the transmission itself.

[mb3000]

Could be a rear main seal or transmission leak. When I broke my 3rd diff I didn't even know it, but smelt oil burning. Thought it was rear main til I went to drain the trans to drop it to access the rear main and found no oil in the transmission itself.

[dfoster101]

Could be a rear main seal or transmission leak. When I broke my 3rd diff I didn't even know it, but smelt oil burning. Thought it was rear main til I went to drain the trans to drop it to access the rear main and found no oil in the transmission itself.

yeh mine does the samething my bad front main seal will drip onto the exhuast sometimes and smell/smoke

[stealthee]

yeah. I kept smelling oil on my ride home from work that day. Thought it was a van in front of me. When the van made a turn and I still smelled it I knew it was me. When I pulled into my driveway a trail of oil followed me in. I had that happen with a rear main on my old 1.8 Eclipse so I assumed it was the same.

Went and bought the rear main, cracked open the drain plug on the trans and it was empty. I knew right away that the oil was coming from a hole in the bellhousing and I had broken yet another diff.