AH! It's another zombie thread!

 

Guys... somethings wrong. use the same instinks you had as a kid....If it smells funny .. leave it alone..
Seriously.. I run the crap out of my '05 and I only smell the rich leather seats...

 

Yes, the smell is not normal. It is also not engine oil burning off. I would recognize that smell. Its something else. Perhaps the transmission fluid or rear diff fluid.

 

Well I'm joining this party a little late but hoping someone might have some insights to the issue I am having with my 00 XK8. Unlike most of the posts that I've read, I have an oil smell that is only present when I use the HVAC. I did not get this smell in the summer, or at least with the top down I didn't. Now in winter using the defrost / heat or AC the cabin smells strongly of burnt oil. I recently replaced the spark plugs and all the coils were good and the valve covers did not show any sign of leaking. Has anyone experienced a similar problem and if so what was your diagnosis.
Thanks,
T1

 

I never posted anything on this during the discussion, but I knew what is causing this, one of the posters found the problem..the SC belt slips slightly at rapid throttle changes and the slight burning smell goes right into the cabin intakes. This is not coming from outside the car. Mine did it and when I looked for it, I changed the belt and tensioner and the smell diasppeared.

 

Unfortunately, my XK8 is normally aspirated so the SC belt concern would not apply. I did look at the heat shield and there is no accumulation or witness marks for oil leaking in that area.

 

I apologize for being a little vague here, but this might help. I specifically remember a conversation I had with my indy tech a few months ago, and we were talking about cabin smells, oil leaks, etc.

He said he's seen a number of Jags come in over the years with "oil" smells in the cockpit, but no oil leaks were found. It usually ended up being - and here's where I'm going to be vague, sorry- a certain little pipe in the HVAC system that loosened, and slowly dripped some kind of fluid (not refrigerant, and not water in the heater pipes) onto one of the HVAC parts, which was hot and caused a distinctive burning smell.

Just a thought. And now for your entertainment, the pancake bunny.

 

I agree with JagtechOhio, about it being a bit of oil seeping onto manifold and then burning. About once every couple of months, under heavy and rapid breaking (as opposed to acceleration), where engine oil seems to splash forward to an area that has a slight seepage problem, I will smell the burning oil smell as well as see some slight smoke waft out of the driver's side hood crack. It burns off within a few seconds, and it is so slight that there is no oil consumption. I'd bet it's a gasket as well.

 

I also notice a burnt smell when accelerating hard, im gonna ask my mechanic to take a look at it when he's back from vacation.

 

My thought was a slipping belt as the culprit too. However, I don't get the smell when the windows are closed. In *my* case, I'm thinking more and more that it's WOT-exhaust smell.

Mike

 

My windows was closed, i was on the highway @ 100kph and put the foot down for a hard acceleration. The engine wind up, kompressor kicks in, and shortly thereafter i could smell something burnt.

 

Hi, I have had that smell but mine was actually leaking coolant from the plastic junction at the front of the engine which joins the coolant flow from both heads, during normal driving there is no problem but when accelerating hard the water pressure increases opening up a fine crack in the cheap and nasty plastic housing! Hope this helps guys?

 

Interesting. That is from an XKR? All the front coolant pipes I have seen on XKRs were aluminum.

 

NOPE! I have an XK8 (Not Supercharged) See photos in my previous posting that junction pipe is definitely Plastic and when I cleaned it up the internal plastic was beginning to break up? I have ordered a replacement but if I could find an Aluminium one I would be much happier.. There are some things Plastic is completely unsuitable for and one of them is Jaguar V8 Cooling Systems.. John