engine smoke burn smell

**element256** · 03-13-2006 10:43 AM

yesterday went boarding and once up there noticed smoke coming from the bay...
for about 2 miles up i was riding the clutch in 1st cause of traffic..(1st thought was clutch burn) but i haven't noticed any slipping or any other probs with shifting like when my VW gave out
at home i popped the hood checked and everything looks fine (i'm no mechanic though) and let it air out overnight,
the oil slightly low so i got a 10/40 change this morning they said hoses and belts were fine and it still stinks like something is burning.
i'm outta my league now.
thanx for any help

**mcpath** · 03-13-2006 10:51 AM

I'm no expert but I do watch my engine for leaks.
Only thing I can suggest is clean your engine out really good. Sometime you can see stains of fluid or grease in strange places.
Watch the fluid level carefully.
how many miles you got?

**A4Technik** · 03-13-2006 10:55 AM

What about that hose jordan that looked like something was disconnected did you check that out?

**element256** · 03-13-2006 10:56 AM

59k...did the 50k srvc at audi at 50k

**element256** · 03-13-2006 10:57 AM

i looked but can't get deep enough to see 4 sure...the mechanic said evrything looked fine too but he is armenian

**A4 Moda** · 03-13-2006 10:58 AM

maybe you have a coolant leak.

When it gets really cold, the coolant will smoke a lot.

The other thing is.
Check your power steering fluid.
On our cars, it's on the right side facing the hood opening- drivers side, right below the washer fluid resovoir.

Hope this helps

**A4Technik** · 03-13-2006 10:59 AM

lil girl: Daddy... It smells....
dad: Yes it does hunny...
lil girl: What is it daddy?
dad: Smells like someones brakes are burning
lil girl: Like on fire daddy?
dad: Something like that.

tony: LOL hahahah LMAO

**A4Technik** · 03-13-2006 11:17 AM

The smoke was coming from below the intake manifold... white smoke smells like ass kinda like coolant or clutch.

**element256** · 03-13-2006 11:31 AM

Tony look in your bay and see if that hose connects to anything.

**A4Technik** · 03-13-2006 12:01 PM

yes boss... the plane boss the plane..

**element256** · 03-13-2006 12:32 PM

i looked but can't get deep enough to see 4 sure...the mechanic said evrything looked fine too but he is armenian

**element256** · 03-13-2006 12:34 PM

anyone have a pic of the mani and right below it, like an install...tried searching but couldn't find one

**mcpath** · 03-13-2006 04:46 PM

Maybe coolant line. I used to get a white smoke when I had leak.

**element256** · 03-13-2006 05:03 PM

was it stank like crazy or just smoke ?
it did only smoke up in the 26 degree weather but now it just stinks and never goes away

**element256** · 03-13-2006 05:05 PM

i'm gonna go to the meet tomorrow and compare hoses with people

**element256** · 03-14-2006 09:54 AM

ok noticed the more i gas it (the faster i go) the more it stinks... could the turbo be overheating ? or something with my crap fuel pump not working right ?
damn the euro !!!!~

**A4Technik** · 03-14-2006 10:02 AM

hey jordan get a can of engine brite degreaser and spray the fawk outta it maybe it will clean off the stank coolant smell... kinda like a dead bird died in your air filter....

**element256** · 03-14-2006 10:21 AM

I was even thinking of taking a waterhose to the bastard or brakeclean or something...I'll pick some of that up...I'm assuming autozone would have it ?

**element256** · 03-15-2006 11:34 AM

went in to rusnak audi pasadena and turns out to be burnt coolant...
prolly my last oilchange they put in the green stuff and not red so i just need to flush it out and i'll be good...
those guys are way cool and even topped off my fluids for free..
though a new fuel filter got me for $64....ahhhh !

**A4Shizl** · 03-15-2006 03:29 PM

Jordan .. check to see if you have a coolant leak at the back of the motor. The coolant flang is notorious for failing.

**A4Technik** · 03-15-2006 04:40 PM

glad to see you have so much time to get your car fixed... man i need a new job!

**element256** · 03-15-2006 04:50 PM

oh it doesn't leak it was actually WAY overfull, I purged most of it out last night after running with tony...Looks like my last change the place put in the green stuff and it burned..I'm gonna flush the whole shibang soon and refill with the proper stuff
Power steering was a bit low but they topped it off for me.

**HyperM3** · 03-15-2006 06:30 PM

Ive noticed on my car sometimes after running it hard smoke simmers out of the front grill and fog lights. It smells like definite oil burning. Only have 14k+ miles on the car so cant imagine what it would be. Thank god its under warranty and on a lease.

**element256** · 03-15-2006 06:33 PM

well i need this car working to do my job so I have all the leyway I want to keep it that way..

**Jeff** · 03-15-2006 10:26 PM

Originally posted by element256
yesterday went boarding and once up there noticed smoke coming from the bay...
for about 2 miles up i was riding the clutch in 1st cause of traffic..(1st thought was clutch burn) but i haven't noticed any slipping or any other probs with shifting like when my VW gave out
at home i popped the hood checked and everything looks fine (i'm no mechanic though) and let it air out overnight,
the oil slightly low so i got a 10/40 change this morning they said hoses and belts were fine and it still stinks like something is burning.
i'm outta my league now.
thanx for any help

Can you describe this 'smell'?

If it's kind of a sweet (and sour) smell, it's most likely coolant. Typically oil will not likely burn inside the engine bay, and usually though the exhaust as it is combusted. Our G12 coolant has a good characteristic of leaving traces of white/pink residue, and is not hard to detect.

I would also do a compression/leakdown check anyway as a general health assessment.

**mrkrad** · 03-20-2006 08:51 AM

tiptronic fluid
diff seal fluid
power steering/brake fluid
smell NASTY when they leak. oddly the above fluids all look similar since they are synthetic, but they are not the same fluid.

coolant burns sweet, sickly sweet.

oil smells just like that nasty oil.

the coolant leaves pink crustaceans when it burns.

the tip/diff fluid damps up with a cloth from a clear to dark urine color on a white paper towel.

**element256** · 03-20-2006 09:09 AM

it was definately the coolant...i purged the majority of it (green stuff) then Rusnak Audi refilled it for free and it seems fine now...i'm still gonna do a full flush and fill to make sure there's no more green stuff in there...
tnx for everyone's help, especially Jeff and Allen. both genious' in helping me.

**mrkrad** · 03-20-2006 12:13 PM

you know that you shouldn't mix that type of coolant, likewise you dont put TAP water (distilled) in the motor right?

aluminum head + iron block + tap water = crustaceans :)

**element256** · 03-20-2006 01:27 PM

yes i know but the jackasses that did my last oil change didn't seem to mind

**mrkrad** · 03-20-2006 01:38 PM

you gotta lay off the jiffy lube man. find a VAG mechanic

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