Hello all,

My 98 Audi A4 1.8TQM with 45k original miles makes an oil burning smell when I step on it. Usually it only happens on the freeway on-ramp or going up a long steep hill, and it will never do it under normal driving conditions. I just had it fully serviced, I got the belts replaced, valve cover gasket replaced and the timing chain tensioner seal replaced as well. I was told those two gaskets were likely the cause of the smell, but apparently they were wrong. The weirdest part to me is that when I get out to see where the smell is coming from, it seems like its coming from the engine bay itself rather than the exhaust.

Please help with any ideas.
Again, my car has 45k original miles due to the fact that it sat in storage for 9 or so years. This likely has something to do with the smell, since those gaskets I listed earlier were shot and there are likely more causing the current smell.

Thanks for any help.

 

The driving situations you listed are times when you would almost certainly be under full boost. Sounds to me like your turbo may be burning oil. Have you noticed any bluish smoke behind you when merging or going up a hill?

 

Not at all. I've had friends drive behind me and they say that they cannot see anything coming from my exhaust, but they can smell it...

 

Is your car consuming oil in between oil changes?

 

It seems like it does, but ONLY if I had been driving it harder than normal in between changes. But, it is never enough so that I have to add any oil or anything, just a very slight decrease in oil level...

 

Normally,when you smell fumes in the cabin,your valve cover gasket is leaking and oil is dripping on the hot manifold,smoking and causing a odor of fume in the car. I'd put my bet on this...

 

I thought the exact same thing, so I got that and the cam tensioner seal replaced and its still doing the same thing...

 

I wouldnt rule out the turbo just yet. If its really that little of oil then you probably wouldnt see it in exhaust. Could be a small leak. Check hoses. The fact that it only happens when you drive harder than normal aka more boost is what makes me say this.

 

The differential seal between the front-most differential and the driveshaft will leak also, and it drips right on the driver side cat. However, you usually only smell it when the car is stopped and idling. If you go under the car and that area is covered in oil, it might be the culprit.

In the case of a valve cover gasket/cam seal/half moon seal/cam tensioner gasket leak, you'll get noticeable smoke from the engine compartment when idling.

 

No smoke whatsoever. None while idling and I literally just had my friend drive behind me today doing a 2nd to 3rd pull and I could clearly smell it in the cabin, and he said there was no smoke coming out the exhaust. In fact, he could even smell it from driving behind me, but nothing visible.
I'm having it checked out this Friday.
And by the way, I've had this problem ever since I owned the car (15k miles) and it hasn't noticeably gotten better or worse.