Burning Smell Returns
 

The past few days I've noticed a burning smell from the engine bay when I turn the car off. Just now I went to the gas station after a 20 min drive from work on the highway, turned the car off to fill up, and when I restarted the car there was a distinct, burning clutch-ish smell in the car. I've smelled the same thing when getting home and turning off the car over the past week. It's similar to the smell we had when the car was brand new and burning off the excess oils and breaking in the clutch.

Investigating further, it smells like it's coming from the back of the engine bay. The clutch is top on my differential but I'm no expert on this either. I have a 6MT and it seems to be shifting just fine, no grinding, easy gear changes...

Anyone have ideas?

Are you sure nothing is leaking? Where you park normally, is there any fluid on the ground? I'd take the underpanel off and look around to locate anything unusual.

G'luck, man. Post here whatever you find out for our benefit. Thanks.

No puddles or drips on the ground. I've also inspected inside the engine bay with a flashlight and don't see anything leaking or pooling on the plastic underbody.

Yah, I posted somewhere that when I topped off the oil it started smelling again.
I'm going to keep the oil level around 3/4 mark between the dots on the dipstick from now on. At that level no smell.

I'm at about 2/3 level. Haven't noticed any relation.

I still have this at 1400 miles.

Has it been raining there lately? I've noticed the smell a few times after driving in the rain and I've come to the conclusion that it is road grime burning off the exhaust.

That could be a possibility. We've had snow followed by on/off wet streets and drizzle. It was wet again today and the damp roads lead to road salt caked over the entire car. Road grime on the hot cats could be it.

brake pads?

Not the brakes. All four corners pass the sniff test.

Took the baby to a local self-wash and sprayed it down with some soap and rinsed everything (including undercarriage). Smell is, for all intents and purposes, gone now.

I'm guessing it's just road salt cooking on the catalytic converters but we'll see how things go over the next few days.

I know how to cure your problem. Store the car over the winter....

How about a "melted plastic shopping bag", or what's left of it, on the cats?

LOL, I read about that. I can't see that far under the car but I suppose it's possible. I've sucked a few up on the highway but I watch like crazy to make sure they come out the back.

Maybe you are shifting too high? And your burning the clutch?