brand new and smells hots - normal?

gnznroses

I've had my Z for just a few days and have ~120 miles on it. Whenever I drive just a short distance I get a very noticeable smell of hot/burning something. And it ain't my tires lol. I've stopped a few times and smelled around/under the hood but the smell goes away quickly. It seems like it might even be from the air conditioner? Is this normal? Fluid levels look fine and the engine & oil temperature gauges stay where they should.

kenchan

Exhaust gasket. If its not oil burning.

Trips

I agree. The parts have to warm up enough to burn off the oils that are coated on some parts like the exhaust.

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SPOHN

Wait till you push the car hard. No matter how many miles you'll smell all sorts of things.

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Waiz

Just take it easy until you pass the break-in period (if you're not already doing so)

gnznroses

Thanks all.

Waizz, I've read on good authority that break-in periods are bs and to drive it however you want. But I'm sure that's been a long debate many times before on here haha

Waiz

I guess it doens't hurt to be a little gingerly with it since it's a new car right? Better safe than sorry

SPOHN

OK! For this particular engine I would take it serious. I'm going to leave it at that.

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Eagle

When I got mine the dealer told me that the smell is normal and is from some other oil that they put in the car from the factory. Supposed to protect from wear on the new engine during the break in period. The smell should should deminish as you drive it.

My Z is broken in and I probably stopped smelling it somewhere in the 1st few hundred miles or so.

11Thumper

I'm at 850 miles and still have the smell. Really only obvious now when I park in the garage.

sonic370

you will also here a cool popping sound coming from the exhaust.....

mikeSS

break in periods are one of the most over rated things when buying a new car.

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11 GT 432WHP. 10 SS 460WHP

Mike

it is normal, but its not necessarily only what is stated above. When I was in college I worked at the port in Jacksonville, processing imported cars.

When they ship the cars from Japan, a most companies coat them in paraffin to protect from corrosion. We used to have to drive them through a kerosene car wash. The leftover paraffin eventually burns off, and that also contributes to the smell.

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NISSAN: 75 280Z / 86 300ZX GLL /87 Sentra SE / 03 350Z / 23 Z
Porsche: 93 968 / 23 Macan GTS / 93 968

murphman

when i first test drove a Z it only had a few miles on it withthat smell as we parked after thetest drive. Salesman said they spray some chemical over he engine bay that will burnoff after a few houndred miles so what Mike said sounds like the best reason for that smell.

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vazquezdd

I kept waiting for the smell to go away and when I went to have my CBE installed I found out why it didn't- the seal at the back of the transmission (6MT) was weeping. I never saw a drip on the floor since the oil was ending up on the exhaust and burning off. Simple warranty repair.