03grey5

Hi,

Before I take my car (2004 530i) in, I have a quick question.

As of late, my engine has been giving off a burning rubber smell after a couple minutes of driving. There's no smell when the car is being warmed up, but as soon as I drive it down the street and the rest of the day, that smell comes back. I checked the other day after I parked the car, and it looked like there was smoke coming from the bottom of the engine.

Can anybody give me an idea of where this could be coming from?

Thanks,

Xeronix

If it's from the bottom, there could be leaking oil and/or something rubbing.

What could be even worse, is a small crack in your block, which when cold doesn't leak anything, but when warmed up (expanded), leaks.

dawid_w

I would check for oil leaks. Valve cover gasket would be my first suspect. This one usually starts in the back of the engine and that is why you smell it inside the car.

Good luck and keep us updated.

kane1111

check the dip stick to see if the car has oil(Not thru the I-Drive), then check to see if your smoking out the tail pipe, if so your oil level sensor malfunctioned and the I-drive was saying the car has oil but it didnt. It happened to me and the warranty comp paid 5 stacks in repairs..g/l dude it was a headache but its all fixxed now after a month and a half..

EUAutoHaus

Hi, you didn't state the mileage but I'll take the vehicle's age into consideration. Most likely you are smelling oil and not rubber. Have you changed oil recently and perhaps spilled a bit? If not look toward you exhaust headers and see if you see an oil buildup. The problem is that you may have the original plastic cover on the bottom of the car so you will not be able to inspect for leaks. If you want to take that off and inspect I am sure you'll find the culprit. If you do this go buy a few cans of engine degreaser and wait for engine to cool. Jack it back up and then spray the entire block down and wait about 15 min and rinse vigorously and thoroughly. Let the engine dry a bit then run for a few minutes. Take for a spin and the smell will disappear as all fluid leaks will be gone. It is probably not necessary to take it in to have it looked at until you have at least done the basics.

03grey5

Thanks for all the tips!

I'll check it out as soon as I get out of the office and let you guys know.

ya5

Check Crank Shaft pulley .. also called vibration damper pulley ( Big centre pulley toward bottom of engine on front ) The inner rubber tends to crack / split away from the metal centre causing the rubber burning smell..

Mihainede85

So...what was the problem/solution? I see that you sold your car. Hopefully that`s not the solution