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Burning Smell from engine

21K views 14 replies 7 participants last post by  EvoEatr 
#1 ·
Hello,

I have an 05 WRX. I recently started smelling burning rubber coming from the engine. I can only smell it when I am stopped it seams. I opened the hood to find a light smoke coming from around the air filter or under along with the smell. Please help
 
#2 ·
Maybe a hose is burning..... Take a pic of the spot..... We won't be able to tell without something else....ie... what you have done to the car recently, modifications.

If you know where the smoke is coming from, you should be able to pinpoint it.
 
#9 · (Edited)
After driving home that night the smell was still there, no smoke though. It's been raining and very cold here so it's hard to tell if it's smoke or rain drops falling on the engine while the hood is up. The next day I drove to work again and the smell seemed to not be as strong. I'm starting to think it was the morons at Jiffy Lube splashing crap all over the place and it was burning off.

I would rather be safe than sorry though.

Side note, my check engine light at night seems to be on but so dim almost seems off. I'm not sure what this means. Anyone had this issue as well?
 
#10 ·
we've had this a few times...the oil filters on these things are in a really awkward place..right between the headers/manifold whatever you want to call it....personally ive made it a note to spray the whole area of the exahaust off with brakekleen..that usually takes care of it.....

As for you CEL..double check that you have no codes in the system...than a shot in the dark i would say you have a loose wire somewhere....
 
#11 ·
if you just put a TBE on then its probably your A/C drip hose, right next to the Downpipe. mine did it and i just kinda ziptied it to something i dont remember. but ya jiffylube likes to suck at everything so it may have been them lol
 
#13 ·
I used to work at a valvoline instant oil change so i know sloppy work when i even hear about it. The subie's headers kinda loop around the oil filter on some models. Getting oil on the headers or heat shield at least is pretty unavoidable when trying to get the job done fast. You throw on a speed bar and crush cup and just spin that filter off and oil just goes everywhere. It's just the oil burning off and should be gone pretty soon. You might want to check to make sure there's not any oil leaking from around the filter though. Jiffylube has a tendency to not prime their filters.
 
#14 ·
A few drives later the smell seems to be going away. It has gone to the point where I can't even directly pin point where it's coming from. Since I can't change my own oil in my apartment complex I have to take it where and when I get a chance. I will not be going back to hack lube any time soon.
 
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