Right Guys as I've said before I'm still very new to the Subaru experience (had CTR before) and obviously the cars are well different. Mines is a MY98 turbo and since I've bought it there has been a list of repairs done. But what I wanted to ask you guys/gals about is that when I'm sitting stationary ie lights, traffic, there is a smell coming through the vents. Its just like a hot engine smell (if that makes sense) but is it normal. I know that each and every car has its quirks and just wondered if this was normal to the car?
thanks for any replies

shiona

 

Not enough info. Are all your gauges reading normal?

 

Does your engine look incredibly clean? Have you owned a car with a cat before? If engine's been cleaned with gunk it takes a while fpr the stench to disappear

 

Same if there's been a recent service, a few drips of oil can take a while to burn off.

 

best to try one of the technical forums, but i'd suggest that it will be the rocker covers (at each end of the engine).
They often leak and drip onto the exhaust (especially the off-side)

when the engines cold - run your finger under the join between them and the head and see if they'res any fresh oil. it only takes a drip.....

Steve

 

The cam cover gaskets tend to shrink after a while and as Scoobyduck says allow a bit of oil to get onto the exhaust which is right underneath it. You can often see a haze of oil smoke when you open the bonnet after a run. Not drastic but irritating and requires a cam cover gasket replacement. For some reason the right hand one is more prone to the problem unless maybe the oil drips miss the exhaust on the passenger's side.

Les

 

The impreza clutches do tend to be a bit whiffy!

 

does it smell like oil buy any chance, i had that problem and that was because i had an oil leak and that hitting the very hot exhaust pipe and that smell came through the air vents which means it is burning oil which means there is an oil leak, what you do is next time you park check if anything on the floor and then when you move, you will be able to tell. hope that helps

 

Having mine smell for a bit then the rocker gasket fully let go when in que for a drive through at Mac Dee's TALK ABOUT SMOKE!!!!!! Just had a tek3 and decat all that extra heat!!!!

 

Yep m8t
Rocker cover needs doing got the same problem. Got mine from subaru today Cost £40 With vat. Thats for the cover seal, 2 seals inside the cover and the little round bolt seals. No point in doing the job less you change them......

 

I had a horrible smell coming from mine a while back along with smoke coming out of the vents when it was hot. Turned out the seal on the power stearing resevoir had let go & it was leaking on the engine.


MAFFA

 

Thought they dont have rockers, just cams.

Les

 

The manifold running into the up-pipe runs right under the drivers side one, very close to it. On the Passenger side there is nothing under the rocker/cam cover gasket since the exhausts are heading over for the other side of the car. The passenger ones give less trouble because they aren't subject to the heat from the exhaust in the same way, and if they did leak it would drip onto the undertray and not make a smell.

 

heres an alternative....

just to the drivers side of the intercooler there is a little black plastic piece that has an ebgraved "X" on it.
this piece has an elbow that bends round to the front of the car and connects to a metal pipe under the inlet.
total pipe length is about 4 - 6" with an elbow.

this came off on mine when I was modifying the breathers and its a bit whiffy.
check its connected.

 

this came off on mine when I was modifying the breathers and its a bit whiffy.
check its connected??? y what you done? take it this improves throttle response? how u go about it?

stew

 

no, no improvement of notice really, its to stop blow-by gasses.
its a fairly flimsy pipe that can come dislodged.

 

Hi folks

thanks for all the replies, to answer a few questions, there is no smoke and its only once you have sat for a few minutes that you smell it, wondered if it was just the turbo smell (my first turbo car) I'm 100% sure its not the cat, I've had a few cars with cats and never smelt this. The car had a leak at the cam oil shaft seal (had leak when bought) and it was fixed about 2000 miles ago but there was oil plastered everywhere underneath so I did wonder if it was taking a long time to get rid off. I cant find any oil on the drive. Its like a very hot engine smell, if that makes sense

Also had the link pipe for the exhaust replaced, do try not to hold it on the clutch dont need to replace that anytime soon lol.