Just found out that my vehicle has been leaking oil for at least 2 yrs. Would smelling that burning oil smell cause health issues?
My Toyota Tundra had three separate oil leaks all under 30000 miles. Nine times out of ten when I drive the truck I smell a horrible burning oil smell. I have also noticed that when the dealership did the undercoating that they sprayed everything. They sprayed parts of the exhaust, heat shields, manifold and even near the engine and parts of the engine. On some occasions I have even seen smoke coming out from under my hood. My truck always smells like burning oil to the point I have to put the windows down to breathe. My question is can those oil leaks, the burning oil on the engine and inhali
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Hi Larry. As the co-founder or a non-profit that focuses on education, awareness and screening for respiratory diseases targeting the automotive community, I am happy to answer a few questions for you to clear up some facts. First, there are multiple materials, chemicals, and substances on a vehicle that are emitted from the mechanical actions of the vehicle that MIGHT reduce respiratory function and lead to a diagnosis of COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) or other respiratory diseases. However, it is nearly impossible to prove the precise source that can cause respiratory problems. Whether due to excessive exposure to these substances, social choices (smoking), workplace environment, indoor air quality in the home, even certain genetic conditions, it is possible for lung function to decrease over time. At Right2Breathe.org, we always recommend that anyone that is experiencing any breathing issues, visits their primary care physician and have them complete a spirometry exam (a non-evasive breathing test). This will allow them to measure your lung’s function and begin the official diagnosis process. Thank you very much for asking this important question. Feel free to contact us if you have further questions.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
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The oil is probably leaking down onto the hot exhaust system and burning off — leaving an odor but no drops. As long as the oil level doesn`t drop below a safe level, this leak isn`t harmful. But if you`re going to keep the car, I`d recommend having the gasket replaced.
When the oil level in your vehicle gets too low or the oil gets old, you might start to smell burnt engine oil in one of its many forms while behind the wheel. These smells indicate that your car needs an oil change and that it`s time to schedule an appointment with your local maintenance center.
Swallowing or inhaling hydrocarbons can cause lung irritation, with coughing, choking, shortness of breath, and neurologic problems. Sniffing or breathing fumes can cause irregular heartbeats, rapid heart rate, or sudden death, particularly after exertion or stress.
A burning smell in your car could be caused by several things, including a burned-out electrical fuse, an overheating A/C compressor, or worn out brake pads that need to be replaced.
However, a bad PCV valve is a tiny, inexpensive part that can cause an engine to burn oil if it goes bad. Replacing it is fast and easy! If your engine is burning oil, hope that it`s due to a bad PCV valve.
If the burned oil smell is coming from the tailpipe (bluish white smoke), it is a symptom of oil leaking into the combustion chamber, which means it is getting into your exhaust system.
The gasket is probably the most common cause of oil leaks, especially in older vehicles or vehicles that are used frequently & have a high number of miles. The gasket is a seal that joins the head two metal parts of the engine, such as the between the block and the head(s) as well as the engine block and the oil pan.
Benzene is highly volatile, and exposure occurs mostly through inhalation. Public health actions are needed to reduce the exposure by the general population to benzene. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation: avoid exposure to motor oil and inhalation motor oil fumes.
Usually, short-term exposure to fuel oil won`t cause long-lasting harm, but breathing in the vapors in an enclosed space like a basement can cause symptoms. At high concentrations (like those involved in large spills), these symptoms can include: Dizziness. Eye, nose, or throat irritation.
Technically, you can drive your car with a burning smell, but you shouldn`t! No matter how small, any cause of a burning smell can potentially turn into something serious. More often than not, the burning smell, when ignored, could even start a fire, which can be pretty dangerous.
Dirty Filter
If your air filter is clogged, these contaminants can get sucked into the blower and cause it to overheat. This can also lead to dirt and dust reaching the heat exchanger and heating up. Both of these will cause a burning smell and can be mostly avoided by changing your filter regularly.
1. Exhaust Leak (Smoke Smell) If you begin to smell exhaust in the cabin, but it just smells vaguely musty and smoky like regular exhaust fumes, you may simply have an exhaust leak somewhere behind the catalytic converter. This could be a damaged muffler or a cracked exhaust pipe.
Myth 3: Synthetic engine oil will cause my vehicle to leak or consume more oil. The truth: Full synthetics do not damage seals or cause increased oil consumption. However, they may remove earlier oil deposits, which can reveal pre-existing conditions.
There could be two possible reasons as to why your vehicle is burning oil. (1) It may have an oil leak or (2) it could be burning oil during the ignition cycle. One common problem is if the cylinder walls are allowing oil to leak up from the bottom of the engine, past the piston and into the combustion chamber.
Blue smoke from the exhaust: Bluish smoke can indicate your car is burning oil during the combustion cycle. Burning oil smell: A thick burning oil smell could mean oil is seeping onto hot engine parts. Frequent low oil light warnings: Regular low oil warnings can indicate excessive oil consumption or a car burning oil.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
Just found out that my vehicle has been leaking oil for at least 2 yrs. Would smelling that burning oil smell cause health issues?
ANSWER : Hi Larry. As the co-founder or a non-profit that focuses on education, awareness and screening for respiratory diseases targeting the automotive community, I am happy to answer a few questions for you to clear up some facts. First, there are multiple materials, chemicals, and substances on a vehicle that are emitted from the mechanical actions of the vehicle that MIGHT reduce respiratory function and lead to a diagnosis of COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) or other respiratory diseases. However, it is nearly impossible to prove the precise source that can cause respiratory problems. Whether due to excessive exposure to these substances, social choices (smoking), workplace environment, indoor air quality in the home, even certain genetic conditions, it is possible for lung function to decrease over time. At Right2Breathe.org, we always recommend that anyone that is experiencing any breathing issues, visits their primary care physician and have them complete a spirometry exam (a non-evasive breathing test). This will allow them to measure your lung’s function and begin the official diagnosis process. Thank you very much for asking this important question. Feel free to contact us if you have further questions.
My car is leaking oil i got an oil change for it last month but it is still leaking oil what will cause my car to leak oil ?
ANSWER : Most older cars have oil leaks. Sealing technology has just not kept up with mechanical improvements to engines so much so that leaks often kill engines rather than mechanical problems. So, it is not unexpected at all to have an, indeed many, oil leaks on a 23 year old car. Oil leaks vary hugely in terms of severity and priority of repair. Oil leaking onto a hot engine manifold is the worst case (the oil can start a fire; at best, you are left breathing oil fumes in the cabin, as the oil burns off of the manifold) while de minimus seepage of oil at the oil drain plug or oil pan gasket, while annoying and messy, if limited enough is not an emergency. Some leaks are easy to repair, while others literally require the engine to be removed just to get physical access to all the leak points. In your circumstance, if you smell burning oil, oil is probably leaking onto a hot engine part such as the exhaust manifold. A certified Mechanic, dispatched by YourMechanic right to your location, can perform an oil leak diagnostic and then let you know of your repair options and costs.
As far as the check engine light, that is not related to the oil leak(s). If you request a check engine light diagnostic, a certified mechanic from YourMechanic would use a code scanner to retrieve the specific diagnostic trouble code(s) from your car’s PCM that have caused the check engine light to illuminate. Using those codes, the appropriate individual vehicle components or sub-systems (often a sensor, circuit, and the like) are then carefully tested, based on specifications set forth in your car’s Factory Service Manual, to pinpoint the cause of the fault or the reason why the check engine light has illuminated. Once the faulty part or component is identified, it is explained to your satisfaction and the mechanic will let you know of the cost to repair. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.
Oil was leaking, put in over 4 qts of oil and oil leak stopper. White smoke coming tailpipe,engine shakes, car dies. Oil leaking.
ANSWER : Oil additives are not recommended by any vehicle manufacturer for any reason. Additives that purport to resolve oil leaks are useless, a waste of your money, and may result in engine damage. Every vehicle manufacturer strongly recommends against use of these materials. There is only one recommended and approved repair strategy when it comes to oil leaks: fix the leak.
You can only add the manufacturer specified amount of oil to an engine. If you add too much oil, or too little oil, that will cause engine damage. You should check the engine oil dipstick to determine if there is presently too much oil in the engine. If there is too much, the excess will have to be removed to prevent engine damage.
The leak that you are referring to can be repaired if you request an oil leak diagnostic. If you have further questions or concerns as you decide what to do, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic because we want you to make the most of your repair dollars and help you get the best possible results.
Are these oil leak problems related?
ANSWER : If the oil filter housing is integral to the oil cooler, or the housing had to be removed to service the cooler, a professional mechanic with knowledge of the limited service life of rubber seals would have absolutely (guaranteed) replaced the filter housing gasket that you are now belatedly finding leaks. However, if the leaking gasket is in an assembly that was not touched, or is not part of the cooler, they might be on reasonable grounds to have not fooled with it. These cooler configurations vary (from Mercedes Benz model to model) so, having the advice I just gave, you can just simply ask them what configuration you have and go from there. The bottom line is, if indeed, the gasket that is presently leaking was "right in front of them" while they did the warranty work, it should have been replaced simply as a matter of course. Indeed, the weak link on modern engines has become gaskets and seals. The engine will mechanically far outlast the gasket and seals but the problem is to replace all of them (once they all leak) you have to literally take the engine out of the car and take it apart just to put all new seals in. Please let us know how we can help further on this issue.
Burning oil from engine and breathing the fumes within the vehicle
ANSWER : Hi Larry. Thanks for writing in to YourMechanic.com. Anytime you smell oil inside the cab of your vehicle it is a potential safety issue which should be addressed sooner rather than later. In some cases, the smell of oil is caused by oil that was spilled during a recent oil change or when oil was added; while in other cases the issue is caused by parts that have malfunctioned. On the health side of thing, breathing in oil smoke in a closed cabin is not very healthy; especially if you live with COPD, Asthma or other respiratory conditions. On the mechanical side, if oil is leaking from a mechanical component, that means it’s not doing it primary job of lubricating moving parts; which can lead to serious engine damage. I would recommend having a professional mechanic complete an oil / fluid leaking inspection; so they can locate the source of this smell and resolve the issue before it creates additional problems; including catching fire.
Changed oil in Mercedes clk350 now the vehicle has this burned smell and it is smoking slightly. What could be the issue?
ANSWER : Cracked hoses should be replaced immediately as that will definitely adversely affect engine operation. Without knowing which hose is defective it’s hard to say if that is implicated in the issue with the smoking. If oil spilled "on" external parts of the engine during the oil change, you will experience smoking until that oil fully vaporizes. However, if the smoke is coming out of the tailpipe, that would signify oil burning within the combustion chamber(s). The only way that oil can get into the combustion chambers is if there is an internal oil leak past the valve guides in the cylinder head and/or past the piston rings in the cylinder block. If the engine is continuously smoking you should seek to have the problem pinpointed in an engine smoking diagnostic. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.
My mechanic is saying the timing chain is bad (causing oil leaks). Does a timing chain cause oil leaks? What are your thoughts?
ANSWER : Hi, thanks for writing in. Timing change themselves cannot cause an oil leak but the timing chain cover can cause an oil leak. In order to replace the timing cover gasket, you will have to remove the serpentine belt and anything that has belt driven. This includes the alternator power steering pump air conditioning compressor and crankshaft pulley as well as the water pump. Once all of this is remove the timing cover can be removed and the gasket can be replaced. I would strongly recommend having this job performed by a professional as many parts are required to be removed in order to even access the timing cover. Here at YourMechanic, we can have a technician come to your home or office to perform this replacement for you.
I’ve been told I have leaking valves. Burning rubber smell, no external leaks but dripping noises, car not overheating
ANSWER : Hi there. It sounds like the valve cover gaskets are what is leaking. The gasket is made of rubber and can become hard and brittle over time and start leaking oil. The leak may not be one where it is literally leaving a puddle, but more along the lines of seeping out. The rear valve cover tilts toward the cab of the vehicle and when it leaks oil, this oil makes its way onto the very hot exhaust manifold. Both valve covers can leak enough oil at the corners toward the transmission to run down the engine block and end on the hot exhaust center pipe under the oil pan. Both of these pipes will literally burn the oil and produce the smell and sometimes smoke or what looks like steam. The condition will not go away on its own and will only get worse with time and use. I suggest having a qualified technician perform an inspection to confirm the leaks and avoid replacing unnecessary parts. Your Mechanic has several technicians available that can assist you with an oil leak inspection.
