bjjbadboy

So it's been a while since I opened the Z up do to tickets and weather but I got on it the other day and after 2nd gear I get a burning smell. It's hard to explain but it's not the clutch. I know the way burnt clutch smells. Could it be the heads? I have deffinitely smelt this before. Hope you guys can help

bealljk

iTrader: (13)

could it be a leaky fluid hitting the headers/cats/exhaust?

2004Black350z

iTrader: (37)

Valve cover leak on exhaust

bjjbadboy

Thanks for the reply guys, what should I do to trouble shoot these issues. It only happens when I'm in the high rpm band

bjjbadboy

Also I just read that a valve cover leak would cause my oil to be low. But I rarely punch it and the pain in the *** dipstick is so hard to read on the 05 by the time the thing comes out its smeared all over so I just always change oil every 3k miles

2004Black350z

iTrader: (37)

trade in your Z for a Honda then. I understand that the dipstick is difficult but not where you cantcheck it and you go by mileage

bjjbadboy

Thank you for the wonderful advice on buying a Honda. I have pretty much done everything and anything mechanical on my Z from changing my clutch to building it up with bolt ons etc etc. I understand the 06 and up has a much easier dipstick to read. I am not saying I can not read my dipstick I am saying thing problem only happens when I hit it hard which is very rarely done for several reasons therefore my oil level is never lower then it should be. I change my oil every 3000 miles with synthetic oil bc I baby it not bc I can't read a dipstick.

Please spare the flaming. If anyone can help me out how to check for these issues please help.

Should I pop the valve cover off and see if it has oil in it?
Thanks for those who help

bjjbadboy

Btw- my apologize if I sounded like i change the oil by mileage bc I can't read the dipstick. I just re-read my post and I worded it wrong. As well as read the post about how you don't change oil based on mileage. Saw the get a honda and I got tight I'm not a newbe or kook.

Have done some searching on here and found a long post with several members experiencing the same thing and people said its totally normal... How could this be a normal thing?? So weird it happened early on with the car and my baby still only has 45k on it
Thanks for the help

DriveLotus

we get it. you no longer need a dipstick to tell you when you need oil.

cool.

bmyles

I'm pretty sure you are talking about the same smell that I get after putting moderate-high load on the car. My wife has even complained about it a few times. I just live with it.

Also, you asked if you should pop the valve cover and see if there is oil in it...not sure if that's how you meant to phrase it, but considering the valve covers are over the cams and well, valves, yeah, there is oil all up in there. You don't want oil leaking OUT, past the gasket.

bjjbadboy

Dipsticks are for kooks I use my super tuner senses

And thanks for the reply. It is only there when you hit past 4500/5000 rpms which I rarely do. You start smelling it around 3-4 gear. I it's something to live with fine just want to make sure something bad isn't happening, other Ppl have smelt and are all whats wrong with yiur car bro. And yes totally phrased popping off the cover. You said exactly what I meant to see if it is leaking past the gasket which I don't think it is but how would I know if it is?
Thanks again.