Puff of smoke and a minor burning smell

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LunaLincoln

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St Louis, MO
Recently traded in my '03 V6 with 220k miles for an '05 V8 with 40k miles! I am absolutely loving this new car! So clean, tight, and fast.

Had it for three days (bought on 3/9/19) and this morning after arriving at work and turning off my car, I noticed a slight burning smell. Checked under the car real quick to check for any dripping, couldn't find anything. Fast forward to my drive home from work; Had just gotten off the highway, cruising at about 45MPH and had to stop for a red light. As I was braking, I noticed a medium amount of gray-ish smoke come from my exhaust pipes. First thought was maybe too much oil since it recently got an oil change. Then I arrive home and the burning smell was present again. I'd say it was about the same magnitude of earlier this morning.

Popped the hood, didn't see any signs of leaks. Engine bay was bone dry, as well as the pavement below it. Spent the next 10 minutes or so looking everything over, but couldn't find any culprits. After doing a bit of research, I'm thinking maybe I have oil leaking into my coils. Minor symptoms seem to match with my car that I didn't realize until after learning about it. Car jerks slightly while cruising, shifting gears is slightly erratic (the worst being from 3rd to 4th gear.)

Unfortunately, I am not allowed to work on my vehicle at my complex, so I cannot confirm or deny that that is the issue. I was just hoping to get some feedback from others that may have experienced this or something similar.

Thanks for reading :)
 
Can you at least pull the Cylinder 4 COP and plug? I mean it would be worth checking for oil on plugs...from what I hear you say it's leaking valve cover gaskets ... Oil would be hitting hot manifold...hence smell of burning oil in cab...if you can't check the plugs ... It wouldn't be much for a shop to check them out
 
I forgot to ask... Do you smell and/or see exhaust fumes in engine bay when engine is first started and cold? If this is the case it would be very rare but could be manifold gaskets... I highly doubt this is probable ...just making sure?
 
AmsterDutch said:
I forgot to ask... Do you smell and/or see exhaust fumes in engine bay when engine is first started and cold? If this is the case it would be very rare but could be manifold gaskets... I highly doubt this is probable ...just making sure?
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Just got back from my brother's place where I was able to dig a little deeper. I took the passenger side valve cover off since it was easier to get to, and it was clean as a whistle. I will pop the driver's side cover off when I get more time.

Was not able to see or smell fumes from the engine bay itself, both times I was able to smell the burning was as I was getting out of my car. Did not notice the smell in the cab. It seems that the smell comes about after I've been driving for at least 20 minutes (commute to/from work)
 
LunaLincoln said:
Just got back from my brother's place where I was able to dig a little deeper. I took the passenger side valve cover off since it was easier to get to, and it was clean as a whistle. I will pop the driver's side cover off when I get more time.

Was not able to see or smell fumes from the engine bay itself, both times I was able to smell the burning was as I was getting out of my car. Did not notice the smell in the cab. It seems that the smell comes about after I've been driving for at least 20 minutes (commute to/from work)
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So all the plugs were in proper order?
 
LunaLincoln said:
... I took the passenger side valve cover off since it was easier to get to, and it was clean as a whistle. I will pop the driver's side cover off when I get more time...
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I feel like you mean the coil cover, and not the valve cover.
It is possible for the valve cover gasket to leak without the spark plug well o-rings leaking.
Also look under the car for oil on the oil pan. A leak at the front or rear of the engine can blow back and hit the exhaust pipes and burn there.

One time, I thought I had an oil leak right after changing the oil because the first drive after that resulted in that burning smell after I get out. I checked when I got back home. A Walmart bag had blown up on the exhaust in the rear. It took weeks for it to completely burn off and the smell to go away.
 
LunaLincoln said:
Car jerks slightly while cruising, shifting gears is slightly erratic (the worst being from 3rd to 4th gear.)
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Sounds like the tranny fluid might be low. I would check for leaks at the transmission... Specifically the rear seal. When they leak they will sling fluid... so you might not see a drip.

While the LS may have low milage... When vehicles aren't driven much the issue becomes the age of the parts. Rubber dries out and loses elasticity. I would try to refrain from beating on it anymore until you see if any other issues pop up. You may end up replacing alot of parts before you are done.
 
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04_Sport_LS said:
Sounds like the tranny fluid might be low. I would check for leaks at the transmission... Specifically the rear seal. When they leak they will sling fluid... so you might not see a drip.

While the LS may have low milage... When vehicles aren't driven much the issue becomes the age of the parts. Rubber dries out and loses elasticity. I would try to refrain from beating on it anymore until you see if any other issues pop up. You may end up replacing alot of parts before you are done.
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Good news is, today I didn't notice any issues. No burning smell, no smoke from the exhaust, no sputtering.

I'm definitely gonna keep an eye out and keep digging.

Isn't the transmission sealed? If there were a leak, I suppose that could mean replace the tranny itself.. Fun
 
While the transmission doesn't have a dipstick tube... It is not sealed. It has a fill plug in the pan... And a specific fill and level check procedure.

Due to the low milage... And IF you plan on keeping this long term... I would take it to a reputable dealer and have them do a trans flush and fill with new filter... considering that it probably has the original 14 year old fluid in it. I wouldn't drive it very much until you do that. Especially since it's already acting up.

I would also consider doing the rest of the fluids too. Cooling system, power steering, and rear diff. All fluids break down over time... regardless of usage.
 
I agree on the fluid change, but see no need to drop the pan and replace the metal screen that serves as a filter.
 
Just a quick update: Replaced all the fluids in my car! Tranny, coolant, oil, rear diff, and fuel. Problem solved! Have had no issues! The main thing I was worried about was the oil being milky. Nothing! As clean as oil can be! Thanks to everyone who put forth suggestions!

The main culprit seemed to be the fuel. Had all the fluids flushed but was still driving with the same fuel I had when I bought it, had problems up until I was running low on fuel, filled her up and immediately noticed smoother idle, no jerking at idle or acceleration, and no smoke from tail pipes! I'm naturally cautious, so I will continue to keep an eye on it, but the difference is noticeable.
 
LunaLincoln said:
Just a quick update: Replaced all the fluids in my car! Tranny, coolant, oil, rear diff, and fuel. Problem solved! Have had no issues! The main thing I was worried about was the oil being milky. Nothing! As clean as oil can be! Thanks to everyone who put forth suggestions!

The main culprit seemed to be the fuel. Had all the fluids flushed but was still driving with the same fuel I had when I bought it, had problems up until I was running low on fuel, filled her up and immediately noticed smoother idle, no jerking at idle or acceleration, and no smoke from tail pipes! I'm naturally cautious, so I will continue to keep an eye on it, but the difference is noticeable.
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Good to hear..A fuel injector cleaner is never a bad idea either...make sure it's a trusted brand
 
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