uh-oh strange smell
 

Hmm ok everytime we drive my 1987 RX7 it emits a strange smell, I feel a bit queasy every time. From what I've been told it could be a leak around the manifold or a fuel tank leak, and now, I've been told it could be something with the coolant. I need some help here

I deff. sounds like coolant. you could have a blown coolant seal but i think you would notice more smoke coming out of your exhaust. it could be the cap on the water pump neck, make sure that is on tight and the seal on the cap is good. if not then its time for a new cap

if it smells sweet its coolant sweet and anoying makes you want to hurl over time

what do you mean by sweet?

um kinda hard to describe it smells sweet but oddly its so annoying that if i ever smell it i stop and look even if i dont know if i do or not. but here is an exerpt from a book i have
(btw i have no idea what curry is)







"Smell of curry".

If one day you think that it smells a little of curry then it might be hot coolant you can smell. If it's in the cabin the smell is it might be your heater that has got a leak. Start with examining the mat. If it's wet it's a sign of a leak (if it's winter and you take snow with you into the cabin don't let you cheat by this!). Now try to check under the dashboard in the middle. If you se any kind of fluid hanging here or you see some white sediments it's probably a leak from the heater or from the pipes leading to the heater.

The heater is often very difficult to replace. Sometimes you have to take out the complete dashboard to replace it, and it's not a repair you do in one afternoon. It is recommended that you contact an authorized workshop.

If the "smell of curry" comes from the engine room there might be a leak out here

My transmission seal was leaking once, and transmission fluid was burning off the exhaust. That was a pleasant smell.

oh and for the record if that doesn't help does it smell like sulfer? or does it have a bitter smell?

automatic?

Ummm, I've never smelled curry.

The smells I can think of can be 5 things.

1. Coolant (ex. coolant seal shot, coolant leaking onto your block and evaporating)
2. Oil burning (ex. oil seal on the way out, too much premix)
3. Gas (ex. running rich, leaking PD)
4. Exhaust - general (ex. hole in your exhaust)
5. Clutch burning off (ex. rev it up to 7k and start slipping the clutch on a hill [not recommended if you like your car])

The examples might be a bit off, but that should give you a general idea.

but as for how they smell here it goes to the best i can say

(1) SMELLS LIKE: MAPLE SYRUP

WHEN: After the engine has warmed or possibly even after it's shut off for a few minutes.
THE CULPRIT: Coolant containing sweet-smelling (but toxic) ethylene glycol is leaking from somewhere.

(2) SMELLS LIKE: GYM SOCKS
WHEN: You turn on the heater/air-conditioner fan and you get a whiff of that high-school gym locker.
THE CULPRIT: It's good, old-fashioned mildew growing in the moisture condensing inside your a/c evaporator.

(3) SMELLS LIKE: HELL
WHEN: All the time, especially after the vehicle has been sitting after a long drive.
THE CULPRIT: Yes, it really is brimstone, or, as it is usually called today, sulfur. This means gear lube is leaking from the manual transmission, transfer case or differential housing. Sulfur compounds in this oil serve as extreme-pressure lubricants for the gears, and can get pretty funky after a few years in service. Look for sulfury-smelling dribbles of viscous, oily stuff under the car.

(4) SMELLS LIKE: A GAS STATION
WHEN: Parked, especially inside a garage or when the weather is really warm.
THE CULPRIT: This is raw gasoline. Modern cars have an evaporative-emissions system that's tighter than our managing editor's deadline schedule, so any fuel smell means something is wrong. There may be a leak from a fuel-injection line or a fuel-tank vent hose.

(5) SMELLS LIKE: ROTTEN EGGS

WHEN: Any time your engine is running.
THE CULPRIT: Hydrogen sulfide in the exhaust, which is produced by trace amounts of sulfur in gasoline. It's supposed to be converted to sulfur dioxide in your catalytic converter. Often it means a failed catalytic converter. The bad news: A new cat is expensive. The good news midpipe.

(6) SMELLS LIKE: BURNT PAPER
WHEN: At all speeds, particularly when you're working your way through the gears.
THE CULPRIT: The clutch facing is burning off as the clutch slips. The odor is reminiscent of smoldering newsprint: like trying to burn the Sunday newspaper all at once in the fireplace, especially if it's been used to wrap sardines. The friction material is actually a paper composition, which explains the papery part of the smell. Either replace the clutch, or learn to stop riding the clutch pedal.

(7) SMELLS LIKE: HOT OIL

WHEN: Your engine is hot.
THE CULPRIT: Oil is leaking onto the hot exhaust manifold. This is an acrid, burning smell. It's earthier and more nose-wrinkling than the odor of cooking oil used for french fries.

(8) SMELLS LIKE: BURNT CARPET

WHEN: After you've been using the brakes a lot, or hard, or both.
THE CULPRIT: The brake pads are overheated. If you smell this under normal driving conditions, you've got a dragging brake caused by a seized-up brake caliper piston. Or maybe you just left the handbrake on.



edit: I hope this helps you out. If you can tell us which one it smells like. Then well we can help find it or point you in a direction.

Can that not be in white text... kthx.

about a couple days ago when i bled my clutch i accidentally spilled some brake fluid on the header and cleaned it off but when i turned the car on and waited about a couple seconds i started smelling maple syrup coming off the header with smoke. So it's possible burning brake fluid can smell like that too

Curry is an Indian and Thai type of supish, kinda stew (the word actually means stew) and has meat like chicken, beef, etc... i dont know if it really smells like coolant... but thats what curry is hahaha

well now i dont want to try that. lol and thanks it says that in this magizine from back when i was in school and ive been wondering.

haha its actually pretty good, i had some the other day (no im not asian) haha but its good, normally spicy...

:squint: Well that was about as helpful as this post.

actually It helped a little thanks guys >_<;

I guess I should take it to a shop, but would I go to like an exhaust place or what?

if you can't find a leak and you know any shop with a lift and know the people personally save some money and the exhaust shop would be able to fix an exhaust leak and/or be able to tell you where the leak was coming from

well I decided to go out and look at the engine today...I noticed it was wet with something near the bottom front of the engine, I dont know if it supposed to be like that, it was black, grime greasy look to it my camera sucks so no picture >_<

possible things i can think of are

1 - omp gasket
2 - front cover leaking
3 - oil pan gasket
4 - front seal

can anyone else think of anything?

Curry is AWESOME. You def need rice to mild out the taste though

put a large white piece of paper under your car after you drive it. If your leaking it will point out the relative location of leak and will tell you what fluid is leaking.