Burned smell from engine bay - 2009 WS Zetec Manual

[Ms_Jam]

I have noticed a smell of burned something coming out of my engine bay. The car has now done 70,000 km.

I have booked it into the dealer next Friday (the earliest I can do it, because I will be out of town).

I have checked the oil. Down very slightly, but well above the minimum notch. The brake fluid container looks OK - the level seems above the neck of the container.

At the back of the engine, however, I can see a discolouration on the flat round aluminium-looking thing. (Bear with me, I can't find what it is called despite a search of Google images). I managed to put a finger on it, and it seems to be congealed oil or grease, spread thinly on the left side only of the "thing'' (looking at the engine bay from the front).

Any ideas?

[RelSpecificity]

Could be leaking diff/transmission. Dripping gear oil onto the exhaust/cat heat shield (the aluminium-looking thing) and burning it off. Smells horrible. If it's only a small leak, it won't show much as it burns off straight away, and will only produce a small amount of smoke (probably not noticeable as you're driving), but it will stink.

[Ms_Jam]

Thanks, RelSpecificity.

When I left for work this morning, I noticed an oil patch under the car. So I guess it's getting worse.

My problem is that I have had to park it at work for the next two nights, while I am out of town. After that I will have to drive it 18 km home and then another 15 to the dealer.

Will I get a warning light on the dash, if the transmission oil is running dangerously low? Can i expect the vehicle to go into limp mode (it's the manual version). Should I get it put on a truck if I get a warning?

Sorry if these are naive questions.

[RelSpecificity]

If it is the diff, there probably won't be a sensor for the oil so there won't be a warning and there won't be a limp home mode activated. Although, if there is a sensor in there, it might.

Unlike the internals of an engine, the transmission/diff isn't quite as critical to be properly lubricated. It's not going to seize up and destroy itself like an engine that's starved of oil. The transmission & diff (which share the same oil on a FWD) are basically just big boxes with some gears in them. They certainly need lubrication, and long term neglect with very poor, or no lubrication can damage them, but I doubt you would have lost enough to do any damage, and you could probably keep driving as normal for weeks at a time with no serious damage.

If you can still change gear easily and smoothly, then chances are you've got stacks of oil left, so don't panic.

Having said that, don't ignore the issue and get it to a mechanic (which you're doing on Friday).

The only other fluids in the engine bay is brake fluid, power steering fluid, coolant and engine oil; but generally those aren't located where they can leak onto the exhaust (with the exception of the engine oil). So it's either a leaking engine oil from a gasket, but if your engine oil levels are ok, then it's most likely a drive shaft seal on the diff.

[Ms_Jam]

Thank you again, RelSpecificity.

Here is the end of the story.

I arrived back in Melbourne on Wednesday evening. In the meantime, I had booked the car in the dealer on Thursday morning. Before leaving home, I checked the engine oil, and was a little shocked to see it was now way down the dipstick. So I bought some more Castrol Edge 5W-30 on the way (a big discount is now going on, it seems).

I explained the problem, and the head mechanic seemed to know exactly where to look. He said the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The problem was diagnosed as a faulty "solenoid sensor". The mechanic said it was a rare problem, but did occasionally happen. They did not have the part in stock, but would have it delivered from Ford on Friday - a good reason, I am beginning to think, not to book a vehicle with a fault in for a Friday.

So I got the car back at lunchtime on Friday. It seems to be running beautifully. They used only a litre or so of the new oil, and gave me the rest back.

I have explored Youtube, and I think I know now what the engine solenoid basically does. Am I right to assume that the reference to the "solenoid sensor" is really a way to describe the solenoid?

Finally, the bill. Parts $200.00; labour $163.64; tax $36.36. A total of $400.00. I am not complaining. This little car has served me very well. It has been extremely reliable, has lost none of its power, and still is fun to drive, embarrassing more than a few 3-series Beemers and of course almost all SUVs around the roundabouts!

[RelSpecificity]

Well, there you go! I've not heard of that happening before! It's hard to diagnose inconspicuous issues like that without seeing/smelling them. Engine oil and gear oil smell a bit different, so if only I could have smelt it and told you it was engine oil.

Glad it got fixed up in the end with no major dramas.

[Ms_Jam]

Thanks, Relspecifity.

I look on the bright side.

I now know what burned engine oil smells like. If I ever sense the odor of burned oil that smells different, I will know it must be the transmission oil!

[burnz]

that burning smell, if you lift the bonnet it would be those two little germans fellas in the sauna.

[Ms_Jam]

I knew it was not the Germans, since I had found this drawing of the the Duratec engine on the Inter-thingy.