Burning smell ? Engine oil or coolant leak ?

My 01 996 C2 coupe 28K miles tiptronic is out of warranty, and I noticed a burning smell. This happened before around 20K miles, the dealer said it was coolant dropping on a hot engine. What other problems can I expect to see at 28K miles and on? Based on what I heard from others, I don't think the extended warranty is possible on a 7 year old car. And until today, I was planning on keeping the 996 and lease a BMW 6 series after last night's test drive...

Burning coolant has a sweet smell that's not like anything else. Likewise, oil has its own. If you're not sure you can trust your dealer, get someone you do trust to check it out. And, obviously, keep an eye on your coolant and oil levels. In any case, not every coolant or oil burning smell is a catastrophe, so don't go selling your car. There's one other thing to consider. I don't know how long you've had your car or how you drive, so maybe this is useless, but just in case: Your mufflers are directly exposed to the rear tires. A lot of 996 drivers think something's burning back there when in reality all it is is a well-warmed up exhaust system cooking the oil, brake dust and rubber dust kicked up off the road. Just a thought. Good luck with it.

if everything is fine (no leaks)... burning smell (rubber, cosmoline...ETC) are normal with these cars. There are lots of threads on this topic...maybe thats what your describing

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+1, from what I hear. Brakes, clutch, etc, as well as cosmoline might contribute.

+1 for cosmoline being the culprit.

Love the smell of Cosmoline in the morning . . . it smells like victory!

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Thanks for that detailed explanation. I don't take my car on track, but I do jackrabbit start on red lights, not too extreme though. I think I know where to start now... I'm much more at ease whew Cheers

So when you look at your coolant level when cold - is it correct? If so, and it doesn't move over time, you're good to go. If it's dropping slowly - the #1 culprit is the coolant tank, as they have a habit of developing small splits that leak slowly under full pressure. They drip onto the exhaust typically, hence the smell. Not a big deal - just something to watch for and correct if you see it.

I got that as well, the smell......was told its normal as long as all levels and colors are normal.

It's the fine smell of Porsche perfume.

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You were right. Coolant level is a 1/4 inch below the minimum. Filled it up with water per recommendation by the dealer. Saw it leaking while I was moving the car around for photos for the ad. How much is the damage for the coolant tank replacement?

$200-300

In CA it's more like $600+ for the dealer to replace the tank But at least you've found the problem

My '02 C2 had a burning oil smell at the back of the car after reaching full operating temp. It was more pronounced on the driver's side than on the passenger side so just before my warranty expired I had the dealer take care of it - they replaced head/valve cover gaskets? Not really sure, but the smell persists years later with no adverse effect. In fact, my car does not consume a single drop of oil between 5,000 km oil changes (and I've never owned a car that didn't consume at least some oil) but it almost always smells of burning oil when I park it. Go figure.

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Jeez, you guys rule! I was just gonna post on the same topic tonight, since I've been smelling a burning oil odor on the outside after a freeway run. (I've only had the car 8 weeks now.) There's a little oil leakage on the engine (impending RMS failure??? ), so maybe it's burning off at operating temp. I'm gonna Simple Green it and hose off the residue tomorrow and see if that changes anything. Good to know it's a normal thing with these cars, though. My BMWs have always smelled like gasoline in the passenger cabin, so I guess every marque has its own particular smell. . . .

Normal smell from these fine beasts! Mike

Coolant level is a 1/4 inch below the minimum. Filled it up with water per recommendation by the dealer. Saw it leaking while I was moving the car around for photos for the FS ad. After a few days later, just last night, I valet'd my car, and the guy was parking my 996 at my usual VIP spot in the front. I was walking into the building, and someone was running and calling me. He said something was wrong with my car. I walked to my car, and there was red coolant gushing, not dripping, right below where the coolant tank is. I turned off the engine immediately, and got it towed to a shop this morning. Mechanic said it's either the hose or the cracks in the coolant tank. Why did Porsche make these coolant tanks so fragile on a $80k car? My car only has 27,500 miles. I hear it's common for 01 996. Do other higher model 996 such as C4S or Turbo, etc. have the same problem or do they have better quality tanks? My 91 Benz 300E had her coolant tank replaced at about 100k miles or so. But get this... as I was following the 996 being towed away on a truck, it still looked good after all these years. I was passing by the Staples Center where people were going in for the Kings hockey game, little kids and guys & gals were checking out and pointing their fingers at the 996. It looked a lot bigger sitting on the tow truck than when it is on the ground for some reason. I guess it's because the wide pronounced bottom portion of the car is more visible on top of the tow truck. I don't know if they were making fun of the 911 being towed away or admiring the curves, but this darn machine grows on you regardless of the low-quality coolant tanks. Cheers

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I suspect they had so little experience of coolant tanks prior to the 996/986 of this era, that they just under engineered it. Should have been a recall IMHO

Mechanic just called in. You were right $600 approx for the reservoir replacement. But he said he could only top it off perfectly when I leave the car there Monday night. I told him I would just pick up the car on Monday afternoon, and that I would try to top it off myself. There really is no need to leave the car overnight, right? Since I know it's not in my garage, I want my P car back asap

They're supposed to smell like that. If you get back from a drive and you don't smell it, you didn't drive enough. Oops. Not like that .

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Coolant system needs burping to get the air out - otherwise you'll get occasional flashing red warning light on the dash. Best to let the dealer do it properly to avoid stress caused by a flashing coolant light. Burping takes a while, and involves running the car at high revs while stationary for extended periods. Not for the faint hearted!

Unless you are mechanically inclined let your shop bleed the coolant system. I did it last month on my 01' 986 S,same process as the 996 system....it's long,boring and waste gas. 986s have the same issue as 996 c2s with the coolant tanks....thing is,on the Boxster A LOT of the rear trunk heat,where the coolant tank is can be eliminated with a GHL,Top Speed or other aftermarket exhaust(the OEM muffler keeps a lot of heat and it's located directly below the coolant tank). Out of all the Boxsters I know with an aftermarket exhaust NONE have cracked a coolant tank. Perhaps the heat generated from the engine on the 996 is enough to crack the coolant tank?! Has anyone here considered using header wrap on their coolant tank to prevent future cracking?

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I just called a dealer, and they said the coolant tank part is only $120.11. So the labor is 80%? Is labor substantially cheaper in other states?

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Yep Plus people often quote indy Porsche shop pricing, which is generally cheaper. The 996 tank is a b!tch to get out/in, so takes some time, and at dealer rates, that translates to $$$