Oil smell after stopping

[Charlieepie]

Hi all!

Just after a bit of advice/opinion. Couldn't find much on the forums searching RE this apart from a couple of much worse problems.

Anyway I've noticed the last 2-3 weeks that when I've driven it and park up there's a bit of a whiff of oil when I get out the car.
At first I thought it was just by the exhaust as it was mainly when I opened the boot and went around to grab something. However today I just parked up after a roughly 50 mile drive and popped the bonnet after smelling the familiar oily smell and the engine bay smells of it too.

Couldn't see anything obvious either within the engine bay (not that you can really see much), and can't see any oil drips under the car either. All I saw earlier drip-wise was some water, assuming from the air con. But inspections my end are really limited, it's parked on the road so can't get under it properly, and it doesn't park in the same place every day so any staining may be from a variety of other local cars.

Can't smell it in the car at all. Oil level is fine (electronic readout shows towards the top of the gauge).
Last service was roughly 3000 miles ago in August last year, it'll probably need to go in again April/May time as it's my daily driver.

Has anyone else had this before? Is it most likely just a minor seal somewhere weeping oil onto something hot and then burning off?
The car itself is driving fine. Temps are normal and no lights on the dash.

I'm wondering whether to take it for a check over ASAP or whether it can wait a little, maybe till the next service... The main issue I have is I'm in West Cumbria, my nearest Jag dealer is 1+ hour away, nearest specialist is out of county. Both really require at least half a day, more like a full day off work, and I imagine the dealer will take a hefty fee to so much as glance at it.
If it's just a minor seal one of my more reputable local garages will be able to have a look at I'll just do that, but it somehow feels wrong taking it anywhere but a specialist or main dealer.

[stefan9107]

Just playing devil's advocate...

I know you said it doesn't park in the same place, but do you get the same smell when you park it elsewhere? Like at a supermarket or work etc?
Just wondering if there might of been an oil slick in the area that water has carried down a gutter or drain, especially if you normal park on a slope.

Otherwise, the sign of no leak could mean its burning off the oil somewhere and that's why you get the smell but no sign of it.
My dad had an old Rover many moons back that had a leak but it was leaking onto the exhaust so you'd never see any signs of it.

[Charlieepie]

Just playing devil's advocate...

I know you said it doesn't park in the same place, but do you get the same smell when you park it elsewhere? Like at a supermarket or work etc?
Just wondering if there might of been an oil slick in the area that water has carried down a gutter or drain, especially if you normal park on a slope.

Otherwise, the sign of no leak could mean its burning off the oil somewhere and that's why you get the smell but no sign of it.
My dad had an old Rover many moons back that had a leak but it was leaking onto the exhaust so you'd never see any signs of it.

Yeah, I first noticed it in my work park-and-ride carpark. I park up, go and grab my bag from the boot every morning... that's actually where I first noticed the smell and thought it was coming from the exhaust. I park there in the same place each day actually (miles away from every other car) but don't get the opportunity to check the floor under the car there without people from work thinking I'm bonkers. Maybe an idea for Monday...

Yeah that's what I thought - that its probably burning off. The only time I've experienced this before was a previous car where it happened just after a service and stopped after a week or so so I think it was a spill, I had that car for 3 years afterwards with no bother at all. This unfortunately isn't the same and I'm trying to decide whether to book it in somewhere ASAP or wait.
I've got a couple of local independents, one usually has a 3 week or so wait and by that point I might as well just take it to Jag or a specialist, one can usually do same-week work but I've found them less helpful - there have been a couple of issues with my fiancé's car they've not managed to bottom out. So I'm fairly short on options and trying to work out how worried I need to be.

Edit: I did consider whether it might be the rear diff leaking oil but looking at other threads looks like the rear diff fluid smells very different to normal burning oil when it leaks!
The only thing that concerns me with the diff is Jag didn't change the oil at the 8 year service, I queried it at the time as it was on the schedule and was told it 'wasn't due as that was a different type of diff'. Having done some more research I'm 99% sure it SHOULD have been changed last year so on the list for me to make sure is done next time (and I won't be going back to that dealer!)

[simpleR]

From searching the forum nothing really comes up but as your not losing oil, and yours is a manual, could it be clutch smell?

[Charlieepie]

Haven't had any issues with the gearbox or clutch slipping (it had a squeaky pedal but the pedal box was replaced under warranty and it's been fine since).

I haven't smelled 'clutch smell' in the Jag as I've never burnt the clutch to my knowledge but based on previous cars and the smell from them when I've been a bit overzealous I don't think it's clutch!

[Kev]

It may be worth popping off the plastic engine cover and having a sniff/look around the supercharger area as the oil cooler also sits in the vee of the engine

[Charlieepie]

Thanks for the advice so far - update for me this morning

I checked the coolant level now the engine is cool and it is sitting below the min. The max/min range is quite narrow and the level is maybe another 2cm below.

Assuming it was all refilled to the top at the last service (I don’t often check - I should!) it’s lost that coolant between August and now / total of just over 3000 miles. Obviously an issue might have only started last month and it’s all gone within 3-4 weeks…

Now I have driven it this morning (had somewhere to be, is driving fine, and not a whole lot of options at 7:30am on a Sunday!). No white smoke (or smoke of any colour) from the exhaust, just a few puffs of water vapour for the first couple of mins as I always get when cold, absolutely nothing with a hot engine. So I don’t think it’s an internal leak.
Edit: slight white puffs seen when reversing. Dissipates immediately, no smell - think it’s still just water vapour.

Topping up the coolant is top of my list of things to do, and I’m going to book it in my local garage for a quick ‘what is leaking’ inspection this week, but could my generic ‘burnt oil’ smell actually be burning coolant? what is the most likely culprit here? I have no record of my Y-pipe ever being changed so maybe it’s weeping at the dodgy seam? One thing to ask my garage to check this week.

[cj10jeeper]

Well the 2 smell totally different and you can’t burn coolant as it’s mainly water. However, as the coolant level is dropping, significantly, you can see no obvious signs of oil, which oils tends to leave evidence, then I’d be looking at coolant leaking. That tends to come out as steam and disburse quickly with little if any trace.
Next step is to take the coolant back to the minimum or above mark to a clearly noted position. Do that when cool, run it to hot, smell under the bonnet, and look for any traces. Let it cool fully and see if it’s dropped. Cracked expansion bottle is where I’d look first. I’m sure the Y connector would be a more significant leak.

As an aside coolant should not be to the top but midway between marks. The Max is just that and allows for expansion, not a target.

[scm]

Check the water pump - they have a bit of a history of "weeping".

[Lunar]

Didn’t realise that about the Max level