MidYearRoadster

yep, I have gotten this horrible stink after my last oil change on Friday, as long as you are moving its ok, if you slow down or come to a stop the smell is sickening. I checked for leaks, none found, I checked for spillage , none found. I checked for overfilling..none. It seems that there is a problem with the sealant they use on the rear main seal which reacts with fresh oil sometimes. They say as the oil weakens, ie you put miles on your car it lessens the smell of the burnt oil.. With all the complaints of this problem, do you not think they would put out a recall or something? Some of the dealer service departments have no clue about this problem. I think Chevy really messed up on this one. As you can well imagine, I am not a happy owner right now, I love the car but this is totally unacceptable and as useless as it will be I am going to make some calls and emails to GM and see where that gets me...hell maybe my states consumer protection act can help ...who knows...

Mad*Max

you never used to get the smell previously after an oil change?

MidYearRoadster

Correct before the oil change I never got any odor coming in the car either while driving or stopped...now, especially when at idle or stopped in traffic the odor is sickening. Its a known problem that they know about at Chevrolet. A lot of dealers do not know about it as they are trying to keep it on the low down, but it happening more and more. Its caused by the sealant used with the rear main bearing seal that reacts to the oil sometimes...owners say it will dissapate in time but it might take over 2000 miles of driving to make it go away...now that is just crazy.

Old Boot

Yup Yup I have it also. Its much better then it was and doesnt come back as strong as it did but I smell it. I just keep mentioning it to the dealer and that way it is on record.
Dont know what else to say It doesnt bother me enough to yell and scream about it and be without the car for extended periods , also taking it in all the time gets tiering, maybe this is what they hope.
as soon as im home more I willstart bugging them again. I hate driving to the dealer in the rain ,they keep the car all day I get it back and they say we found nothing. I get to wash the car and didnt even get to drive it sheesh

billyboy47

if only certain cars do it they should replace your car with one of your choice. i have a 013 and just changed the oil a few weeks back, i smell nothing. if the smell is as bad as people are claiming it is, then chevy by all rights is obligated to do something about the problem. no one in their right mind should put up with a problem as bad as that after spending thousands of dollars on a car. all the people with that problem should take the car back to the dealer and tell them to keep the car until the problem has been resolved. thats BS.

Rich Mickol

2012 GS here. Just had it's second oil change. No odor. Mine is an A6. Not sure if that matters.

Iconic

Good to hear this as I soon will be changing oil for the first time in my 13 Grand Sport (Engine built at PBC in Wixom Mi) if that means anything.

ArcticC7

Yup me too had the oil changed at 700 miles now I have 800 miles on the clock stopped to talk to a friend in the street with the engine running and every 30 seconds I would get this horrible oil scent in the cabin it started to make me sick. However my 2008 LS3 did the very same thing you would think in 5 years GM could have done something to fix this issue.

Old Boot

I followed the other thread on this for a long time. I have a M6 GS 2012 so a Wixom plant motor also built by Rick Dadd. and yes your right it shouldnt do it. OK Ill get back at getting it fixed as soon as I am home more ( I travel for work and is hard to get it in ,one of the reasons I live with it)

GS Diva

We just had the oil changed on our '11 GS last Friday and have none of that oil smell. Ours is an automatic, and I understand that the automatics are prone to this problem, not the six-speeds. Also, heard that it's the 2011 and 2012 Grand Sports that are affected.

Elaine

Mad*Max

mine is an 07 coupe with the A6 - I am the original owner and have never had the smell

GS Diva

I have heard that it is only the Grand Sports - 2011 and 2012.

Elaine

HOXXOH

The cause is with the process not the car itself. The tech (if you dare call the lube guy a tech) who spills or splashes a bit and then may not even bother wiping it clean is the problem. It likely happens more with the dry sump cars, due to the methods used and the inexperience factor.

I do my own maintenance and take my time to be accurate and avoid any spills. Nine oil changes so far on my C6 with never a hint of oil smell.

The rear main bearing seal reacting with fresh oil story is a joke that only people who know nothing about cars would believe. Anything you smell is carried in the air you breathe. If the only escape to atmosphere of the oil and the air contained in the engine is first routed through the engine and burned along with the gas, it could only exit the tailpipe and you'd never smell it. Therefore, what you smell is oil that is not IN the engine. i.e. it's been spilled ON the engine.

carpe dm

I would bet whoever changed the oil got some on the cat. Very easy to do, and even a drop or too will burn off to give a nice aroma....

iclick

If was oil dripping on a hot surface it would burn off quickly. The oil smell people have been talking about lasts for weeks or months. In my case it lasted about six weeks and faded gradually during mostly city driving, but then resurfaced briefly after a 35-mile trip on the highway to the dealer last week. The tech, who is highly touted in the local Corvette community, said he thinks it is oil falling on the cat, and that they've had some complaints about it. He hadn't heard of the rear-seal idea, but agreed it would burn off quickly if it made contact with a hot exhaust component. Beyond that he didn't know, and apparently GM hasn't sent them any info about it since the service writer didn't have a clue either. Both thought the rear-seal idea was improbable.

Several weeks ago when I was smelling it at every stop after the engine was at operating temperature I stopped the car and sniffed around. I didn't make a show of it, as sniffing around a car would undoubtedly look weird. Indeed, I find this entire issue weird. I couldn't smell it at the rear of the car (exhaust) or in the engine compartment, but did inside the car when the vent was not set to recirculate. It must be getting in at the vent intake, but if it's in that area why can't I smell it under the hood?

Anyway, I haven't noticed it since that trip, so maybe it's gone for this oil change. BTW, I used the GM Dexos blend for this change (free from the dealer), so we can't pin it on Mobil 1, which I'll be switching to for the next oil change.

Mine's a base coupe (wet sump) and I have it.

TLS_Addict

5 oil changes on my 12 and 13 and never any smell.

gbranham

I get 'the smell', too. 2012 GS M6. I've changed the oil three times, and all three times, I get 'the smell'. I am absolutely, positively sure there's no spilled oil, no burning oil on the cats (although that's what it smells like), etc...this has been discussed on the forum several times, and it's a pervasive issue. GM, please step up for the customers of your Halo Car.

Greg

R&L's C6

It is the rear main seal out-gassing when the assembly lube come in contact with the new oil. I had a good friend ask a GM person at the bash this year and he confirmed it.....Have your service adviser check and they will find out, it's a known problem......

ArcticC7

I can open the engine compartment and I dont smell it. It comes through the dash vents.

MidYearRoadster

I think your good friend is my good friend as well..lol...