camille

I finally took my 2012 Zr1 in for its first service after 9 months and 3500 mi. Just an oil change at a high volume Corvette dealership with a lot of Z06 and Zr1 traffic.

Now, when the engine is hot, windows up and AC on, when idling there is the characteristic smell of burning oil. I imagined a small spill onto an area that gets hot when they replaced the oil, but after 500 mi, it's still there. The smell clears immediately when the windows are opened and the interior is vented, and as one would expect, I don't detect it when the car is moving. There's no sign of a spill near the oil fill area, no evidence for oil leaking underneath the car, the oil fill level looks correct, and there is no smoke. Also it's very hard to smell it when you are leaning over the engine with the hood up - it's strongest in the car.

I wonder where the air intake is for the ventilation system, and how it could be picking up vapors from a small oil spill. If I knew, I might be able to get under the car and wipe it off. It's more than annoying - it's also a little embarrassing when I have a passenger!

I also remember with my last Z06 having a small plastic bag blowing around on the highway get sucked under the car and getting fried onto the exhaust system - almost impossible to get all of it off - that one smelled for about a month, but at least the plastic vapors didn't make it into the ventilation system.

Anyone have this happen after an oil change? Any thoughts on where to look for the spill or solving the issue?

JDRacing

This is a bit of a longshot, but there's a cabin filter on the firewall near the oil sump on the passenger side of the car. It's behind a little door with ring tabs you pull to open it. It's part of the normal service process to check it (and replace for the "Maintenance II" service). I'm wonderning if they spilled something on it or somehow contaminated it so that when the engine bay, and that compartment, heat up, it's throwing off an odor. Maybe some oil spilled into that area if they were filling the sump with the filter door open?

I'm under the impression that all exterior air that enters the cabin passes through it.

VCUFAN

I was thinking along the same lines after reading the original post. I haven't looked at my cabin filter and not sure what kind of cover is on it but they may have splashed a little oil and it found it's way onto the cabin filter. Think there is a right up under the DIY for replacing it, seemed pretty simple.

Kelly100

To me this is a common thing that always happens with a dealer oil change. Even after pleading with them to wipe the oil off, they never do. The solution is a happy one. After you drive it for a while it all burns off and the smell goes away--honest. (PS it even happened when I owned a 08 porshce tt)

camille

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...l-changes.html

CF is an incredible resource. This is my 3rd C6 corvette and it's the first time i've experienced this problem. Many identical descriptions of the same thing, but no verified explanation or solution. Bizarre problem.

MachAll 2005

Wake Up Guys .... it isn't going away .. read:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...oil-smell.html

Kelly100

55thunder

Mine did the same thing for almost 1500 miles after the oil change, gone now though...