S4fiend

So my car has around 250 miles and it seems that after some spirited drives on the highway (rowing up and down through gears, doing WOT's and decelarating) it seems that after i get out of the car there's a slight smell of something burnt. I haven't went past 5k (RPM) yet, but I drive agressive in the 2-5 range. Is this normal when the engine is setting in? Should i be concerned? Should i go back to regular city driving?

Deus Ex Machina

I noticed the same thing,almost like oil w/ a little metallic/plastic thrown in there. I wasn't too concerned about it and since you smell the same thing it's probably normal. Chances are it some of the mechanicals generating a lot of friction being new and perhaps a little oil as mentioned in the break-in threads burning since the piston rings definetely are letting small amounts of oil through until they fully seat.

S4fiend

that i'm not the only one experiencing the smell. Like you said it does not smell like burnt oil, but a mixture of something rubber/plastic/oil. From reading the FA I think that this is common for new cars

Sia Bani

It's very odd. My parents live on a very steep hill in LA. Any car, the first few times going up, it will smell like something's burning or burnt, but it will go away after 3-4 trips up the hill. The car appears to get "used" to the climb or something. I can't explain it. It's odd.

I feel that you're experiencing the same thing. Although you're revving very high, you ARE putting on a lot of load on the motor the way you accelerate and decelerate in gear. I don't think it's necessarily bad, for I did the same the first night I drove my s4 up from LA to SF. I had to, because the first 360 miles were going to be on the freeway, so I'd rev up to 4500 rpm which was around 114mph I believe, and then I'd let it rev down to 2500k at around 50mph I believe. I would often rev up to 4500 and then drop it to neutral for lower rpm revs while during break in while still moving at 60mph+ the whole drive up.

Sia Bani

A severe hill at constant acceleration or the way you drive revving up and letting it decelerate in gear, would get the exhaust temps cooking.

I bet there are some initial components that put off a big stink the first time they acheive those temps and they're burnt off from then on so you never smell them again afterwards.

Hey, just a theory...

Deus Ex Machina

You know that is a very good theory,young man. I thought that also, like the cat getting hot for the first few times lighting off that honeycomb crap in the center

S4_Cinci (I S'edTFA)

material that is almost honey-colored. This is sprayed on a lot of the body seams, etc. It is not the tar-black stuff like what you would typically see on an American car. This stuff will melt and run slightly during the first several weeks. It is very similar to a parrafin wax and that's why it smells almost like plastic burning. This stuff must be applied by hand at the factory because there seems to be a wide range of coverage amount between different vehicles. If you got one from the guy who likes to use a lot, your smell may be more severe than someone else's car; but don't worry, its perfectly normal.

You may notice that some of this cosmoline may run down on the rocker panels or appear on the underside of the car (splash trays, panles, etc.). It will be black from ambient dirt and you may think you are leaking oil, but if it feels waxy and is almost a solid at room temp, its the cosmoline.

Steve Sanders

It's telling you to take it to 7K