I've noticed occasionally at higher loads, like above 2500 RPM, that I get a whiff of a bad odor in my car. Well, I just confirmed it a few days ago when I hit ~3500 RPM for a minute or so up a steep incline, and the smell of burnt oil (or something) was quite apparent. Don't notice anything as long as I keep the RPMs reasonable.

Is this something I should be worried about? Has anyone else noticed anything similar?

06 Civic Hybrid, Silver, w Nav and extra loyalty

Have you changed oil and filter of late. May have spilled a bit on the exhaust? Only a guess. Valve cover leaking oil onto same area. Make sure the oil filler cap is on. Could be alot of things!

I've noticed a "hot" smell inside the car before on sustained mountain driving where the batteries are being drained/replenished frequently. It didn't smell like burning oil though...

Commuter car, grocery getter, and summer road tripper--average 10k miles per year.


Winter road trips and ski trips, bad weather commuter and my wife's "daily" driver--expected average 4k miles per year.

I've noticed both burning oil and burning plastic scents at various times, but my oil level has never dropped, nor has there been any indication of IMA/NiMH malfunction, so I've been writing it off as ambient scents (which is quite possible, there's a paper plant next door that emits all sorts of strange odors).

Someday I might even beat that wascally kenny!

No whammies... no whammies... no whammies...