[///tonic]

I've got 96-97k on my 2001. As of about a month ago, I noticed a burning smell when accelerating at high speed. I don't frequently engage in such activities, and around the Lynn/Boston area, there are a lot of weird smells, so I chalked it up to a coincidence. But since then i've noticed it a couple more times, so I'm certain it's my car. I did some searching and only came across the cosmoline issue on new cars and some flameful posts RE an E36.

I recently did an oil change and the level is fine. All gauges read normal. At first I thought it was my rear brakes which were in desperate need of replacement, but I just installed all new brakes and still get the smell. My only other theory is the clutch. I get no slippage even at full throttle/low speed in 5th or 6th gear, but there is a bit of a funny feel to the pedal on engagement (noticeable only when accelerating from a stop in first gear).


What could possibly be causing this? I'm a bit worried for my car and certainly don't like the idea of owning an M3 that I'm scared to actually drive.

[CJPatel]

I kind of get this burning smell too, but its usually when I turn the car on and mainly during winter. I havent experienced it now. I asked a friend and he was like thats just your exhuast heating up. I also asked BMW to look at it, and they said they could replicate it.

[Beach_Bum]

Same thing happens to me after I went from a complete aftermarket exhaust back to stock. It only happens under WOT.

[Cicada]

I noticed this lastnight, and it only really happens when i'm WOT and if i redline it in every gear from 1st to 3rd.

under normal driving though, it doesnt happen.

it happened to me lastnight, actually..

but then later on down the road i saw a semi that looked like it was smoking, so that may have made it smell worse thatn it actually is.

[///tonic]

I have a supersprint race muffler, but that's been on the car for quite some time as well.

The smell is definitely new, so I assume there's some special cause

[Cicada]

well if you find out, let us know! :P

i recently had all my belts replaced at the dealer...so it may be doing something there. i dunno.

[Davey Interweb]

Definitely notice the same after driving my car fairly hard. It smells metallic, oily. I thought it was perhaps the exhaust.

[sddynamix]

subscribed. this happens to me too, almost smells like a burning clutch. I notice it happens when I'm driving in S4 and revving high, but I don't really notice it in S5/S6.

[///tonic]

A bit of an update after some experimentation on the way to work this morning: turns out I get a bit of a smell running through third at WOT, and definitely get the smell running through 4th. 5th and 6th are kind of hard to test in the Boston area, but I assume it's the same story. The clutch remains my top candidate, but why isn't is slipping? And it's not really a toasted clutch smell, more so one of burning chemicals.

Belts is an interesting possiblity, but I had all my belts replaced a year ago. No looseness or squealing there.

This is a lot different than the normal hot M3 smell. It only happens while on the throttle and dissipates almost immediately when I coast or brake. And it smells bad, not like the metallic oily smell of a finely engineered machine.

[JTrejo]

i get the same oil burning smell i went from gruppem to headers ss xpipe no cats and a bypass valve with stock exhaust