[SK328CI]

i get burning smells when im accelerating fast and revving high under WOT, read that this was normal. get a burning smell (definitely not clutch, hot clutch smells differently).

so am i safe to assume that this isnt normal anymore? i never get the smell unless i start revving past 6-7K RPM.

[bagzman]

oh yea, i get a metallic burning smell too...its kinda bad. Only under Redline runs though.....
I redlined 3rd gear this morning, slammed to 4th, went to about buck 20. Drove for another 2 minutes ( coasting ), turned the car off,
smelled that yummmyness while standing near the trunk....went to work with a grin.

Im guessing that the cats are just burning up, along with the exhaust heating everything up very quickly. no worries people.

[DriftProjectR]

i just noticed that smell after this weekend at the drift day at willow springs in california.

[///Mfever84]

when i max out 3rd and beyond, i get it as well. Although ///tonic may be referrring to something beyond the norm here. Good luck with the diagnosis!

[petercory]

Check for a minor oil leak!

[sddynamix]

What S mode is everyone in when they notice the smell?

Almost never happens to me in S5 or S6, but in S4... oh man watch out.

[nando]

happens from 3rd thru 6th on mine = / i took my car in for oil leakage and told them about the smell i have been smelling for a while now and the tech was like hmmmm this does smell funny! we will see what it was!

[Terrapin]

Thread bump time.

I just found a potential source for this smell. Differential seals. The shop that just did my track inspection said mine were leaking...not a big deal right now but something I should address soon.

This makes perfect sense. The burning smell happens at high speeds under WOT. Thats when the differential would experience the most stress (high rotation speed AND high load). If anyone gets a chance to jack up the rear of their car, check for oil around the differential input/output shafts. Maybe we can put this mystery to rest.

[Beach_Bum]

Update from me: I haven't smelled it since I switched to AA headers and SS cats (the rest of the exhaust is stock). Maybe something was up with my OE headers/cats

[willib]

Do you get this smell when you recycle the air? I only get an "exhaust" type of smell if I pull fresh air in, which I presume is air from the engine compartment leaking around the hood seal. This is intermittent and I haven't found a clear pattern. It could be the oil pan leak I and most of you have that had your bearings replaced under the recall.
I've decided to not worry about that leak until it actually results in
A) appreciable dipstick losses
B) spots on my garage floor.

I doubt the differential could generate the smell enough for you to smell while driving, you might catch it when sitting still, but it should be the strongest if you stick your nose under the butt of the car.

Has anybody replaced the "hood seal" with any success in keeping out engine bay smells from your air intake?