I just had the oil changed and tires rotated and stereo (the stereo ate my CD) about two weeks ago. The wife has been driving it since and complained about a burning smell. I just figured it was alittle oil spill burning off. I drove it today and it's a plastic smell and the temp gauge is hiting dead center with nothing on and its only like high 70's out. This cant be normal. Any ideas??? Its only got 6k+ miles. I have made a appointment to drop off. But kinda scared since it wasnt doing this before it to them. I figured maybe a plastic bag being melted, but what about the guage, is this normal???

later.
chad

temp gauge... seems about right to me... mine sits 1/2 way on the dial (center) every day...

smell...
oil dripped onto something and burning off...??

axle grease? leaked out burning off???

coolant spill/leak burning off??

these are stabs in the dark... i wouldnt worry too much... it's a new car right?

so it's under warranty... they will fix it...

j. www.subiegal.com (http://www.subiegal.com)

I agree with Subie Gal, my temp gauge stays right in the middle all day even under kinda hard driving.

Chris

cool, thanks.

ya, its new just got the car round christmas. what can i say, i woory about my baby--its the nicest car i've owned so far.

thanx again
chad

My car gave off that funny smell a loooong time after I bought it, it was some kinda stuff burning off the parts, now after almost a year, it's gone. It did kind of worry me till I read several similar posts. To me it smelled like melted crayons, or wax.......

one chance could be the CV joint at the pass side, smth happened like that w/ the MY98 I think. Greese drop from that joint to the exhaust which burns... Try to check the cat(?) or exhaust(?) on the passenger side... Hope it helps!

(+.::)

[This message has been edited by s (edited April 05, 2001).]

thanx,

i got some red/clears tail-lights to install this weekend--so i'll pull it up on some ramps and look it over from underneath this time and see if i can find anything.

later
chad

1) Check for plastic road debris on your exhaust.

2) Make sure you drive it enough so that the cats will have a chance to COMPLETELY heat up. You need to "break them in" so to speak. Make sure they get good and hot to burn out any manufacturing oils or buildup from running a little rich.

3) Talk to the dealer.

-Rez
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[This message has been edited by Rez (edited April 05, 2001).]

S - The axle drip was a 1998 problem only, and it applied to lots of Subarus. Somebody (not pointing fingers) at SOA (oh well) purchased the wrong axle grease and it was loaded up at the factory. After it heated up, it melted and ran down the splines and dripped onto the exhaust manifold. There was a TSB about it. It got my '98 Imp L. The dealer swapped the fluid, but didn't scrape the stuff off the exhaust, so it smelled for a long time.

He's got a 2001, so I think it's probably just the cosmoline burning off. Normal.

actually, my temp points a little lower than the middle. just take it into the dealer and ask them about the smell. they'll have to fix it.