Updated at: 21-03-2022 - By: Lucas

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The stench of spilled coffee, dripping water from a car wash, and other messes can cause a bad odor in your vehicle. However, after an oil change, some motorists claim to smell burning oil.

Due to the fact that it appears to be caused by oil leaks, this should not be taken lightly. So, oil leaks in the engine bay are one of the reasons why a car smells like it’s on fire after an oil change.

In order to rule out your car’s exhaust, you should first look about for oil pollution. For those who live near a facility that processes, sells, or produces oil and gas products, it’s crucial to keep an eye out for anything that might be on fire.

Why Car Smells Like Burning Oil After Oil Change

Burning Oil Smell After Oil Change-2

The only other explanation for smelling burning oil is that the engine compartment has faulty oil hoses. To get to the various parts of a car’s engine, oil must go through channels.

Engine bay components will be coated in oil when any of the transmission channels fail. After a few miles of driving, all of the engine bay components will heat up, causing the oil to burn and perhaps causing the problem you’re experiencing.

However, since the burning smell was only noticed after an oil change, it’s possible that the filter or drain plug hadn’t been properly re-installed or tightened properly.

The oil droplets that must have fallen to the engine’s surface when the mechanic was doing the oil change could potentially be the source of the burning smell. When the engine heats up and the oil begins to burn, the smell you’re smelling is released.

After an oil change, your automobile will likely have an unpleasant odor due to metal-on-metal contact caused by the oil. When you’re near an oil and gas producing facility that’s burning off oil for whatever reason, that could be another reason for the scent.

You should not take this lightly, and we’d like to remind you of that. It’s possible that burning oil can lead to more serious problems, and repairs to the engine bay will be expensive even if the main engine is unaffected.

Oil is necessary for the health and the operation of your engine, but it does not need to drip on the surface.

What To Do When Your Car Smells Like Burning Oil

This problem has an easy fix, but it reveals the source of the burning. When there is an oil leak, a different solution is needed than when there is an oil overfill or spill.

We’ll lay out the many options for resolving this problem in a straightforward manner.

How To Stop Burning Oil Smell After Oil Change

If caused by oil spillage

Refilling oil can cause oil droplets to spill or fall on metal surfaces. When the oil has entirely burned off, the burning fragrance will cease.

After letting the engine cool, you can remove the hood to mop off any spills or drops.

Overfill

This can lead to a burning scent in your car if the mechanic overfills the oil to the brinks. You should pull over and use the dipstick to check the oil level if you suspect this is the cause of the problem.

It’s best to drain and re-fill the oil if it’s higher than the acceptable level. However, if you have the oil changed by a professional, you can return home and lower the volume.

Oil leakage

Leaking hosts and channels in the engine bay appear to cause oil to spill out of the leaking areas when flow occurs. This could be the source of your problem, so keep an eye out for any leaks.

For this reason, you should have a mechanic check for signs of oil leakage for you. Check to see that the hose that is leaking has been replaced.

Conclusion

After an oil change, your automobile may smell like it’s on fire. The oil in the engine compartment is burning off because of the high temperature, which is causing it to react with a metallic surface and emit a strong odor.

If you don’t act quickly, the cost of repairs could rise. If you’re dealing with an issue involving any part of your engine bay, we recommend that you take action immediately.

You should also change the oil filter on a regular basis to prevent your engine from being damaged by the contaminants that flow along with your oil.