Fixed: Strong burnt oil smell from exhaust but no smoke
 

My X5 emits a strong burnt oil smell from exhaust but no smoke from the exhaust. I replaced the valve stem seals awhile ago (N62 engine) and the vehicle stopped smoking, but the burnt oil smell from exhaust persists. The exhaust tips always look clean, nonetheless. It's not sulphur or gas stink, just burnt oil smell. I thought the stink would go away after some time upon replacing the seals but nada after more than a year. I miss the days my X5 exhaust smell was all clean. I've transitioned from the smoke of shame to the stink of shame :rofl:.

Any ideas and pointers? I'm an avid DIY'er. I have the following parts ready to be installed - fuel filter, spark plugs and oxygen sensors. A few days ago I did an oil change and replaced the leaking oil pressure sensor. Please, don't tell me it's now the cats ... :wow:

FIXED:

I had to install used and cleaned up front exhaust including the cats (the original cats were stolen), and also installed all new OS sensors. The stink is now all gone:thumbup:.

So when I'm climbing up a hill for a couple miles and working the engine, I notice burnt oil smell too. I think it just warms everything up in the engine bay...I do know my reinforcement plate is just COVERED in oil/grime junk :/ so maybe that is leading to the smell.

Mine emits the stink from the exhaust only. Post exhaust is all good including the engine bay. It stinks anytime the engine is running and only from the exhaust end. I also don't have oil consumption issues. I'm wondering if this stink comes from residual oil when the vehicle had leaking valve stem seals and that oil is still gradually burning off :dunno:. May be I should have thoroughly cleaned up the intake manifold when I did the VSS? :dunno: But wouldn't burning oil result in smoke? :confused:

The engine may be running too rich. I got someone else to sniff and the conclusion is my nose is not very efficient:rofl: I was told it's not really burnt oil smell but more like slight gas smell in the pungent exhaust odor. I'm replacing the spark plugs, O2 sensors and fuel filter. The condition of the spark plug should be revealing.

Okay...so you mean burnt oil smell from strictly in/out the exhaust. So out the exhaust pipe in the rear. I thought you meant like in the engine bay.

Have you looked at your fuel trims and your O2 readings from live data?

I had to install used and cleaned up front exhaust including the cats (the original cats were stolen), and also installed all new OS sensors. The stink is now all gone:thumbup:.