jeffrec

I have a 2009 C2S with a manual tranny and 23K on the odometer. I don't often drive it like I stole it, however, once in a while I can't help but keep the RPM's above 5K as I go through the gears. I was curious to know if anyone has experienced any unusual odor coming from the muffler area after parking in the gargae. It's not the brakes or the clutch and almost smells like cosmoline or some type of undercoating heated up. Any thoughts???

MessyMarvin

It is normal.

sjfehr

If it's the smell I'm thinking of, it's a good smell. Smells like fun. I'm curious as to what exactly it is, too, though.

Edgy01

Unless you personally cleaned off the cosmoline, then that's what you are smelling as you are slowing baking it onto the outside of the case. You should heat these engines up. They perform very well when hot.

fastm3

I smell something strange as well, once in a while. Mine is a 2006 though, with around 35K miles, so if it's in fact cosmoline, I'm surprised it still hasn't burnt off or disintegrated. I thought it might have been coolant fluid leaking somewhere, and was going to have it checked out.

Edgy01

Collant has a distinctively different smell than cosmoline. Sweeter.

Keep in mind that there are many odors coming from that area. Things get very hot back there. Guys--this is a part of 911 ownership. You smell things, you figure them out, and then you worry less. There is no sense in stressing over nothing.

When you start to smell fuel smells--then you know it's time to sell the car! (Most of you will long sell the car before that happens).

sy308

Do you have sufficient oil in the engine?

jeffrec

Thank you for the prompt input, and yes I have sufficient oil in the crankcase. I check the oil level each time I refill the gas tank, and in the first year/4K miles that I have owned her I put about 1 quart of Mobil 1 in her. Anyway after reading the various posts I think the smell is just a hot engine. It is not a sweet smell, nor a burnt rubber smell, nor an electrical smell, nor a clutch burining smell so I have to believe it is normal. I have my 4 year/40K service scheduled in a couple weeks so I will ask the tech his opinion. Thanks again for all of your help guys. This forum provides a great deal of information that a rookie like me would have to do a lot of Google searches to gain.

Macster

Cosmoline won't burn off of the engine block and other cooler items to which it is applied. It really should not be applied to the exhaust system components but there might be some overspray. But you can be sure any on these items is burned off pronto.

Also, cosmoline is formulated to not disintegrate but to stay around and protect the surfaces to which it is applied.

Even on my Turbo with over 110K miles -- I was under the car the other day -- there is plenty of cosomline in place. Even my 02 Boxster with nearly 270K miles still has cosmoline in places.

The engine in the back and the exhaust along with it are located in a particularly dirty location (which is one reason the cosmoline is used) and a piece of plastic wrap if it contacts the hot exhaust pipe will stick and smell as the heat of the exhaust chars it. I've found fragments of cigarette pack plastic wrapper with charred edges on top of my Boxster engine in the past.

So, when you smell something strange what you may be smelling is something from the road gets whipped up and hits and sticks to the hot exhaust.

agerada

Its normal and I call it "Porsche Perfume". Love it!

MODiesel

The unique location of the engine and it's relative exposure to the operator.....the fact that tire bits/wear can easily get thrown onto the hot exhaust parts....a hot crankcase with the cosmoline getting heated up...

I think I read it best right here on the site...that's the smell of victory!

jeffrec

Well said MODiesel, we should all rejoice in the fact that we have the unique privilege to smell that "Porsche Perfume" as agerada calls it!!! Not many people get the experience, and it took me 54 years to get there myself. Thanks for all the posts guys.

CORSASCHNELL

My wife's Acura had a peculiar smell when she came into garage after a long drive. Upon inspection there was a plastic shopping bag stuck to hot parts of the under body and melted. It took several months for it burn itself out.

May or may not be the case with your odor but just an idea for a foreign substance stuck somewhere.

Petrvspetrvs

it's probably the soft tire rubber heated up, from driving as it should be driven ... learn to love it!

At Law

That is normal. It is the cosmoline.

Always happens when driving near the 5k RPM mark.

I was curious after buying mine as well several years ago.

Mine is a 2006 with 21k miles and it still does it.