GotTurboWut Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Ok. My car has been at the shop for 2 days now. It's not the valve cover gaskets, head gasket, torn cv boot, clogged pcv valve, or oil return line to turbo. I first noticed it a few weeks ago after driving then coming to a stop. The burning smell resonates through the vents but if I put on re-circ mode, the smell is gone. It seemed to come from the passenger side. It's also not the cabin air filter. Before the shop closed today, I was told the intercooler was off and they were still trying to pinpoint where the leak was coming from. I don't have any spots on my driveway and my car runs strong (stage 2), 73K miles. I'm stumped and I think the shop is to. Any help or suggestions are welcomed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robitrice Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 check the oil seal on the turbo. i had the same issue with the smell thats where it came from. it obviously leaking near something hot enough to burn the oil of. look for residue and follow the trail. did u recently change the oil? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moawdtsi Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I had a slow drip from a cracked oil line to the turbo. In the process of replacing this line right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OBeer-WAN-Kenobi Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I get an oil smell from my 09 too. It seems to happen most after a little aggressive driving. I haven't found the culprit yet. It must be a very minimal leak somewhere as I keep checking and very seldom have to add any oil. I'll be interested to know where yours is leaking when you find out. P.S. I don't smell it until I get out of the car. Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compsurge Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Another possibility is ringlands. Have a leakdown / compression test performed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepyhead Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Power steering pump/lines? Our 05 lgt has a leaking pump. Thought it was the valve cover gaskets, but couple of times I did see oil it was red. On mine it seeps from behind the pump and heads toward the back of the block where it drips right onto the exhaust manifold on the passenger side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adreyna Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 have you checked your turbo seals? or in and around your turbo? when I had mine replaces acouple months ago hose was crack and leaked oil... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adoniram Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Well, this isn't an oil smell but some people can confuse them: 2 of the most common leaks and smells are caused by: 1. Broken CV boot on passenger axle (causes grease to smear on cat) 2. Some people have leaking gas lines (especially during cold weather) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GotTurboWut Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 Thanks for all the ideas. The power steering leak sounds possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GotTurboWut Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 Verdict: oil found in intercooler and the shop recommended I take my car to dealership. Hope the turbo isn't dying. Could it be just a turbo seal leaking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adreyna Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Verdict: oil found in intercooler and the shop recommended I take my car to dealership. Hope the turbo isn't dying. Could it be just a turbo seal leaking? It most likely is going to blow if its leaking. Same thing happened to me. I took my car to the stealership for the 105k service and timing belt job and the told me i had an oil leak that looked like coming from my turbo. they told me they would charge me $250 to tell me what it is. i told them no thanks. i then search on here and asked my mechanic friends what they thought about it. they told me that my turbo was basically on death row waiting to blow. i didnt have money for a new turbo so a kept running it and 8k miles later, pop goes my turbo! that, again is just my experience but i hope yours aint nothing like mine, cause if it is be ready to drop at most $2k for a new turbo with instalation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GotTurboWut Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 Great...guess I will wait to see what they say. If it's blown, time to start searching for a used turbo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adreyna Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 well mine wasnt blown..... it was just on its way there. I still drove it like i stole it and when 3500 mile road trip to cali, then after 8k it just gave out. if its nothing serious ill atleast give you time to save up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compsurge Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Oil in intercooler does not equal turbo failure. There is normally a small amount of oil in the intercooler. If there is an excessive amount of oil, then consider the ringlands or turbo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GotTurboWut Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 Update- it wasn't much oil so the tech didn't think it was any sign of turbo issues. Speaking with the tech, he said he cleaned the pcv valve, it had some blockage. Drove 30 minutes home and was bringing outside air in and didn't smell the burning smell. Still going to subaru dealership on wednesday just in case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Donated broknindarkagain Posted February 3, 2012 I Donated Share Posted February 3, 2012 that, again is just my experience but i hope yours aint nothing like mine, cause if it is be ready to drop at most $2k for a new turbo with instalation. The turbo is easy to swap for anyone with even basic mechanical knowledge and basic hand tools. You can get used OEM turbos for a reasonable price and that will drastically cut your costs. The trick is catching the problem before the Turbo goes -broknindarkagain My Current Project - Click Here COME AND TAKE IT "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowwill Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Where is the pcv valve located on these cars? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GotTurboWut Posted February 4, 2012 Author Share Posted February 4, 2012 Underneath the intercooler I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compsurge Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/pcv-valve-replacement-95003p7.html http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/pcv-valve-replacement-95003.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhawk222 Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 I had a similar issue....I got lucky...when I removed the oil filter from the banjo bolt the second crush washer slipped out of place. A very small amount of oil was leaking, just enough to send smoke into the cabin when the air was turned on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GotTurboWut Posted February 4, 2012 Author Share Posted February 4, 2012 Thanks for the info jhawk22. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTTuner Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 I had a slow drip from a cracked oil line to the turbo. In the process of replacing this line right now. I did also, it dripped on the UP and burned off before it hit the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GotTurboWut Posted February 4, 2012 Author Share Posted February 4, 2012 Oil lines to the turbo are fine and there are no signs of oil near the turbo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhino6303 Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Have you checked the oil cooler yet? My oil cooler to block gasket is leaking and I get the exact same smell as you. It only occurs when I come to a stop after driving on the highway. I'm just waiting until my next oil change to replace the gasket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GotTurboWut Posted February 5, 2012 Author Share Posted February 5, 2012 Have you checked the oil cooler yet? My oil cooler to block gasket is leaking and I get the exact same smell as you. It only occurs when I come to a stop after driving on the highway. I'm just waiting until my next oil change to replace the gasket. Interesting...that's a possibility. Anyone know anything about this oil cooler to block gasket? First I heard of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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