Q: Burning oil from engine and breathing the fumes within the vehicle
I'm a little concerned. My truck has been leaking oil for at least two years. Since then I have noticed that every time I drove the truck the smell of burning oil would come in through the vents and fill up the cab. It would smell like burning oil and burning rubber. At times, I do notice smoke. Should I be concerned with that smell and/or smoke and the way it fills the cab? Is it dangerous and do I have to worry about my truck catching fire due to the oil leak? Thanks, Larry A.
My car has 30000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
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Hi Larry. Thanks for writing in to YourMechanic.com. Anytime you smell oil inside the cab of your vehicle it is a potential safety issue which should be addressed sooner rather than later. In some cases, the smell of oil is caused by oil that was spilled during a recent oil change or when oil was added; while in other cases the issue is caused by parts that have malfunctioned. On the health side of thing, breathing in oil smoke in a closed cabin is not very healthy; especially if you live with COPD, Asthma or other respiratory conditions. On the mechanical side, if oil is leaking from a mechanical component, that means it’s not doing it primary job of lubricating moving parts; which can lead to serious engine damage. I would recommend having a professional mechanic complete an oil / fluid leaking inspection; so they can locate the source of this smell and resolve the issue before it creates additional problems; including catching fire.
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