2018 M3 with 4K - Is a very slight "turbo" smell normal when pushing car?

[noone]

I have a newish 18 M3 with 4K on the odo and I have noticed since it was brand new a very slight "turbo" smell in the cabin when I push the car hard. Is this normal?

Edit - found a post that exactly describes this phenomenon - https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1203268

[Kilabyte]

Is this on a track because I've pushed my car on the street in hot weather and have not smelled anything.

[noone]

No this is going down the highway and flooring it until I hit 130 or 140. You get the idea.

Found this post which describes spot on what I am smelling.

https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1203268

It's still really a brand new car.

No fluids are leaking or anything.

Never been tracked always babied except when I floor it on the highway occasionally.

Maybe protectant oil stuff is still burning off the new parts?

[TR930]

Check intercooler overflow tank.

[behindthen0thing]

I drive at 120 to 160 mph daily and have never smelled coolant.

[noone]

Intercooler and all fluids are fine. No leaks. Did everyone buy their cars new?

[jmciver]

Absent of any gross mechanical/material failure, I would speculate that what you are "smelling" is normal. But you have heightened sensitivity to something possibly being "wrong" with the car. I think we all do this (heightened sensitivity) with anything that we care about - it is just human nature. This is especially true when something is "new" like your car. Not to mention that at such low mileage, your car is still new with some of that "new car smell" that has yet to burn off - both inside and outside of the car.

I have a '17 M3 that I purchased new. I have also experienced what you are talking about, albeit not as "bad" as you are describing it. My car definitely has a different "smell" after I park it following a boring work commute vs a very spirited drive when I get into it. Following a spirited drive there is a very distinctive clutch/oil/coolant/exhaust/heat smell that is not there after a "normal" drive. Yet there is nothing wrong mechanically with my car.

I wouldn't worry about without real evidence of a problem. It will just drive you nuts. If anything, the slight coolant smell you are sensing could be from small bits of engine coolant venting out of the expansion tank - then quickly evaporating due to the heat in the engine compartment. The engine coolant system is designed to do this and may mean your expansion tank is slightly overfilled (but not much). Also, check your HVAC settings, if you have it set to bring in fresh/outside air, if there are any smells coming from under the hood, ingesting outside air will only amplify any smells inside the cabin, even only slightly.

[noone]

Originally Posted by jmciver

Absent of any gross mechanical/material failure, I would speculate that what you are "smelling" is normal. But you have heightened sensitivity to something possibly being "wrong" with the car. I think we all do this (heightened sensitivity) with anything that we care about - it is just human nature. This is especially true when something is "new" like your car. Not to mention that at such low mileage, your car is still new with some of that "new car smell" that has yet to burn off - both inside and outside of the car.

I have a '17 M3 that I purchased new. I have also experienced what you are talking about, albeit not as "bad" as you are describing it. My car definitely has a different "smell" after I park it following a boring work commute vs a very spirited drive when I get into it. Following a spirited drive there is a very distinctive clutch/oil/coolant/exhaust/heat smell that is not there after a "normal" drive. Yet there is nothing wrong mechanically with my car.

I wouldn't worry about without real evidence of a problem. It will just drive you nuts. If anything, the slight coolant smell you are sensing could be from small bits of engine coolant venting out of the expansion tank - then quickly evaporating due to the heat in the engine compartment. The engine coolant system is designed to do this and may mean your expansion tank is slightly overfilled (but not much). Also, check your HVAC settings, if you have it set to bring in fresh/outside air, if there are any smells coming from under the hood, ingesting outside air will only amplify any smells inside the cabin, even only slightly.

Great post which identically echos my thoughts. Again the smell is EXTREMELY faint. I may even have a more pronounced sense of smell than others because I quite smoking? At any rate, I was wanting confirmation that this was normal and you sir have provided that. Thank you.

I'll just add this and my DCT slight clunk when it shifts into 1st into the "Normal" category.

I do love this car except I do need to slow down. I just got my first ticket in 12 years in this new car.

[Beemerm3]

I smell coolant in my car too. It's just a sign that the car has a bit of mold. Spray down sum spray products into the vents. Should go away slightly.

[behindthen0thing]

Originally Posted by M3classic

I smell coolant in my car too. It's just a sign that the car has a bit of mold. Spray down sum spray products into the vents. Should go away slightly.

Man that makes no sense at all

[nicknaz]

What is a “turbo smell” OP?

If you smell oil and coolant, then watch out for consumption. Maybe you have some small leaks somewhere that isn’t showing up until the engine bay is hot from hard driving.

I drove my f80 hard from the day I took it off the Welt platform and never got any oil or coolant smell

If it’s brakes then that’s normal (or drive dsc off)

[CanAutM3]

What does a turbo smell like ?

[Poochie]

Originally Posted by CanAutM3

What does a turbo smell like ?

[Poochie]

Seriously, it's probably just blow-off oil from the PVC valve, burning up, while dogging the motor..


Turbo leaking, but dealer says nothing is wrong https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1545217

[NSX2M4]

Originally Posted by jmciver

Absent of any gross mechanical/material failure, I would speculate that what you are "smelling" is normal. But you have heightened sensitivity to something possibly being "wrong" with the car. I think we all do this (heightened sensitivity) with anything that we care about - it is just human nature. This is especially true when something is "new" like your car. Not to mention that at such low mileage, your car is still new with some of that "new car smell" that has yet to burn off - both inside and outside of the car.

I have a '17 M3 that I purchased new. I have also experienced what you are talking about, albeit not as "bad" as you are describing it. My car definitely has a different "smell" after I park it following a boring work commute vs a very spirited drive when I get into it. Following a spirited drive there is a very distinctive clutch/oil/coolant/exhaust/heat smell that is not there after a "normal" drive. Yet there is nothing wrong mechanically with my car.

I wouldn't worry about without real evidence of a problem. It will just drive you nuts. If anything, the slight coolant smell you are sensing could be from small bits of engine coolant venting out of the expansion tank - then quickly evaporating due to the heat in the engine compartment. The engine coolant system is designed to do this and may mean your expansion tank is slightly overfilled (but not much). Also, check your HVAC settings, if you have it set to bring in fresh/outside air, if there are any smells coming from under the hood, ingesting outside air will only amplify any smells inside the cabin, even only slightly.

Mine stinks up the garage if driven hard too in sport plus on the way home. It smells to me like heated carbon/fiberglass. Maybe it's the strut brace? I dunno?Doesn't bother me. The car never smells while driving though like the OP is describing.

[Beemerm3]

Evaporator foam cleaner. Happened to my old European car.

[RRedline]

Originally Posted by nicknaz

What is a “turbo smell” OP?

...and why did it take to post #11 before this question was asked??? Should have been post #2.

[arashir]

I get the same faint coolant smell lately from the exhaust pipe, but only when the car is in neutral, and usually soon after the engine is started (ie. not from coming back from a drive). Anybody know why that might be? More importantly, is it possible for there to be a leak that you should care about without the car throwing a fault code?

Background for context: My charge air cooler was replaced under warranty 2k miles ago for a leak that did throw a fault code and I only drove the car about a mile from that point while leaking (and the coolant smell was 10x stronger). Then I changed the oil and got an oil analysis to confirm the leak had indeed stopped. Since I'm still under warranty I had the dealer look at this "new" faint coolant smell problem and they assured me that there was no coolant leaking.

[lukej]

Unless you have a mechanical problem like ,high oil consumption or oil leak or something.
I think it’s just normal anytime you run the car hard, there’s parts on the engine get a lot hotter than it does during normal driving you may not see it on the temperature gage but indeed the heads the cylinders and other parts of the engine are going to be hotter than normal. I’ve seen that on every car I’ve ever owned including my 1994 Chevy pick up truck, you’re running hard it smells different.

Drive it like you stole it and don’t worry about it.

[FlyingLow78]

Originally Posted by M3classic

I smell coolant in my car too. It's just a sign that the car has a bit of mold. Spray down sum spray products into the vents. Should go away slightly.

I had this as well. The local dealer pressure tested the cooling system and it was tight as a drum. The smell comes from mold on the air conditioning evaporator, and is a common occurrence. To eliminate it, remove the cabin filter and spray a disinfectant into the HVAC air intake on the passenger side of the engine compartment. The easiest way to find it is to set the fan at the highest speed and listen for the suction. The evaporator has a tendency to develop mold due to the moisture which condenses on the surface of the evaporator core.

[behindthen0thing]

I've never smelled mold that even remotely smelled like coolant. Thats a new one on me.

[itrocks4u]

Originally Posted by noone

Great post which identically echos my thoughts. Again the smell is EXTREMELY faint. I may even have a more pronounced sense of smell than others because I quite smoking? At any rate, I was wanting confirmation that this was normal and you sir have provided that. Thank you.

I'll just add this and my DCT slight clunk when it shifts into 1st into the "Normal" category.

I do love this car except I do need to slow down. I just got my first ticket in 12 years in this new car.

That clunk worries more.