Burning oil/rubber smell on '02 focus

[maxp]

Hi guys,

2002 focus 2 litre with 65k miles. Only had it a month or so.
After journeys of more than 10 minutes, when getting out the car I can smell something that can only be described as burning rubber or oil from the engine compartment but cannot put my finger on it.


The smell is familiar, as a mate of mine also used to have a 2.0 focus and I remember smelling the same odour, although I didnt mention it at the time.

[mnkiboy]

I had a 2L Focus for 3 years and don't remember this smell. Obvious thing to check would be to see if there's any oil around the engine bay. I remember mine used to leak slightly from the cam cover gasket, but never caused any oily smell.

[Justin S]

Yes, check the rocker cover, thay can weep. Cheeap enough to swop it out.

[Rickyy]

As other have said, check the rocker cover gasket, possibly dripping oil on to the exhaust manifold.

Also check the manifold heatshield hasn't come loose and started to melt the wiring for the radiator fans. This happened to mine.

[wiliferus]

Rickyy said:

As other have said, check the rocker cover gasket, possibly dripping oil on to the exhaust manifold.

Also check the manifold heatshield hasn't come loose and started to melt the wiring for the radiator fans. This happened to mine.

+ 1 Another vote for the rocker cover gasket. Mines sat on the drive leaking oil as you read this! I recall they're not a lot of money and a reasonably easy home spanner job if you are that way inclined. And they do stink if oil when they start to drip onto the manifold cover.

[Allyc85]

New rocker cover gasket sorted the oily smell on my mk1 Focus, though I need to change the sump on it soon as it is rusting away!