smells like burnt peanuts

[moranor@axis]

its happened 3 times now i think it may be my clutch...

think i may be a bit hard on the clutch but not sure it me i try as be gentle on the clutch but 3 times now ive arrived at home and get a strong smell of burnt nuts its strongest if i smell where the bonnet meets the windscreen if i open the bonnet i cant find the smell...

am i shifting too hard or is the clutch going? ive driven all my cars hard and never had this problem but then again the did not have the torque this one has...

 

[Lindo]

I have the same problem just couldn’t describe the smell but I get it every morning just after I have turned on the ignition and the car is idling and that’s the only time I notice the smell. 318ti

 

[[email protected]]

Do any of you experience water / coolant loss on your cars?

 

[Beast_Power]

Any chipmunks living close by ?

 

[Lindo]

Do any of you experience water / coolant loss on your cars?

I have started experiencing that recently abt 2days back but the smell has been there for the past month I think

 

[moranor@axis]

i have no coolant loss and i have recently redone all the seals and had the expansion bottle checked...im just wandering what the symptoms are for a clutch going i got no idea how the clutch is supposed to feel like because i have not had the car that long...

@lindo what you describing sounds like unburnt fuel mine does that also think its just the cold weather we having i only get it on cold mornings next time it happens smell the exhaust if its coming from there i think its normal, but im not sure...

damn chipmunks always storing their food in strange places...

 

[Victor Frank]

Not the clutch guys! Its the exhaust or namely the catalytic convertor on its way out! get it taken out if you want! will give you better performance, and makes your car sound more like an m3 hehe! If you can live with the noise that is! Just remember to keep the old converter. Its worth about 1k if you sell it to the right guys! I had the same smell on my 318ti and mine is an auto...no clutch components!

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We dont need the convertors anymore..no more lead in fuel, and we dont test cars here in SA for pollution...

 

[moranor@axis]

if its the cats would it not smell more from the end of the exhaust?
ill see if i can smell it there when next it happens

 

[moranor@axis]

definitely no smell from the end of the exhaust it only happens after a hard drive so i thought i was getting the clutch a bit warm and that was the smell could it be cats?

 

[Matt Q]

It might be your burnt peanuts?

 

[Victor Frank]

definitely no smell from the end of the exhaust it only happens after a hard drive so i thought i was getting the clutch a bit warm and that was the smell could it be cats?

I could'nt smell it either from the end of the exhaust..there is more than one box where these cat convertors are placed. the front box closest to the manifold is where mine gave way. and the smell came from around the front wheel archers and the top of my bonnet...take it past an exhuaust dealer and let them test it free of charge...(most times)..

 

[moranor@axis]

well its just another reason to get that viper free flow i wanted anyway i wander if it includes a decat with resonators? ill give them a call

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maybe the previous owner replaced his cats with peanuts?

 

[moranor@axis]

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/repair/2423551

no burnt peanut smell...it could be the clutch or cats i cant decide which

 

[moranor@axis]

im leaning more towards the cats now because it seems to erratic to be the clutch if i use the clutch the same way on different days it smells then does not it also does not feel like the clutch is slipping at all...will post again after i decat

 

[moranor@axis]

Do any of you experience water / coolant loss on your cars?

you had it right... on friday my radiator bleed screw head broke off (burn peanut smell and steam) i guess it was leaking a little from there (dont know how i could not see the leak before) and causing the smell... least i know what it smells like now so next time i know when i have a leak...

 

[moranor@axis]

just an update since i got my new exhaust there has been no burn peanut smell

burnt peanuts = dead cats