2001 Neon ES 2.0 auto 63,000 miles. After driving the car until it is well up to temp (10-15 miles), then coming to a stop sign or light, I can smell burnt oil faintly coming through the ducts when I have the heater on. Once the car starts moving the smell goes away. Any ideas what this is?

 

did you change the oil anyhtime soon. alittle could of dripped onto the header or engine block and would cause it to smoke and smell bad. just my opinion.

 

it could also be a bad gasket on yourvalve cover leaking oil onto the motor or header, i had that problem with my truck.

 

how long has it been doing it for, if you spilled oil on the motor then it wouldnt smoke for a long period of time. and do you have to constantly fill you oil.

 

I'll have to go look. I just bought it used from a dealer. The smell has been there for 200 miles so far.

 

200 miles is too long for spilling oil. take a look under the hood and see if its leaking around the valve cover. If you can't see where its comming from, get an engine cleaner like Gunk and clean the engine, drive it for a little while and then look again. Thats should help you find it.

 

I looked for any obvious leaks under the car, and on the exhaust but didn't see anything. I checked the oil level and it looks like the oil level is a bit over the max mark on the dipstick. Would the little extra oil cause this smell? Once it warms up I will look closer at the engine block.

 

I finally found that oily like smell that's been in my 05 Neon for years. It comes from the rubbery material that insulates the interior side of the firewall. I had been looking and asking mechanics for years with no luck. I found it when I had to replace the dashboard cover that was badly cracked, which is another Neon problem. Anyway once I had the dash cover off and it was very apparent where the smell is coming from. Seems the rubbery insulating material degrades with heat and turns into this oily smelling, sticky, kind of flakey, rubbery mess. I removed as much as I could easily get to and the smell is greatly reduced. I might remove more of the dash to get the rest out and replace with a better non smelling insulator. I'm thinking of sending the bag of smell to Dodge. I'm wondering what this stuff is made of, why did it degrade in this car and not my other non Dodge cars. Is it dangerous?