What is the normal oil smell

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(lowspeed @ Apr 6 2006, 07:14 PM) [snapback]236104[/snapback]</div>

Many products made from oil smell similar. There is a difference between gas and oil smells, certainly, but they also share some characteristics as one is derived from the other. Tough to transmit smell via the ethernet though!

Obviously there should be no gas in your lubricating oil!

 

A gas engine, or any fueled engine will take on the smell of the unb <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(lowspeed @ Apr 6 2006, 07:14 PM) [snapback]236104[/snapback]</div>

The simple answer is yes. Oil is in contact with surfaces that are exposed to burning fuel mixture, notably the sidewalls of the cylinder and parts of the valve train.

Oil's job is multi-fold. The obvious reason is lubrication, but less obvious is as a detergent and waste carrier. Oil is also used to trap dirt that is introduced into the engine via combustion and put it in suspension and take it away so that it does not become permanently deposited on parts and so it can be filtered out of the system. That is why oil gets dirty and the dirt is technically soot from the combustion process.

As such oil should smell like gas or partially burnt gas.

A gas engine, or any fueled engine will take on the smell of the unburnt fuel over time because the environment in the crankcase is basically always exposed to the fuels that power the vehicle. Fresh air is introduced into the crankcase as part of the PCV, however it doesn't eliminate the fuel odors. That is the nature of the beast. Unburnt fuel over time because the environment in the crankcase is basically always exposed to the fuels that power the vehicle. Fresh air is introduced into the crankcase as part of the PCV, however it doesn't eliminate the fuel odors. That is the nature of the beast.

 

Many oils even new have strong odors. For example, the mystery bulk oil my dealer was using had a pungent sulfur smell to it. With use the byproducts of combustion can smell nasty too.

If you really want to smell nasty pungent motor oil, sniff the dipstick of a Waukesha V-16 run on sour gas at a gas field. PEEE-UUUUU