Hello. I have a new 08 Crossfire purchased new in Feb 09 and the car has hit 200 miles. I now have a burning smell coming from under the hood. I pull the car back in the garage and you can see a faint smoke swirling around the lit fog lamps. I lift the hood but cannot pinpoint any trouble areas. I definitely feel it is a belt but who knows. Reason for concern? Safe to drive?

Traveling has limited me from driving the car so it has been in the garage since purchasing away from the outside elements.

 

Imperial, my guess is the car is still so new that the belt is just "wearing in" or getting "seated" properly.
With the motor running, look at the belt where it travels over the pulleys, and make sure it runs true and straight, and nothing is wobbling or loose. It's highly unlikely an idler pulley has froze up or anything.
I think it will probably be fine after you get a few more "break-in" miles.

 

Thank you for the quick reply. While the engine is running I do look under the hood using my "Expert" eyes and I do not see any loosness in the belts or pullys. My question is after 200 miles or so why would it just start now? I just don't want to get stranded due to an engine fire or anything like that. Should I just drive the car as normal? Thanks! Love the hood scoop!

BTW: What is the break-in period for the car? 1000 miles or so?

 

Well since you've checked it already, and didn't see anything rubbing on it either, I'd say just keep driving it as normal.
I don't know if it's OK to use "belt dressing" on a serpetine belt or not, but if it is, then you might want to try that.
By the way, thanks for the "props" on my hood.

 

The engine sounds quiet and smooth at idle so one would think if there is an issue with a belt or pulley you would hear some type of feedback such as rubbing or squealing correct?

 

Check the valve covers for a leak - the smell could be the oil dripping down on the manifold. It's a common issue with these cars, and is an easy fix at the dealer. Mine developed the leak at around 5,000 miles. I started to notice a burining smell every time I pulled into the garage.

 

You say you looked at the belt (while running).
With the engine off and cool, check the routing of the belt AGAIN and pay very close attention to each pulley and how the belt rides on them.
I had a belt that was off on one pulley by one tooth and didn't notice it till one rib of the belt was finally cut off.
The belt actually lasted hundreds of miles before the cut finally happened. And yes the car was still driveable with the remaining 7 ribs of the belt once the rib came off.

 

Greenie is right, sometimes burning oil does smell like burning rubber. That may very well be your problem.

To answer the break in question, 30 years ago I came across a synthetic oil that sold for a fraction of the price of Mobil1. On the can it recommended not using it until the new engine was adequately broken in.
Since I wanted to use it in my then new 1979 280 ZX, that I had only put a few 1000 miles on, I wrote to the company and asked them at what mileage should I start using their product. They wrote back and told me to hold off until I had put about 7k miles on it. Now that impressed me since they didn't just tell me to go out and buy their oil right now.
As it turned out, the following summer I took my car on a trip to Wisconsin, and on the way up I drove the Interstates very sedately, stayed in 5th gear most of the time at close to the speed limit and got about 25 mpg.
On the way home the car rolled over 7k miles, so I took secondary roads, and drove my car much harder, stayed in the lower gears longer, and up shifted and down shifted much more, and got 27 mpg. The car seemed to just loosen up and felt more responsive than it ever did before.
So I don't know if that's the "magical" number or not, but that was my experience.
Of course now the cars come from the manufacture with synthetic oil already in the crankcase, so maybe the "break-in" mileage theory has changed as well.

 

Good point however the car only has 200 miles on it. Could the valve cover(s) be leaking so soon? Thanks!

 

my bet is a short, shouldn't see smoke anytime...make sure your fog lamps are both working. if one is out, then a wire may have burnt into...if not, you may have something down in that corner rubbing. You will know soon enough, cause this car is full of sensors, once fuse blows, you will see an idiot light for sure.

 

Thank you. I went out to thr garage while the engine had cooled down and took a flashlight and followed the pattern of all of the belts and all seem to be tight and seated correctly. Tugged on them as well. I then decided to start the car and let it idle for a few moments while using the flashlight hoping to see where the smoke/smell issue is originating from but could not get it to repeat itself. didn't see any dripping oil as well. Valve covers seem tight. Oh well. Maybe it is just a break in issue. Stay tuned.

Foglights both functional.

 

or you just picked up something off the road that stuck to a converter until it burnt off...good luck, but I would check from time to time to be sure...

 

Well, It looks like the car is dripping oil on the driver's side valve cover. The car starts to smoke when the manifold heats-up I pressume but then dissapates after I drive the car. Is this something that would require immediate attention? Thanks

 

Immediate? No. Annoying? Yes. Should it be taken care of? Yes.

Take it to the dealer. They'll fix it under warranty in a day. Easy fix. Both of mine eventually leaked and they fixed / cleaned up my manifolds nicely.

 

...Told Ya....

 

The smoke comes from the left of the hood? (viewing from the inside)

 

Good morning. I raised the hood and started the car. In a few moments as the engine heats up you can see (using a flashlight) smoke start to rise from under the valve cover on the "driver's side" only. Aparently after a few moments, the smoke dissapates I would think as the fluid burns off of the manifold. Not enough to smoke out the whole garage but it is present. I have an appointment scheduled at the dealership and I would like the tech to see where the smoke is coming from but to do this the car will need to be kept there overnight so the engine can cool down and I prefer not to leave it. What will the tech do simply tighten down the valve cover? Is there a rubber gasket between the valve cover and engine cylinder head? I wonder if this has been doing it since day one and I have only noticed when I decided to put the windows down. The car only has 200 miles so this is alittle discouraging for such a new vehicle. I don't even want to drive it to the dealership (stone chips) I just want the tech to come to my house and fix it in my garage!

 

Suggest you do a search and you will see this and the transmission leak are commonly reported. Don't get your shorts in an up roar over nothing. Just take to the dealer.

 

Thank you. I think I have been able to trace the origin of the leak. There is a metal component that is attached and seperated by a gasket to the valve cover. This component is where the oil cap is attached. I am noticing oil and moisture under a small part of the rubber gasket and it appears to be running down onto the valve cover and then the manifold where I get it starts to smoke. Does this make any sense? What is the component called that the oil cap attaches to? I guess it would be a wise decision not to drive the car until it goes to the dealership?

 

You can drive it with no worries. The gasket is an RTV like material and they will pull the small cover, clean it all off, re-apply new gasket material and bolt it back on. After a few hours it is as good as new (or better). You should check the one on the passenger side also. It may have a slow/small leak also.