How to Troubleshoot a Volvo Engine Smell
The way your engine smells can tell you a lot about what may be going wrong with it. On a Volvo, the engine smell can help you diagnose major problems. If you're experiencing a major problem with your Volvo, the first thing to do is to identify the odor. Because fixing pretty much anything on your Volvo can be expensive, this will ensure that you spend money where it counts.
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Instructions
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Open the hood of your Volvo with the engine off. To do this, pull up on the hood release lever inside the passenger cabin in the driver's side footwell. Then reach under the center of the hood and pull up on the hood safety latch. Pull the hood up and place the hood support rod under the hood and let the hood rest on it.
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Verify any smells coming from the engine with the engine off. If you smell oil, there may be an oil leak. A visual inspection will verify this around the valve cover on the top of the engine or the head to block seal toward the middle of the engine.
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Start the engine. If you smell oil, this indicates an oil leak, which is most likely coming from either the oil pan to engine block seal, the head to block seal, or the valve cover to head seal. If you smell a sweet smell, this indicates a coolant leak. If you smell an odor like burned toast, this is an electrical short that is about to start a fire under your hood. Shut off the engine immediately. If you smell fuel, this indicates that there is a fuel leak. This is most likely happening at the fuel filter or the fuel rail.
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