strange smell

Recently my 2002 series 4 Golf developed a very strange smell when the engine is running. It smells like acetone or something electrical burning .... Can see black smoke coming out. Smell quickly disappears after the engine is turned off. What is the problem?

Reply to
Richard Smith
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Where exactly do you smell it, in the cabin, under the hood, beside the car, behind the car???

What exactly is it coming out of. That would be greatly helpful.

Does it do it at any certain time, like when the engine is cold, or hot, or running fast or slow or what?

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

Just checked the oil....It's filled to the correct level on the dip stick. I smelled the dip stick and it smells of petrol.. I think fuel is getting in to the oil... The car is booked in for it's second service to morrow. What could be causing the problem?

Reply to
Richard Smith

Right now I might guess a bad injector. How about the answers to the other questions?

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

The someke coming out the tail pipe

Reply to
Richard Smith

morning. The first time i've noticed it was yesterday when I came back after a 5 min drive.

Reply to
Richard Smith

Black smoke out the tailpipe is an engine running rich. There can be many reasons for it including a bad injector, bad computer, bad temperature sensor and the list goes on.

I suggest you have a good machine check it and fix it. With too much gas in the oil, you will damage the bearings in the car ($$$$). If you really want to check the next step yourself, you will need to remove all the spark plugs and take a look at them. Are they all the same or is one different?

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

Reply to
Woodchuck

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