Just finished a little drive in the Glacier to circulate/loosen
things up. About 95 degrees here in Redlands this
afternoon.
I was running the generator with one AC running. I had just
finished up tearing into crankcase breather that was
possibly responsible for pulsating dipstick. (It was
perfectly clean -- not the cause.)
When I shut everything down after my little ride, I started to
smell what I can only describe as a poorly burned fuel oil
smell, like you smell late at night at a Flying J, or T/A truck
stop. Somewhat alarmed because the bedroom area
actually seemed to be filling up with this odor and a
slightly hazy aspect similar to light smoke, I shut off all
battery disconnects, pulled out the generator drawer,
lifted up the bed and opened the access door to
generator compartment. I opened the front engine hoods,
took a whif, and detected no "diesel" smell. (This was not
the smell of "dieseling" in a gasoline engine.) Opened all
the inside doors and cabinets, etc. Couldn't find a source
of the smell. But it seemed to be building inside.
The pulsing dipstick is allowing generator engine oil to
spritz out on the area around it, but I could not detect any
smoke coming from the area.. This generator does have
some oil leaks that drip onto the muffler and of course
burn off. But I've run the generator for long periods before
without this smell of "diesel". There is no other
environmental factor in the area that would cause this.
Now, I've been around things automotive all my life, and
my GMC certainly is not a diesel. But I am stumped and
more than a little concerned about what might be causing
this. Could the oil leaking/dripping on hot exhaust
components be burning is such a way as to smell like fuel
oil? There is some of that miserable black foam junk sort
of fallen loose in the generator compartment. Maybe the
combination of that foam burning/melting and oil vapor?
Any ideas?
If it doesn't spontaneously combust overnight, tomorrow I'll
do another run without the generator running and see if
that narrows it down a little.
I'd appreciate any input. I know it sounds strange, but
everything I've checked seems not to be producing this
smell.
TIA,
Toby Maki
'73 Glacier 230
things up. About 95 degrees here in Redlands this
afternoon.
I was running the generator with one AC running. I had just
finished up tearing into crankcase breather that was
possibly responsible for pulsating dipstick. (It was
perfectly clean -- not the cause.)
When I shut everything down after my little ride, I started to
smell what I can only describe as a poorly burned fuel oil
smell, like you smell late at night at a Flying J, or T/A truck
stop. Somewhat alarmed because the bedroom area
actually seemed to be filling up with this odor and a
slightly hazy aspect similar to light smoke, I shut off all
battery disconnects, pulled out the generator drawer,
lifted up the bed and opened the access door to
generator compartment. I opened the front engine hoods,
took a whif, and detected no "diesel" smell. (This was not
the smell of "dieseling" in a gasoline engine.) Opened all
the inside doors and cabinets, etc. Couldn't find a source
of the smell. But it seemed to be building inside.
The pulsing dipstick is allowing generator engine oil to
spritz out on the area around it, but I could not detect any
smoke coming from the area.. This generator does have
some oil leaks that drip onto the muffler and of course
burn off. But I've run the generator for long periods before
without this smell of "diesel". There is no other
environmental factor in the area that would cause this.
Now, I've been around things automotive all my life, and
my GMC certainly is not a diesel. But I am stumped and
more than a little concerned about what might be causing
this. Could the oil leaking/dripping on hot exhaust
components be burning is such a way as to smell like fuel
oil? There is some of that miserable black foam junk sort
of fallen loose in the generator compartment. Maybe the
combination of that foam burning/melting and oil vapor?
Any ideas?
If it doesn't spontaneously combust overnight, tomorrow I'll
do another run without the generator running and see if
that narrows it down a little.
I'd appreciate any input. I know it sounds strange, but
everything I've checked seems not to be producing this
smell.
TIA,
Toby Maki
'73 Glacier 230
