Burning oil smell from CVT drive-shaft seal weep

Tags: #seal · #water-ingress · #price · #conflict

Symptom. A burning oil smell occurring during high engine temperatures (95°C+) may originate from the transmission drive-shaft seal (right side, wheel-side) in the transmission housing — not from an obvious leak. The telltale pattern: no visible oil puddles under the car, but an intermittent burnt-oil odor that correlates with driving conditions/temperature.^123456789

Mechanism. The seal slowly weeps oil rather than leaking visibly. The small amount of oil reaches hot engine/exhaust components nearby, producing the burnt smell without ever accumulating enough to drip or puddle.^123456789

Known issue at moderate mileage. Reported at 53,000–78,000 km — this is a known issue at relatively low mileage, not something exclusive to high-mileage cars.^123456789

Fix. Requires seal replacement.^123456789

When a seal replacement doesn't fix the leak (2025-09 report, unresolved cause). One owner replaced the drive-shaft seal but the leak continued — continuous dripping with slow fluid accumulation under the car. Suggested investigation steps, in case a first seal replacement doesn't solve it: (1) compare the old and new CV joint (tripod) diameters — a new joint that's slightly undersized relative to the old one can cause the seal to slip/not seat properly; (2) verify the seal wasn't installed upside down or misaligned; (3) inspect the drive shaft itself for wear. Official FAW service, Kaliningrad, pricing (RU market, Sept 2025): 1,200 RUB for the OEM seal + 2,800 RUB labor, with a one-week turnaround. Aftermarket suppliers were also mentioned as an alternative parts source. Cause not conclusively identified — could be tolerance/fitment issues, installation error, or shaft wear; the community treats this as an open, case-by-case diagnostic problem.^{1011121314151617181920}

Part number and what usually fails. The AT drive shaft seal is listed as 90311-40A014, with many aftermarket versions, and a note that it also fits the B50. A member says the seal is not the usual failure point; the inner and outer CV joints (ШРУС) are what fail²¹.

Media

Fluid stains on the ground under the car showing the ongoing transmission seal leak after seal replacement

Related pages

• AKPP seal and pan-gasket leaks
• Drive shafts, CV joints & axle seals
• Windshield replacement — seal and sealant sourcing
• Generator (alternator) belt removal procedure
• Torch spark plugs — codes, listings, gap rules

Sources

This page is compiled from 21 community messages. Every fact carries a numbered reference to its original author and message.

Last updated: 2026-10-29