For a while now my car has been smelling like something is burning at startup after a long period of time (in the morning, after school etc..) I really havent thought to much about it. I start it up this morning, same burnt smell, I go to throw something in the trash, come back and there is a little bit of smoke coming from my engine, almost like fog, nothing that bad, so I get in and figure it just needs to warm up, and drive off. I get in my car after school, same smell, but what happens next is only what happens after school, I drive through the school zone 15 mph for like 2 mins, and for the past month or longer my car feels like its going to die, never this bad though, I can hear my exhaust drop to almost nothing and then raise back up again and it almost feels like the car pushes itself, cant be spark plugs as they were just replaced. Ok now im off to swim, after swim I get in my car, and I use auto start from a far distance so it has some time to warm up, usually my car starts on the second try, but now it wouldnt even start, so I go to start it and there is a loud ticking noise, I call my dad and tell him whats going on, he tells me to let my car cool down and check my oil as I have a small leak. I check the oil its fine, my dad says all chevys are like this and his does it to which is some BS, whats the problem here, what am I looking at??

 

What does it smell like? Is it antifreeze, oil smoke, or what? Also is the ticking noise up top or is it more from the bottom of the engine. I am guessing that the 2 are not related, that you have liquid of some sort leaking onto either the exuast manifold or the pipes and that the noise is either a lifter (sounds like a ticking noise) or a loose rocker if up top. More info please.

 

its definately not antifreeze, I cant really describe the smell, its really hard to breathe in I know that, the "tick tick tick tick" definately is coming from up top, in the region of where my alternator is.

 

With that hard to breathe sensation I am guessing possibly tranny fluid. It gives off an acrid smell. The ticking is more than likely a lifter or a rocker then. I would not worry about it, it's more than likely not going to hurt anything. As for the smoke, wash the engine and the undercarriage and see if you can tell where the leak is coming from.