I smell something burning

I smell something burning from the engine on the driver's side. I took the car to the dealership and it cost me $100 to find out it was the Valve Cover gaskets. I've replaced them but the problem remains. I smell something burning when idling and a mechanic tells me it's the Intake gasket. He says the smell comes from leaking coolant on the manifold. Has anyone seen anything like this before? I hear to replace the intake gasket costs about $700. Please help if you can!

What does the burning smell smell like? There is definitely a difference in odor between burning oil and burning coolant. Burning coolant will have what is often described as a sweet smell. Burning oil is a nasty smell as I'm sure you're already familiar with (from the leaky valve covers).

How recently did you have the valve cover gaskets replaced? When they were replaced, was the engine steam cleaned to remove all traces of old oil? If you had the gaskets replaced recently (in the past month or so) and the engine was not cleaned well, you may just be smelling the leftover oil still on the block and exhaust. If this is the case, it doesn't mean that the intake gaskets are NOT leaking, but just that they may not be all of what you are smelling.

If the intake gasket is leaking, you should be able to notice the coolant level decreasing.

-Rod

I smell something burning too on my 2000ls, and yes i know what my problem is even though its been inspected repeatedly and there is no leaking anywhere. Try parallel parking fast, go over some bumps and brake hard, most likely rack and pinion drips directly on exhaust. Thats my car, and maybe yours too!

Lou (QuikLS) would know for sure, but I believe our intakes are dry. He's had his off and back on enough times to do it in his sleep. Hopefully, he will step in and give us a clue.