Just had valve cover gasket changed, and now slight burning smell under hood...

[cavette]

Recently had the valve cover gasket replaced (for preventative maintenance, not because it was leaking) about 500 miles ago. I now notice a slight burning smell under the hood after I get out of the car after a drive. Some people have told me it is probably the residual oil left on the valve cover gasket. Is this normal after a valve cover gasket replacement?

[Oli77]

Yes, should be gone in a few days.

[04TitanSilber]

I would take a quick look under the hood and check for leaks from the valve cover. It's possible the new gasket was pinched when the valve cover went back on and is leaking. More likely, though, it's just residual oil that leaked onto the engine during the install, or a combination of that and degreaser (if they cleaned up some of the old oil leak).