My TL Magna (with some poor oil change intervals by previous owners) runs fine, except when I start it cold I can smell unburnt, dirty oil. You know the smell - like when you drain it out of the oil pan.

The car blows no smoke, and there are never any smells of burnt oil, just the unburnt smell at cold start. As best I can tell, the smell is not coming from the exhaust but rather from the front of the car. It also does not measurably consume oil, because I've never had to top it up between oil changes. There are no real signs of oil leaks on the engine aside from some smudges on the rear manifold exhaust shield, but I'm pretty sure those are there from when I recently changed the lash adjusters, and the smell was evident long before I ever tore into the motor for anything.

Anyone got any ideas?

I could go down the path of leaking valve stem seals but that would normally cause smoking at startup, and there's no smoke.

Oil filler cap seal or the dipstick seal (at either end) may be stuffed?

You are smelling unburnt hydrocarbons from the cold start. If it definitely comes from the front of the car, check there are no exhaust leaks. Otherwise, don't worry about it, it is quite normal.

Oil filler cap seal or the dipstick seal (at either end) may be stuffed?

Nah if that was the case I'd surely be getting some idle speed issues from a vented crankcase.

You are smelling unburnt hydrocarbons from the cold start. If it definitely comes from the front of the car, check there are no exhaust leaks. Otherwise, don't worry about it, it is quite normal.

It'd be the first car I've ever owned that did that as a "normal" thing. Doesn't sound right to me.

Nah if that was the case I'd surely be getting some idle speed issues from a vented crankcase.

Not always the case. Minor leaks from the sump, rear main, oil pump seals more often than not wouldn't dictate an effect on idle, yet - to a point - the crankcase is vented. It would only affect idle if the leak/vent was significant

Well I've finally managed to nail the smell down to coming from the exhaust. No smoke though, so not sure what that means.

It means nothing.. it is completely normal.

It means nothing.. it is completely normal.

What he said. See post #3 as well.