I have noticed a burning oil smell at start up. It goes away once the car is warmed up. I am taking it in for my state inspection in two weeks and am going to have them look at it then.
The car seems to be running fine otherwise. I have a 2002 accent with 117k on it. I replaced the timing belt, accessory belts, water pump and thermostat at 108k. Ideas what this could be and how much it could cost?

 

could it be an pcv or egr valve? there may be a simple check to determine this!

 

Please tell me the simple check! I am a car dummy. Short of knowing where to add oil and gas, I'm not "car smart". But if its simple, I'll try

 

a chilton's or hayne's repair manual for your car will have a troubleshooting guide for emissions controls.
when your car is cold the rubber vacume hoses and some plastic valves may be loose,,,
smells from your crankcase may be what you are noticeing
that is until the higher temperatures while the car is warming up will cause them to expand and seal up.
old leaking vacume hoses and what they connect to, sometimes cause driveablity problems that bedevil weekend mechanics.
i think with a guide you can check your engine and learn something new about caring for your car!! good luck

 

Your valve cover gasket is leaking. I have an '02 Accent, and noticed the same thing at 128,000 miles. You won't see oil pouring out, and you won't see oil on the ground. Small drips of oil find their way to the exhaust manifold. The burning smell is that small amount of oil burning away. Once it burns off, you no longer smell it.

If you have even basic mechanical skills (like myself), the gasket is a pretty simple do-it-yourself repair. The gasket will cost ~$25, repair takes about an hour. If not, a shop should be able to do it pretty cheaply. Best of luck to you.