Coolant Smell

[William Anders]

Had the same issue. No leaking ,water pump pully was tight. Decided to change the belt because of startup squeaking. When the belt was off the tensioner, the pump pully wobbled about 1/2 inch. Water pump was the issue. As I said, it never leaked just had the smell of antifreeze. Glad I caught it, 1400 mile trip was 1 week ahead.

 

[Sunnysideup]

my wife's 4 runner smell the same way

 

[Daddyhas2boys]

I also have the same issue. 2009 Ram 5.7 4x4 no leaks, no wet carpet, new blower motor and resistor due to the hvac system weaker than it used to be, also takes a long time to get heat, im also running a low temp thermostat which shouldn't affect that...I have a new heater core ready for install but the 800-900 labor charge is ridiculous. Sitting at about 193000 miles....very interested to hear the solution...

 

[thkbaron]

Yeah There's some flaw somewhere or the overflow coolant tank is actually vented somehow. Seems like the most logical solution as both my dads and mine does this with zero other issues.

 

[JS4024]

Not sure what year you have but the coolant tank is right up near the cold air intake for your cab. The coolant isn’t leaking unless you are losing and replacing. Coolant gets hot, expands, and pushes into the expansion tank, air is displaced by the coolant and guess what? It smells like coolant. No issue, just a dumb place to put the coolant recovery tank...

 

[olyelr]

Not sure what year you have but the coolant tank is right up near the cold air intake for your cab. The coolant isn’t leaking unless you are losing and replacing. Coolant gets hot, expands, and pushes into the expansion tank, air is displaced by the coolant and guess what? It smells like coolant. No issue, just a dumb place to put the coolant recovery tank...

The only time I ever smell coolant is when I am outside walking around the front of the truck, or sometimes I can smell it in the garage when its parked in there after driving. Never once smelt it inside the cab. And its not consistent. Sometimes it doesn't smell at all.

And again, if coolant odor is a normal thing when it is not leaking, why have none of my other vehicles ever smelled like it. Hell, I even have a year newer half ton Ram with the 5.7 hemi....never once has smelled like coolant at all. Ever.

 

[Octane]

The oat coolant has a strong smell anyway.Then my reservoir has a little yellow cap that doesnt really seal and that plastic dipstick

 

[thkbaron]

yeah I never smell it inside either. Neither does my father. It's just one of those annoying things we'd like an explanation for.

 

[Teamduke]

So here is what I found with mine and this has been on several trucks I have owned, it only happens in the winter and it actually is the chemical they spray on the highways now for melting the snow and ice. Once it splashes up onto your exhaust it produces a smell like antifreeze. Looking through all the posts I noticed most are in the areas where you have snow. Mine started again once winter hit all through the summer no smell, but last winter it was there. No drop in coolant on any trucks I’ve owned. It really is prevalent when stopped or going slow then you can smell it bad.

 

[olyelr]

So here is what I found with mine and this has been on several trucks I have owned, it only happens in the winter and it actually is the chemical they spray on the highways now for melting the snow and ice. Once it splashes up onto your exhaust it produces a smell like antifreeze. Looking through all the posts I noticed most are in the areas where you have snow. Mine started again once winter hit all through the summer no smell, but last winter it was there. No drop in coolant on any trucks I’ve owned. It really is prevalent when stopped or going slow then you can smell it bad.

Thanks for the thought! But I smell it on my 2500 all summer long (winter too). Never smelt it on my 1500, or my wifes Yukon Denali for that matter... in summer or winter.

 

[Hardracer]

I went through this coolant smell on my last dodge('98 old 318)...ended up finding it after a couple months...if u smell it I would say more than likely its getting burned off on the engine sumwhere...on mine it showed up due to enuff of a stain over time I guess and finally started showing a little residue of about an inch long drip.guess it never made it farther due to burning off.put sum pepper and that coolant sealing crap in there and never smelled it again.hope you find it..my nose is like a bloodhound now whenever I smell that smell walking through a Walmart parking lot...lol

 

[2003F350]

Over in the HD section there's a thread on this specific to the 6.4's. Basically the overflow cap is vented a little too well and that's more than likely the issue here. Apparently some dealers are pressure testing and replacing the caps as necessary because there is enough complaining about it.

 

[thkbaron]

I replaced my cap. Still smells

 

[crazy jerry]

its been discussed a hundred times. the vapors going out of the small hose on the side of the refill tank is what it is.
these trucks dont have a overflow tank like the older days. the whole system is pressurized then the cap releases vapors out that small hose.
put this as a sticky so people quit asking what the smell is

 

[thkbaron]

Why doesn’t my old mans truck smell then? Same motor same everything.

 

[Octane]

.

 

[crazy jerry]

Why doesn’t my old mans truck smell then? Same motor same everything.

hard to say but when the system heats and builds enough pressure the cap releases it out the small hose

 

[thkbaron]

Just as an update. I had a 2022 with the 6.4. Zero smell