Sweet smell

[jay1028]

Have been getting a sweet smell from I don't know where. Seems to maybe coming from the front. Checked the exhaust and it is not coming out of there. Thought that maybe antifreeze. Took some and boiled in a clean tin can and it hardly smelled at all. No water in the oil and no oil in the water. No fluids have needed topping in over six months. PS fluid level does not change. Everything is running fine. Happens after running for an hour or more.

Anyone have ideas?

 

[islanti]

Have been getting a sweet smell from I don't know where. Seems to maybe coming from the front. Checked the exhaust and it is not coming out of there. Thought that maybe antifreeze. Took some and boiled in a clean tin can and it hardly smelled at all. No water in the oil and no oil in the water. No fluids have needed topping in over six months. PS fluid level does not change. Everything is running fine. Happens after running for an hour or more.

Anyone have ideas?

Probably something spilled on the engine somewhere and the smell becomes more noticeable when heated up? wash her down?

 

[IndianaKenny]

Some people have had this smell in their cab, only to discover there is a small leak in their heater core. Keep an eye out for damp, passenger side, carpet

 

[1998Exp]

Is your windshield fogging with oily substance inside the car? That would indicate a leak from the heater core. And yes, coolant smells sweet -- which is not to say that this is a coolant leak, but could be.

Have been getting a sweet smell from I don't know where. Seems to maybe coming from the front. Checked the exhaust and it is not coming out of there. Thought that maybe antifreeze. Took some and boiled in a clean tin can and it hardly smelled at all. No water in the oil and no oil in the water. No fluids have needed topping in over six months. PS fluid level does not change. Everything is running fine. Happens after running for an hour or more.

Anyone have ideas?

 

[J_C]

Suspect head or intake gasket due to extended period of an hour before it starts, but this may be a wait and see game. Wait and see if coolant level drops, but it doesn't hurt to get a flashlight and look around for leaks. Continue to check the oil regularly to be sure coolant isn't getting in. If all else fails there are UV dye packs you can put in radiator then after engine gets up to temp (thermostat opens) use a UV light to check.

 

[fast_dave]

Sweet smell is ALWAYS Anti-Freeze.

I had a heater control valve dripping one small drop (from the shaft that goes through the valve) on to the passenger side exhaust manifold for years before I found it (it only did it driving/under pressure, not at idle).

The drop of AF did not leave any mark on the manifold, as it was so small and evaporated instantly...

BTW - The passenger side is where the fresh air intake for the VENT system is ;-)

 

[C420sailor]

Different engine (4.0 SOHC) but I had a sweet (antifreeze) smell that was always worse while/after driving. Coolant level dropped steadily too. Thermostat housing was seeping, and antifreeze was pooling in the engine valley.