TC55 antifreeze smell???

[jjbath]

For awhile now I have been smelling antifreeze but I can't find where its leaking? There isn't any in the oil thankfully. I never see anything on the garage floor and I can't find anything that's wet while running. It can't be a big leak as I have never had to add fluid until recently and it wasn't much.

Could it just be the vent tube that I am smelling?

Anyone have a similar issue they have a solution for?

 

[Baby Grand]

Put the palm of your hand in front of the exhaust pipe while it's running, then give your hand a sniff.
If the exhaust smells a little sweet, then do a compression check to confirm a leaking head gasket.
Hope that's not what it is, but easy enough to rule it out!

 

[jjbath]

I checked today. I don't smell anything from the exhaust. I do have a bit of a cold though. I ran it for a good hour doing some work around here and never did smell it at all.

Also, I would expect to see some steam coming from the exhaust if there were a head gasket leak?

I have done a few head gaskets in the past but they have always been on cars with gas engines. So if its was a head gasket I am ok doing it but really hope that's not the issue.

 

[RickB]

Slight leak at the block drain? RH side, just ahead of the oil filter.

 

[duroc]

Check and tighten all hose clamps, even they don't appear to be loose. Also, pressure test the cooling system if you have access to a pressure tester.

 

[jjbath]

Slight leak at the block drain? RH side, just ahead of the oil filter.

I did check that. I will double check just in case. I had that issue on my TC35. I think that drain was on the other side of the block though.

Thanks.

 

[jjbath]

Check and tighten all hose clamps, even they don't appear to be loose. Also, pressure test the cooling system if you have access to a pressure tester.

I was actually thinking of picking one up. Probably good to have around.

 

[the old grind]

I remember when having a catch-tank for expanding (warmed) coolant was about buying an add-on kit but it doesn't have to be too cold out for a tank's vent to 'steam' you when the wind is just right, or to waft a vapor cloud when you first shut down and juice is hot.

I noticed the smell a few times in summer too when the humidity was low, but tank level doesn't show loss yet. Maybe the smell is more noticeable when the coolant is fresher, too.(?) Don't have 30hrs yet on the new NH and I got whiffs two days last week when moving snow. Lotsa possibilities, anyway ...

 

[duroc]

I remember when having a catch-tank for expanding (warmed) coolant was about buying an add-on kit but it doesn't have to be too cold out for a tank's vent to 'steam' you when the wind is just right, or to waft a vapor cloud when you first shut down and juice is hot.

I noticed the smell a few times in summer too when the humidity was low, but tank level doesn't show loss yet. Maybe the smell is more noticeable when the coolant is fresher, too.(?) Don't have 30hrs yet on the new NH and I got whiffs two days last week when moving snow. Lotsa possibilities, anyway ...

If you smell coolant, there's probably something leaking - *especially* when new hoses are involved. When the rubber in a new hose takes a set, under the clamps, the clamps are loosened. You may not notice any loss of coolant (yet), because it doesn't take a large leak to produce that sweet smell. Check/tighten your hose clamps.

 

[the old grind]

Thanks duroc, tho' I didn't mean to hijack. I'll check my clamps, but so far the new guy is bone dry everywhere I can see or reach to feel.

We may be parsing the amount we smell to different degrees. I expect that wee bit of steam sometimes seen at the recovery tank's vent to have a bit of smell. (Looks like smoke coming from a cig on cold days.) A brief 'whiff' (like gas odor from the guy at the next pump .. who isn't spilling any) is one thing. Stinking up the barn sounds much more serious.

There are threads aplenty about tough to reach clamps. I learned on the auto assembly line how many fasteners etc get 'buried' when the engine is set or the body is dropped/married. Everything goes together nicely in a certain order for efficiency, but ease of service afterwards doesn't carry much weight.

In the old days (60s) we might dive under a hood with only our feet sticking out to find a problem. Nowadays, finding a gap to insert a camera on a flex-stick (HFT, etc) can be a job in itself, and "sniffers" are for pro shops with deep pockets. Back to the OP's q. Could it just be the vent tube that I am smelling? I sure hope so.