When first started, and occasionally during running, you can smell antifreeze real strong...

There are no puddles, no obvious leaks under the hood, the rad level never drops, and it is not from the exhaust...only from around the hood...

Any ideas, or is this normal with the 4.0?

 

I've had pin hole leaks on the heater hoses on one of my Aerostars. It never really seemed to lower the radiator coolant level, but I finally caught it one day when it was really hot and I saw a "puff" of coolant when it squirted out.

It might be that you also have a small leak on a soft plug. Inspect the engine area real carefully for a small leak.

 

Maybe heater core, if you are smelling it inside.

 

Do you see any steam trails on your windshield? Most likely it's the Heater Core.

Jay

 

it's not inside the van at all...all outside...usually when I walk my wife to her van when she goes to work, and when running errands, hopping out real fast whiel she stays in the van...passing the front of the van - especially the driver's side...

 

check the heater and radiator hoses especially at the clamps while hot, may be on bottom side out of direct view, mirror helps and good lighting. small leak will steam up cold mirror
Caution is the main word, these Aero's run hot under the hood. Engine OFF and gloves on.

 

Cheak for leaks at the freeze out plugs. There is one on each head at the rear of the engine. You need to open the access panel below the dash. From this vantage point you can see the upper rear of the engine easily. Other freeze plugs on the block should be checked also.

 

If I were you, I'd replace all radiator and heater hoses. You can not afford to have something happen that might make the 4.0 overheat. The 4.0 is especially vulnerable to head warpage. If it is still haveing this smell after the hoses have been replaced, you can try some of the better stop leak type products. If that still doesn't resolve the problem then you may need to try some sort of leak detecter product.

 

Thanks....I'm hoping to get new rad hoses this weekend (I seriously hope - if pay check is big enough...gotta feed three hungry kids first)...

as for the heater hoses, where are they routed, and how hard to change?

Also, since the auto tranny's in these things seem to be considered somewhat of a weak point, do they have any issues power flushing them? I know some auto's have a bad tendency to fail shortly after a power flush...

 

I would not power flush the tranny. It tends to stir things up and cause damage in Ford tranny's. You are better off with the drain and fill routine alomg with filter change.

Heater hoses, depends, do you have rear hvac? if so it is a PIA.

 

Yeah, my wife insisted on it...ARGH!...she sure knows how to make it difficult and expensive...

 

Hopefully, you are not seeing white smopke when you first start the car / loosing fluid from the reseovior. I have a cracked head on mine so we get a definite wiff of antifreeze. Good luck!

 

Nope...no smoke...and the rad and res are both on good level...that's what's been throwing me on this one...

 

drivers side? I suspect upper hose. as kruse suggested, a pin hole leak may only let odor and very minute amounts of coolant escape, especially if it happens to be located at a very high spot on the hose.although mine doesn't have the rear hvac system so I could be wrong.
93night...are they located similar to those with only the front hvac? if so, the upper hose is the only one on the drivers side. hope this helps.
Gary

 

how long since radiator cap was replaced. seals may be cracked and seeping vapor. I replace mine every 3 years even if it looks good.
radiator cap fails on a hot Sunday trip far from any shops and it makes for a long day. Aero heads and replacement are about 200 times more $$ than a radiator cap.