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I have a 92 Ford F150 5.0 liter engine, after driving till up to operatin temp. Then parking I get out and smell a faint hint of antifreeze. It doesn't leak on the ground, I don't see any leaks in the engine compartment. The truck runs good, replaced radiator cap. There is no significant lose of fluid, does not run hot. This is annoying. Also I don't smell anything in the cab. Only when walking by after parking. Any ideas what I should look for? I did do a pressure test, no pressure drop. Just the stink!!!
I would pressurize the system again. You mentioned you did a pressure test with no pressure drop, but also mentioned you have no significant loss of fluid. It's a closed system so you shouldn't have any leaks with no loss of pressure.
Check around the head-to-block parting line area, including the back of the heads and freeze plugs. A small amount of coolant can run backwards from a leaky head gasket and drip down onto the Y-pipe. If it's small, there won't be a puddle on the ground or a significant loss, but you will definitely smell it.
Ours had a pinhole in the hose that goes to the throttle body. Back where you could not see it,and only after you shut it off, under more pressure. Checking it over one day and squeezed the hose, there it was.
Make sure anti-freeze is not sitting in the "hoop" of the radiator support. I had a slow leak in my radiator once that never reached the ground, because it would drip down onto the radiator support and just lay there.
I smelled it every time I drove it but it took me forever to find where it was coming from.
Make sure anti-freeze is not sitting in the "hoop" of the radiator support. I had a slow leak in my radiator once that never reached the ground, because it would drip down onto the radiator support and just lay there.
I smelled it every time I drove it but it took me forever to find where it was coming from.
same here; pressurized the system, tightened clamps, squeezed hoses ... finally found the coolant down there after a long search.
my 02 diesel uses a little under 1 gallon of antifreeze a year. been doing it for the 11 years i have had it and i can not find the leak even though i have tried many times.. yes the smell bothers me when i walk past the hot engine.
some day it may reveal itself, but until then i will just live with it.
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