Coolant smell when pulling
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New User
Joined: Apr 2005
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Coolant smell when pulling
Hello All,
I have an 05 F350 with the 6.0L Powerstroke. When pulling my boat (6000lbs) I get a strong smell of coolant in the cab. I was told by a neighbour that my intercooler is shot. Any comments?? Could this be??
Thanks
I have an 05 F350 with the 6.0L Powerstroke. When pulling my boat (6000lbs) I get a strong smell of coolant in the cab. I was told by a neighbour that my intercooler is shot. Any comments?? Could this be??
Thanks
Logistics Pro
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 3,881
Likes: 84
From: Wake Forest, NC
Probably heads lifting and puking coolant.
A coolant smell would really have nothing to do with the intercooler on these trucks. Some vehicles use an air to water intercooler but I'm still not sure how that would cause a coolant smell only while pulling.
With your truck, the heads a probably only lifting under heavy load.
A coolant smell would really have nothing to do with the intercooler on these trucks. Some vehicles use an air to water intercooler but I'm still not sure how that would cause a coolant smell only while pulling.
With your truck, the heads a probably only lifting under heavy load.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,087
Likes: 189
From: Reno, NV
your engine is working hard. Any sign of coolant in your oil? You may want to pressure test your system to check for leaks.
Junior User
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 87
Likes: 0
From: Great Falls, MT
I had the same problem a month ago when I pulled my household goods (much heavier load than most SD driver would think of pulling, but that's another story) from mississippi to Montana. I took it to a local dealership and they charged me 100 bucks to find and fix the problem.
Diagnosis:
Radiator cap lost its "spring" tension. A freakin 10 dollar cap cost me 110 bucks out the door.
Check and see if there are white deposits around the cap area, around the overflow tank, and every else. This is a sign of a leak.
Good luck.
Diagnosis:
Radiator cap lost its "spring" tension. A freakin 10 dollar cap cost me 110 bucks out the door.
Check and see if there are white deposits around the cap area, around the overflow tank, and every else. This is a sign of a leak.
Good luck.
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New User
Joined: Apr 2005
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Thanks for the advice. I was under the hood last night and didn't notice any signs of coolant around the rad or anywhere else. I will have a better look today. I would be happy if it were the rad cap!!
If the heads are lifting under pressure and drawing in a bit of coolant, is this repairable by simply taking it to the dealer? Is there any major components to be replaced? The truck is still under engine warranty (thank god) and this should be covered.
Many thanks
If the heads are lifting under pressure and drawing in a bit of coolant, is this repairable by simply taking it to the dealer? Is there any major components to be replaced? The truck is still under engine warranty (thank god) and this should be covered.
Many thanks
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 652
Likes: 1
Have it checked out, A plugged oil cooler will do the same thing. The EGR cooler dosen't get enough water flow and that will boil the water in the EGR cooler and puke out the cap. My 2004 F250 did this.
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FTE Legend
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 65,938
Likes: 1,432
From: Millersville, MD
Both the above are true...soooo, it COULD be either problem....so long as it's still under warranty, get it to your dealer ASAP.
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I took it to the dealer today. The service manager advised that the head lifting issue is very rare, in fact he's only seen two of them. The Rad bottle on the drivers side in front of the fire wall is the most common of problems. We removed the cap and sure enough, there was some white crusty stuff around the seal and down the threads. I am going to change the cap first as this is the cheapest fix, and the dealer can not get the truck in till next week, at which time I will be back home. Unfortunatly, I have to haul my 6000lb boat about 500miles to get there. Hope I make it!! Thanks for all the great info.
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