Coolant odor
 

I'm running a yellow universal coolant in my engine. Brand new head, brand new water pump, all new gaskets, no coolant disappearing at all, no visible leaks or wet spots, but I can smell coolant at times and this stuff stinks.

I don't know if I just never noticed coolant smell before or what, but since I changed over to this stuff I can always smell it a and I hate it.

Do you guys ever smell coolant coming from your engine, despite not having any leaks?

I after I had a hose blow the smell lingered so long I took the time to clean the engine bay. I'd smell it every time it got hot.

I wonder if that stuff is so extra smelly you smell it in your over-flow. You could be the first to convert from an open system to a Renix stile closed system!

You sure that "yellow universal coolant" isn't really horse pee?

It's actually goat piss.

Someone comes on and asks a serious question and gets answers like these.......When we all know its really SKUNK PISS!

Smell is inside the cab, outside the cab, or both?

It's not the heater core if that's what you're getting at, but to answer your question, outside only. The only time i smell it while in motion is low speeds with the windows open, or when sitting still if the wind blow back toward me. I can usually smell it after I park and get out.

I guess it's very possible it's just residual coolant in the engine bay, it did get quite drenched when I replaced the head... and I didn't spray it out.

It could also be that i'm smelling it from the reservoir.

I think maybe it's just that this stuff smells so pungent that I notice more than I did the old coolant. Maybe I'll flush it and put in the Chrysler crap.

I'd considered putting in Dexcool since we have that on tap at work, but i A) don't know how compatible different types of coolant really are, and B) have heard stories of dexcool causing corrosion in older engines.

I've read some DexCool horror stories......along with other name brand coolant horror stories. Usually horror stories are written by peeps that r clueless when it come to good maintenance practices. In the past year I've drained/changed DexCool in 2 well maintained family owned GM vehicles.....one iron motor, one aluminum motor. Both cooling systems were sterile clean when the old DexCool was drained......zero, zip, nada crud, sludge, etc......so I went back in with DexCool. I use Prestone Extended Life (all makes, all models, mixes with any color) coolant in the XJ but would think DexCool would work just as good.

DexCool is fine if:
1. You don't have any coolant leaks, DexCool deteriorates quickly if air gets into the system.
2. You change it when you're supposed to.
3. The gaskets in the cooling system are compatible with DexCool. Dex-Cool does become slightly acidic over time (which is why it is so important to change it regularly) and can eat certain gaskets (notably the nylon intake gaskets used in late 90s GM V6s).
4. You make sure it doesn't get mixed with other types of coolants (this is where many of the "sludge" issues come from).


I would be somewhat hesitant to use DexCool in a vehicle that wasn't designed for it though, I'm not sure if I'd want to be the "Guinea-Pig" to see how well the gaskets hold up to it.

Can probably say the same about most coolants and cooling systems......neither mix/perform well with air.........and time (neglect).

"DexCool is fine if:
1. You don't have any coolant leaks, DexCool deteriorates quickly if air gets into the system."

DexCool is exposed to the air in a non-closed cooling system via the coolant reservoir.

Yep, very good point......both of the GM vehicles with DexCool that I drained/refilled had open systems, so the DexCool WAS exposed to air and both vehicles had "clean as a whistle" cooling systems.

My motorhome, which has a 454, came factory filled with DexCool. Like most, it sits around a lot. When I had to change the upper radiator hose several years ago, I could see down into the thermostat area.

Like yours, clean as a whistle. It had probably been 8 years since I last changed it. I did go ahead and change over to Prestone 5/150.

Here it's about 5 minutes from wallmart to the car wash. I'll spray the hood, firewall fenders and really greasy places with degreaser right there in the parking lot, then go blast it off at the car wash. (staying clear of the manifolds and dizzy, of course). (with glasses and work cloths, of course!)

Yah, it is kinda weird like that, from what I've heard it becomes an issue when air gets into the pressurized side of the system (perhaps it is a combination of air in the system and the temperature/pressure that oxidizes Dex-Cool quickly), but many GM products with Dex-Cool had open cooling systems which didn't seem to cause issues unless air was also allowed to get into the pressurized side (GM blamed many of the Dex-Cool issues on failed rad caps that allowed air into the pressurized part of system).