I Am Noticing A Burnt Engine Coolant Smell After Driving Several Miles Pulling Into The Garage And Openning The Hood. There Is No Coolant Leaking On The Garage Floor And The Coolant Level Has Remained Constant. The Smell Seems To Be Concentrated By The Front Drivers Side Area. I Also Checked The Exhaust Pipes And There Is No Discoloration On The Pipes From Leaking Coolant. In Addition I Don't Have A Coolant Smell From The Exhaust Itself. Since I Have 4800 Miles On The Fj I Am Taking It To The Dealer And Have A Pressure Test Done On The Coolant System. Has This Situation Happened To Anyone And If So What Was The Problem And Correction. Thanks For Any Input.
Burnt Engine Coolant Smell
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Could be some had been spilled during assembly. If it works into a seam or crevice on top of the motor, the smell can be almost impossible to get rid of
To check for leaks, let it cool off overnight. Next morning, use a Sharpie to mark on the coolant overflow tank where the level is. Drive around for a few days and pay attention to where you marked the level.
If it stays the same, and there is no obvious seepage from any of the rad hoses, you should be ok
To check for leaks, let it cool off overnight. Next morning, use a Sharpie to mark on the coolant overflow tank where the level is. Drive around for a few days and pay attention to where you marked the level.
If it stays the same, and there is no obvious seepage from any of the rad hoses, you should be ok
Thank You For Your Response. My Concern Is That There Maybe A Small Pin Hole In The Radiator Or Hose And As The Engine Reaches Normal Operating Temps The Slight Leakage Evaporates When It Hits The Engine Block. Otherwise The Darn Thing Runs Great.
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That does happen, but it would eventually show up as a loss of coolant. I would rather gauge it myself that have a bunch of yahoos "testing" my FJ. JMHO.. Ron
PS: DD (dealer damage) happens every day. Paint gets knocked off in the parking lot, grease gets on seats and often other stuff as well. I saw my truck leaving one time and they told me it was being tested. When it came back they got out with McDonalds bags and drinks!
PS: DD (dealer damage) happens every day. Paint gets knocked off in the parking lot, grease gets on seats and often other stuff as well. I saw my truck leaving one time and they told me it was being tested. When it came back they got out with McDonalds bags and drinks!
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True.. But it'll be better if you find any problems yourself, then you'll be able to show them. It may not be a problem, just one of those unexplained things that goes away.. Good luck.. Ron
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The only time I had this problem it turned out to be a hairline crack in the head on my 40. It was leaking so slow the level didn't change for a long time.
After a while the burnt coolant residue started showing up on the headers at which point I figured out where it was coming from and rebuilt the top end. If it's really burning somewhere, the residue will start showing up.
Point is, if the engine is staying cool and the level isn't changing to the point where you need to top it off, don't panic. Just keep an eye on it, mark the level, top it off when needed, and look for telltale signs regularly.
After a while the burnt coolant residue started showing up on the headers at which point I figured out where it was coming from and rebuilt the top end. If it's really burning somewhere, the residue will start showing up.
Point is, if the engine is staying cool and the level isn't changing to the point where you need to top it off, don't panic. Just keep an eye on it, mark the level, top it off when needed, and look for telltale signs regularly.
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I have the same "problem". I have yet to figure out what is causing it like yourself, but I don't seem to be loosing coolant. I have just over 15,000 miles and the coolant still shows full. It doesn't happen all the time either. At least I know that I am not the only one. I know if I went to the service dept with it, they would probably tell me it is not a problem.
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I just talked to a service tech at the Toyota dealer, and he told me the smell is present because it is a vented cooling system. He said that when you turn your engine off, it immediately heats up more than when it was running, and the coolant system vents coolant to the reservoir, and the smell is coming from the vent in the reservoir. Basically, this is a normal occurance. He also did state that this does not happen all the time, as has been my experience. Hope this helps.
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My wife had this happen and it was a bad water pump. We could not see any kind of leak but we sure could smell it when she pulled in the garage.
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I'd want that comment in writing, and signed by the dealership manager and service manager
Thanks Everyone. Marked The Overflow Tank This Morning And Will Track The Level For The Next Several Days. Last Night Tried To Look At The Block For Coolant Staining, So Far, Could Not See Any, But With All The Smog Equipment You Can See Very Little, Not Like The Old Chevy 350. By Monday I Should Have Results To Post.
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I am actually going to push this a little more when I go in next week to get my front rotors replaced (warranty repair because of TSB). The folks at the dealership I go to are pretty good, but I need a little more than just their word over the phone.
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What ever happened with this? I notice a VERY faint coolant smell after driving as well. If I open the engine bay..
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