I have been smelling coolant for a while now on my 98 4.6. The coolant level has not dropped at all. I changed the cap thinking that it was weak and letting the smell out, but, it hasn't stopped.

Anyone ran into this?

Thanks!

 

It is the start of a heater core failure. Check the hose connections on the core. They are above the passenger side valve cover on the firewall. Sometimes the connectors leak and it can drip along the heater core pipe into the heater plenum. Most of the time it is a pinhole leak in the core that drips into the plenum and you can smell it through the vents. I would set the temp to hot and the fan on high and smell the air coming out of the vents. If you can smell coolant then there is coolant in the plenum.


.

 

Thanks, but, I should have clarified where and when I smell it. Sorry.

I don't smell it in the cab. Not even with the heater going full blast. Just when outside. I did check the heater hoses and all, and, have kept an eye out for a leak, and nothing as of yet.

 

that happened to me one time turned out it was the rubber O ring gasket on the thermostat housing where it seats on the intake manifold

 

Check the valley under the intake manifold....

 

In that case check the tube coming out of the water pump like the others suggested.

Regards

Jean Marc Chartier