Had a coolant leak, got it fixed by a mechanic almost a week ago . I still get steam, and odor. I took it back they checked the pressure again and it checked okay. Is it normal for this to happen this long after. The mechanic said the leak was pretty bad, and there may be coolant in the insulation for the converter, and it may do this for a while. I’m not doubting his ability, but just wanted to be safe. It seems to only do it when it is very cold. The coolant level has not dropped at all.
Mechanic JK:
What vehicle make and model please.
What was repaired on your truck?
They replaced the reservoir, and the metal tube and o ring on the pump. He said the asbestos insulation on the underside of the hood is probably loaded with coolant, and will take some time to burn off.
If there was a lot of coolant in the exhaust, then you will continue to smell coolant. May take a few more days. It is also possible that there is another leak. Do you smell it in the vents in the car or outside the vehicle?
Yes which is why I took it back this morning. They pressure tested it again today, and they said the pressure is fine. Before they fixed it, it was spraying everywhere.
Smell in the vents or outside the vehicle?
In vent only if I sit for a few minutes after I start to drive no smell at all. I can smell it outside the car as well. I put cardboard under it all night with no dripping. But the steam is coming from what appears to be the rear of the motor.
OK. Then there still may be some residue on the back of the engine, especially if it was spraying so badly. Try washing the engine down with water when the engine is cooled down. Then it will steam for a while as the engine gets hot, then will eventually stop.
It was a pretty bad leak. I noticed before they fixed it it was just about everywhere under the hood. Thanks I will try spraying it down.
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6 Comments on "Burning Coolant Smell On 2001 Ford F-150 After Repairs"
I own 2002 ford Taurus se and after running it for a while smoke pours out from under the hood. What could be the problem ?
Sounds like your engine has an antifreeze leak. That is the white smoke. Get a cooling system pressure test done to find the leak.
I have a 1973 f-100 302 2wd truck. it has a 180 degree thermostat in it and idles at 180. but traveling down the road it slowly climbs to around 220 230 degrees and keeps climbing. it does that and i only travel 5 miles. i have replaced the radiator, the thermostat twice, most of the hoses and the gauge is a brand new sunpro gauge. whats the problem?
The problem is one of two things. Either the truck is not getting enough airflow across the radiator to cool during driving and the truck is getting hot that way, or, the actual flow of coolant is not enough at speed. You could have a bad water pump, or coolant passages could be clogged and not flowing enough as the truck runs hotter while you drive. Since it’s an older truck you don’t have the worries of all the electrical components on newer vehicles so it should not be too hard to find the culprit.
I have a 1996 f150 xlt 6 cyc with auto, about 4 months ago on a long trip the engine showed running hot at that time it started pouring transmission out by the bellhousing. since that time i have driven the truck and no leaks till yesterday when it ran fine on a long trip, when we started to leave the engine ran hot and again it pour transmission fluid out. this morning i filled it up and ran the truck and no leaks, any ideals on this.
You are going to have to fix the engine overheating to stop the transmission fluid from getting too hot and boiling out. It is probably coming out the vent.
Check the radiator for being plugged externally or internally. Also check for a blown headgasket.