2006 F250 - faint coolant smell

philhyde · #1 (**permalink**) 09-11-2009, 12:50 PM

I have a 2006 F250 6.0L with 75K miles. I have been towing a small (4000lb) trailer for the last two weeks. I would think that this load is hardly a stress for this vehicle. On the interstates I was able to maintain about 70MPH. Our trip was about 3000 miles total.

On the last few days of the trip, I noticed a very faint coolant smell in the morning before starting the engine. This was present outside the vehicle and through the a/c vents (recirc off). I did not notice any smell once the vehicle was at operating temperature, or during stops along the way. I did not notice the smell all mornings.

I don't want to panic on this, but I realize this could be a sign of a serious problem. Is there a sequence of things I should check and rule out?

Thanks.

thorx4md · #2 (**permalink**) 09-11-2009, 05:27 PM

Mine was doing the exact same thing and the coolant was coming out of the coolant overflow. Check the lid on the overflow and see if there are any stains on the bottle where it has been leaking.

philhyde · #3 (**permalink**) 09-11-2009, 06:03 PM

So it was the cap? I guess I need to replace that, just for sanity sake.

thorx4md · #4 (**permalink**) 09-11-2009, 06:15 PM

I replaced the cap, temp sensor and the thermostat and the clutch fan quit coming on all the time and no more coolant smell. A few weeks late I had the other typical 6.0 problems, but I don't know if the clutch fan engaging all the time was just a sign of these problems. I just like to start with some of the cheapest, logical fixes first and hope for the best. Alot of the 6.0 problems have similar symptoms so sometimes it is hard to diagnos.

**Evil Eye** · #5 (**permalink**) 09-11-2009, 06:21 PM

Each time I smelled the coolant smell, it ended up being the EGR cooler. Good luck chasing down the source of your problem.

chuckles · #6 (**permalink**) 09-11-2009, 06:23 PM

If you got warranty, take it in. If its pucking from the degaus bottle, could be a couple things. Cap, EGR Cooler going bad, over filled coolant, or head gaskets.