Uh Oh - Antifreeze Smell in My Exhaust

[DonCurley]

I should have connected the dots earlier, but I have been smelling the sweet smell of antifreeze when I start up for about the last couple or three weeks (and my '07 3500 is not a daily driver). I did finally isolate it to the exhaust, but I don't get any of the classic white smoke coming out of the tailpipe along with the smell ... although with the after-treatment system, that may be potentially masking that symptom (?).



I just checked my crankcase oil and it is fine (no milkiness or emulsified look). The antifreeze in my coolant reservoir is well above the low/fill mark (it's about half way between the low and high marks), but it may be a little lower than I last remember.



From what I generally know or have heard, smelling antifreeze in your exhaust typically points to a blown head gasket, cracked head, and I believe I heard once that it could also have something to do with injectors.



The engine has been running fine and I don't seem to be having any other issues, but this development does worry me. Also, my original dealership is a 6 hour trip from my location, so I don't know whether it would be a good idea to drive all that distance to get this looked into or not. (However, I don't really trust the service departments and mechanics at the two dealerships that are closer to my location to handle a major job ... should it turn into that).



If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions on this, I would appreciate hearing them.



Thanks,

Don

 

[Jim W]

Are you totally sure that what you are smelling is Anti-Freeze?

The reason that I ask is, that when my truck would be in regen and I shut the truck off in the garage. I would smell a water type odor from the exhaust not all the time but at least once a month. My wife has smell this also and commented on the odor. This I believe is part of the regen process and maybe a by product. Since the truck has been modified for better fuel economy, I do not smell this any more.

I would have an oil sample done, to be really sure. If you have a failed head gasket an or a cracked head this will leak into the oil. There are several labs that have been mention on this site, that will do a oil sampling for you.

Good Luck.

 

[DonCurley]

Well, I'm pretty sure that it is antifreeze that I am smelling (ethylene glycol). It is a very sweet smell, and it occurs about 50% of the time I start up the truck. When I was first trying to figure out where the smell (which is substantial) was even coming from, I actually stuck my face near the exhaust coming out of the tailpipe momentarily, and that's definitely where it is coming from.



I can't see how my truck could be in regen for 2 to 3 weeks, and it only occurs on a cold start-up. I've also owned the truck for 2+ years and I have never smelled this particular smell before.



Anyway, I am going to call my dealer this morning to see what they want to do (and it wouldn't surprise me that at the very least, oil testing will be performed ... whether they do it or I do).



Thanks

 

[Whiteranch04]

I should have connected the dots earlier, but I have been smelling the sweet smell of antifreeze when I start up for about the last couple or three weeks (and my '07 3500 is not a daily driver). I did finally isolate it to the exhaust, but I don't get any of the classic white smoke coming out of the tailpipe along with the smell ... although with the after-treatment system, that may be potentially masking that symptom (?).



I just checked my crankcase oil and it is fine (no milkiness or emulsified look). The antifreeze in my coolant reservoir is well above the low/fill mark (it's about half way between the low and high marks), but it may be a little lower than I last remember.



From what I generally know or have heard, smelling antifreeze in your exhaust typically points to a blown head gasket, cracked head, and I believe I heard once that it could also have something to do with injectors.



The engine has been running fine and I don't seem to be having any other issues, but this development does worry me. Also, my original dealership is a 6 hour trip from my location, so I don't know whether it would be a good idea to drive all that distance to get this looked into or not. (However, I don't really trust the service departments and mechanics at the two dealerships that are closer to my location to handle a major job ... should it turn into that).



If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions on this, I would appreciate hearing them.



Thanks,

Don

Prob the egr system, it did the same thing 2 times to me, faulty egr valve leaked into engine, my truck sat waiting for about 1 week at a time due to no parts, better take in it soon, if you have antifreze in your oil it will burn up the crankshaft, are you still in warranty???? Call and ask if the parts are in stock and prepare for lost downtime waiting on parts if not. I had an 07 with the six poiny sevverns!!!lol

 

[DonCurley]

Prob the egr system, it did the same thing 2 times to me, faulty egr valve leaked into engine, my truck sat waiting for about 1 week at a time due to no parts, better take in it soon, if you have antifreze in your oil it will burn up the crankshaft, are you still in warranty???? Call and ask if the parts are in stock and prepare for lost downtime waiting on parts if not. I had an 07 with the six poiny sevverns!!!lol

OK, thanks for the tip on the EGR valve as a potential source. I am luckily still under the factory warranty (and have an extended warranty as well). Anyway, I am going to call my dealer this morning to see what they want to do.

 

[MullenaxM]

It,s more than likely the EGR cooler leaking.



Mike

 

[2Rowdy]

Yes, at the back of the egr cooler when I deleted mine the nuts were finger tight and had some antifreeze that had started to leak a little bit.

 

[WRStrong]

Antifreeze leak

Well, I know this is an older thread. . but ... today doing an oil change on my 07 6. 7, I noticed signs of an antifreeze stream (dry now) down the passenger side of the engine block, coming from up near the head. Can't tell yet exactly where it originates. It has run down and dripped off the bottom of the bell housing. Others on here indicate it might be the EGR cooler. Hope it isn't a head gasket or crack or something bad like that. Dealers have dropped like flies in New Mexico.



Any new info on antifreeze leaks??

Thanks

 

[JHopstetter]

It's the egr cooler !!! I drive semi's and my company bought 6 new '09 kenworths thru july to sept. 08, with isx cummins 15 liter motors, and 5 out of 6 trucks had the EGR's replaced between 30,000 to 90,000 miles,or 6 to 9 month of drive time! All the trucks started to use antifreeze slowly, but you can smell the coolent in the air, then 1 truck was parked for the weekend, went to start, no full crank over, checked oil and had small trace of milky look too it! The coolent filled some of the cylinder's! I've seen some EGR's go 100 miles or go 1,000,000 miles, before burning an then start leaking antifreeze on cummins motors in semi's, but they have more loads on the engine.