Topic: Anti-freeze leak

[stang98]

 
So my car smells like maple syrup. Its only every once in a while too like every 3-4 days i get one good wiff of it. I have taken it to Ford and they shot the dye through it and they said it was the Thermostat, so i replaced that and still smelt it so then my dad and I put in a new water pump, nope still not the answer. It is not coming out of my exhaust either so its not mixing in with my oil. Anyone have any idea what it could be?

[Konrad]

If you smell it inside the car it could be your heater core that is leaking.

[Soaring]

Yeah, check your carpet to see if it is wet.  If you are smelling it, then it is obvious that it is inside your compartment. 

[stang98]

The smell is not coming from the inside of the car. You can only smell it if your standing outside of it or sticking your head out the window (cause we all do that often right?)

[Soaring]

The smell is not coming from the inside of the car. You can only smell it if your standing outside of it or sticking your head out the window (cause we all do that often right?)

Only if you are a dog.   

[stang98]

Only if you are a dog.   

Eh it happens 
I stuck my head outside the window in the school parking lot when i was talking to a friend and smelled it... they were like "Why does it smell like maple syrup?" so i had a cussing fit cause i thought I fixed my problem.

[Soaring]

Check all the hoses really well while the car is running.  Do you see any puddling in your driveway?  Are you losing fluid in your radiator? 

[stang98]

No puddles. Just a smell.
My dad checked the radiator already and even did a complete flush through my car.

[Soaring]

That one is a mystery.  If you aren't losing fluid from the radiator, and your carpet is dry, then you don't have a leak.  Here is what I dug up from a Popular Mechanics article.  It has to be leaking somewhere for it to smell like maple syrup though.  The only thing we haven't checked was the intake manifold.  Check on top of the engine carefully for signs of antifreeze.  It could also be a head gasket is leaking.  I would get it to a mechanic ASAP. 

1) SMELLS LIKE: MAPLE SYRUP

WHEN: After the engine has warmed or possibly even after it's shut off for a few minutes.
THE CULPRIT: Coolant containing sweet-smelling (but toxic) ethylene glycol is leaking from somewhere. It could be coming from a radiator or heater hose, a failed intake manifold gasket or cylinder head. It might be coming from a leaky radiator cap or the radiator itself, especially if you smell it outside the car. A strong odor inside the passenger compartment probably means a bad heater core.

 

[stang98]

I do know that when I do smell it, its located on the drivers side.

[Soaring]

Crawl under the engine and inspect the freeze plugs. 

[stang98]

  will do. I got a gift voucher thing for a $40 value to my local ford dealer so im going to get them to shoot the dye through it again. See if I can get the right answer this time from them.