Coolant smell....normal?
#16
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
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With a cooling system compromised and unable to hold pressure the system may not show any overheating sign. The lack of pressure allows the hot coolant (sometimes above 212F and I've seen coolant temps at least in my Boxster reach 226F) to flash to steam at the hottest places in the engine. The steam blocks coolant from flowing over these hot spots and removing the heat. The coolant is effectively insulated from the hot spots. In severe cases the coolant can be blocked from flowing through certain passages altogether. Thus the temperature gage does not reflect any rise in coolant temperature but the engine suffers from overheating at the local level nonetheless. This severe difference in temperature gradient can cause head gaskets to fail, can even have a head crack, even a block crack.
It is critical the engine cooling system be able to hold pressure hot. Any coolant leak represents a possible pressure leak and as I covered above a pressure leak in the cooling system can be a quick route to serious engine trouble.
It is critical the engine cooling system be able to hold pressure hot. Any coolant leak represents a possible pressure leak and as I covered above a pressure leak in the cooling system can be a quick route to serious engine trouble.
I truly believe if there were more serious underlying issues ie blown head gasket, the techs would pick up on that and of course at that point I would demand a new motor.
I will keep this thread updated in case someone else goes through the same problem.
Thanks
#17
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Psups4s, thanks for keeping the thread updated. I bought my car a month ago and put a whopping 240 miles in the month. I too think the coolant smell "should not be normal" my base 997 carrera never smelled of coolant.
I am going to add Gt3 sway bars and spacers in the next couple of weeks. Once on the lift i will inspect the entire system. My buddy who works on my rotaries noticed the smell right away. Me and him will give it a once over and if nothing is leaking i may just drop it at the dealer to get checked. I dont have extended warranty.
I am on the fence about an aftermarket warranty.
Thanks,
Larry
I am going to add Gt3 sway bars and spacers in the next couple of weeks. Once on the lift i will inspect the entire system. My buddy who works on my rotaries noticed the smell right away. Me and him will give it a once over and if nothing is leaking i may just drop it at the dealer to get checked. I dont have extended warranty.
I am on the fence about an aftermarket warranty.
Thanks,
Larry
#18
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
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Psups4s, thanks for keeping the thread updated. I bought my car a month ago and put a whopping 240 miles in the month. I too think the coolant smell "should not be normal" my base 997 carrera never smelled of coolant.
I am going to add Gt3 sway bars and spacers in the next couple of weeks. Once on the lift i will inspect the entire system. My buddy who works on my rotaries noticed the smell right away. Me and him will give it a once over and if nothing is leaking i may just drop it at the dealer to get checked. I dont have extended warranty.
I am on the fence about an aftermarket warranty.
Thanks,
Larry
I am going to add Gt3 sway bars and spacers in the next couple of weeks. Once on the lift i will inspect the entire system. My buddy who works on my rotaries noticed the smell right away. Me and him will give it a once over and if nothing is leaking i may just drop it at the dealer to get checked. I dont have extended warranty.
I am on the fence about an aftermarket warranty.
Thanks,
Larry
I will update again once i hear back from my dealer. I spoke with the GM today and he's been very helpful so far. I told him about the coolant leak and how its back at the dealer a second time for same issue.
Im sure they will fix it, i just hate not knowing whats going on and having a broken car...... Yeah im OCD
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#19
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Hey I cant blame you about the OCD, i look at this car as part investment and part fun. I dont like little unknowns when i am driving around.
Its a great car so far, so much better than i expected.
Its a great car so far, so much better than i expected.
#20
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I started smelling mine just recently. It seems to be coming from the top of the oil cooler. I hope I can remove the intake manifold and get access to the oil cooler.
#21
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
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Oiler cooler is where mine was leaking from and dealer had to drop motor. Hopefully you can do it without dropping the motor.
#22
Burning Brakes
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Got a call ftrom my SA just a few min ago. They have checked the car and have not been able to find any leaks. They test pressure the system and checks out ok, reservoir level normal
Is it possible there was some left over coolant sitting in a crevice thus dripping and causing the smell?
They will keep the car and keep checking
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They will keep the car and keep checking
#23
Rennlist Member
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In my past 996tt I would have that smell from time to time, until I replaced the coolant tank cap, to an updated part number.
I don't know if that your case, but its an easy check.
I don't know if that your case, but its an easy check.
#24
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my 997TT.1 is still a little bit smelling after one front radiator replacement. Porsche say also everything is fine :-( but the car still smells.
Very often the coolant reservoir (see below) in the motor bay is leaky, but only if the engine is hot. Mostly the both water coolant radiators in the front are gone after a few years anyway (only on 996/997TT). Due to the uncleanably spots in the comers behind the front bumper, the radiators become leaky.
Very often the coolant reservoir (see below) in the motor bay is leaky, but only if the engine is hot. Mostly the both water coolant radiators in the front are gone after a few years anyway (only on 996/997TT). Due to the uncleanably spots in the comers behind the front bumper, the radiators become leaky.
#26
Burning Brakes
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There should be no coolant leaks and no coolant smells what so ever.
I am a very particular person and it fits my job as a test pilot my sensitive nose smelled coolant called dealer and made an appointment. They had the car for 2 days and couldn't find anything.
Sure enough caught a faint smell 4 weeks later called them again. They said let us know if you see anything under it which I didn't. I buy 2 Porsche every 2 years from these guys so they know me very well.
Another month goes by and the plastic coolant pipes on the Cayenne burst. Yes CPO fixed all but my point is you guys are smelling things that are going to fail it's just a matter of time.
If they fail while your driving the Turbo you or the guy behind you might crash. The Glycol is very slippery stuff.
http://www.wheels24.co.za/Multimedia...track-20130722
The 997TT Mezger GT1 cooling block is prone on Modded HP or tracked cars known to fail. As I am sure you have discovered already.
Make them pressure test the system extensively.
BTW this is the reason I am not going to modifying the car with a flash and muffler I fear this might happen to my 997TT.
Ian
I am a very particular person and it fits my job as a test pilot my sensitive nose smelled coolant called dealer and made an appointment. They had the car for 2 days and couldn't find anything.
Sure enough caught a faint smell 4 weeks later called them again. They said let us know if you see anything under it which I didn't. I buy 2 Porsche every 2 years from these guys so they know me very well.
Another month goes by and the plastic coolant pipes on the Cayenne burst. Yes CPO fixed all but my point is you guys are smelling things that are going to fail it's just a matter of time.
If they fail while your driving the Turbo you or the guy behind you might crash. The Glycol is very slippery stuff.
http://www.wheels24.co.za/Multimedia...track-20130722
The 997TT Mezger GT1 cooling block is prone on Modded HP or tracked cars known to fail. As I am sure you have discovered already.
Make them pressure test the system extensively.
BTW this is the reason I am not going to modifying the car with a flash and muffler I fear this might happen to my 997TT.
Ian
Last edited by flyjets; 02-19-2014 at 11:22 AM. Reason: added link
#27
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
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There should be no coolant leaks and no coolant smells what so ever.
I am a very particular person and it fits my job as a test pilot my sensitive nose smelled coolant called dealer and made an appointment. They had the car for 2 days and couldn't find anything.
Sure enough caught a faint smell 4 weeks later called them again. They said let us know if you see anything under it which I didn't. I buy 2 Porsche every 2 years from these guys so they know me very well.
Another month goes by and the plastic coolant pipes on the Cayenne burst. Yes CPO fixed all but my point is you guys are smelling things that are going to fail it's just a matter of time.
If they fail while your driving the Turbo you or the guy behind you might crash. The Glycol is very slippery stuff.
http://www.wheels24.co.za/Multimedia...track-20130722
The 997TT Mezger GT1 cooling block is prone on Modded HP or tracked cars known to fail. As I am sure you have discovered already.
Make them pressure test the system extensively.
BTW this is the reason I am not going to modifying the car with a flash and muffler I fear this might happen to my 997TT.
Ian
I am a very particular person and it fits my job as a test pilot my sensitive nose smelled coolant called dealer and made an appointment. They had the car for 2 days and couldn't find anything.
Sure enough caught a faint smell 4 weeks later called them again. They said let us know if you see anything under it which I didn't. I buy 2 Porsche every 2 years from these guys so they know me very well.
Another month goes by and the plastic coolant pipes on the Cayenne burst. Yes CPO fixed all but my point is you guys are smelling things that are going to fail it's just a matter of time.
If they fail while your driving the Turbo you or the guy behind you might crash. The Glycol is very slippery stuff.
http://www.wheels24.co.za/Multimedia...track-20130722
The 997TT Mezger GT1 cooling block is prone on Modded HP or tracked cars known to fail. As I am sure you have discovered already.
Make them pressure test the system extensively.
BTW this is the reason I am not going to modifying the car with a flash and muffler I fear this might happen to my 997TT.
Ian
#29
Race Director
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Got a call ftrom my SA just a few min ago. They have checked the car and have not been able to find any leaks. They test pressure the system and checks out ok, reservoir level normal
Is it possible there was some left over coolant sitting in a crevice thus dripping and causing the smell?
They will keep the car and keep checking
![Confused](https://rennlist.com/forums/images/smilies/confused.gif)
They will keep the car and keep checking
One way to get around this is to drive the car around in town until the engine is fully up to temperature. Be sure the A/C is off. Drive the car around until the coolant temperature gage reaches its usual position then drive some more, another 15 minutes or so.
Back home raise the RPMs to over 1K, say 1500 and hold until you or a helper notes the radiator fans come on.
Then shut off the engine.
The heat load of the engine will continue to raise the temperature and pressure of the now hot coolant.
If there are any leaks they'll make themselves known. Ideally you'd like to have the car in the air since from underneath any leak is more readily spotted.
You have to be careful. I did the above to my Boxster and that leaky coolant tank finally gave up and gushed hot coolant to the ground.
To give you an idea of how odd these tank failures can be, after the car cooled down overnight I refilled the coolant tank with water, over a gallon. I then started the engine and drove the car a couple of miles to the dealer. The tank never leaked a drop of fluid. The coolant remained cool and under no pressure.
In the case of my Turbo the driver's side radiator wasn't working right. The engine was running a bit warmer than usual. I had been driving the car around town and had spent previous minutes driving around a parking lot and then shutting off the engine prior to getting my Mom in the car when I caught of whiff of anti-freeze.
What had happened was the engine got hot enough under those conditions that some coolant was forced past the water pump seal and that is from where I caught the smell of anti-freeze.
At the dealer on the lift the tech examined the water pump and found considerable anti-freeze residue build up behind/under the pulley. The thing would leak after I shut off the engine as the hot engine raised the pressure in the cooling system. But because I of course had gone into the house I never smelled any anti-freeze.
#30
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I'm having the exact same issue in my 997.2 C2S. I had it in a few months ago and they replaced the heater core, smell came back immediately though. No coolant warning light or anything, just the smell. It only smells when the heater is on. My car is under CPO as well and with dealer today for them to check this out. Will post if resolution is reached.
Last edited by Macduff; 02-19-2014 at 12:43 PM.