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Brown Sugar Smell and leaking liquid from Engine :(

11K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  shelby_85 
#1 ·
Just maybe 30 minutes ago, my 95 Taurus started smelling like brown sugar. I was driving home like normal, when it started to smell. I was confused, but drove on. Parked somehwere, got some change real quick(left engine on) and then backed out. I saw a big puddle and a stream of liquid drops was following me as I drove. I got home and popped the hood and it looked like a line burst or something cause there were splatter marks on part of the engine and it was smokin and I could really smell the brown sugar smell.

I looked under and saw a milky brown liquid coming from underneath my engine, in multiple spots(which also leads me to believe a line burst).

Any idea what it is? And what said part would cost?

Thanks a ton!
 
#3 ·
More than likely its a coolant leak. If its really strong smell inside the car, could be heater-core, otherwise its gonna be a leak outside the car, under the hood. Since its summer your not using your heater so water shouldn't be going through the heater core, turn on your heater full blast on the hottest seting and see if the smell gets worse, or if you see like a smoke or haze coming from the air vent, or if your windshield fogs up.... If not, it'll prob be a hose under the hood.... If you have it pinned under the hood check the oil to make sure it doesn't look creamy, or have a white cream look, and check your radiator coolant to make sure you dont see any oily film circulating or on top of the coolant. If you see white cream in the oil, or oil in the water, STOP driving!!!! Otherwise its prob just a loose, or bad hose....

Hope this helps!
Wesley M.
chaos024@tconline.net
 
G
#4 ·
wes024 said:
More than likely its a coolant leak. If its really strong smell inside the car, could be heater-core, otherwise its gonna be a leak outside the car, under the hood. Since its summer your not using your heater so water shouldn't be going through the heater core, turn on your heater full blast on the hottest seting and see if the smell gets worse, or if you see like a smoke or haze coming from the air vent, or if your windshield fogs up.... If not, it'll prob be a hose under the hood.... If you have it pinned under the hood check the oil to make sure it doesn't look creamy, or have a white cream look, and check your radiator coolant to make sure you dont see any oily film circulating or on top of the coolant. If you see white cream in the oil, or oil in the water, STOP driving!!!! Otherwise its prob just a loose, or bad hose....

Hope this helps!
Wesley M.
i can smell something coming through the vent of my car as soon as i switch it on what could this be please. my car is a ford mondeo
 
#6 ·
98shotoy said:
What does it smell like?
Check out the thread title and his first post, brown sugar. ;)

My guess might be coolant as it tends to have that sweet maple syrup/brown sugary smell.

If it is brown though, that is not a good sign and my guess might be that a head gasket is also in need of repair. Gen2 Tauruses with the 3.8liter engine had head gasket trouble.
 
#7 ·
Rule #1 If it smells sweet, it's coolant.
Rule #2 If the liquid is brown, the only thing it could be is dirty coolant. There is no other type of fluid that should be this color.

It doesn't take all that much junk in the cooling system for the fluid to start turning a brownish color.

If the leak appeared out of nowhere, then it probably is a ruptured line. It could also be the overfill tank. I had mine crack for no apparent reason.

I doubt you have a problem with your radiator itself. They don't usually develop gigantic leaks all of a sudden.

Don't go looking for other answers. If it is brown and sweet-smelling, it is NOT anything else but coolant.
 
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