THREE symptoms appear all at once. Problem?

[MH_Stevens]

Do I have a developing problem? My 1997 with 115,000 miles running Mobil M1 10w-40 with pristine clear Toyota red with regular flushing and no gunk in block and no over-heating, has just changed its characteristics in THREE separate ways and all three changes happened at the same time. I have not noticed any change in performance.

ONE
My truck has never ever consumed any oil or coolant, but in the last two or three weeks (with the onset of cooler weather - but nothing cold here in the Coachella valley) I have had some minor coolant loss - about 3/4" down overflow bottle. I opened radiator cap (cold) and she is full to the very top-in fact it spilled a little over. Stated her up from cold and ran until warm and no bubbling from overflow pipe seen save just two bubbles at very beginning which was obviously purging the air I put in by removing the radiator cap.

TWO
Checked oil and found her a quart low where last week or so she was still full after 7000 miles from last oil change. I changed the oil and old oil looks good, darkish red but clear with no water contamination or sludge. Will keep sample for Blackstone.

THREE
On starting up I noticed a smell I had never noticed before; a strong smell from the tail pipe like marzipan or almonds. Collected condensation dripping from tail pipe and measured what was produced from cold to warm and it was about 2 tbsp and clear - no color or smell. Tail pipe itself was a little oily.

That's all I can say and I solicit comments and diagnostics. Cheers, Mike.

 

[Rainy Day FZJ]

Pressure check the cooling system or leaks, it's missing coolant now find where it went. The other problems are not really problems.

 

[MH_Stevens]

Does everybody agree there is no real problem here? I'm surprised I've had no other replies so maybe there is no problem, but suddenly all that oil gone and the sweet exhaust smell?

 

[powderpig]

I would just drive it and watch it and see what is up. Monitor it and keep a eye on the type of driving and the corolation of fluid loss. It may be a problem or it may not be. Check through the archives and see what others have done in your sitiution(other have asked similar quesiton in the recent past). good luck robbie

 

[tarbe]

Eating oil like that when switching types is not uncommon. But it sounds like you made no such switch.

That is strange to develop such an appetite without some change being introduced...

 

[cruiserman]

Your motor has been contaminated with cyanide.

Why is your oil red?

 

[MH_Stevens]

Your motor has been contaminated with cyanide.

Why is your oil red?

Is this a serious comment? If so where does the cyanide come from?

The oil, M1 synthetic 10w40 was 7000 miles old and up until 500 miles ago was still clean, that light golden clear condition, and full to the top. Now 500 miles later a quart has gone and the oil is not burnt, it is still transparent with enough light, not dark and opaque as dirty oil can be, but has a reddish brown color. I have ordered a Blackstone test bottle but they say it will be 2-3 weeks getting here.

 

[RavenTai]

cyanide smells like almonds IIRC, it was a play/jest on your almond smell,

 

[lacruiser]

hopefully not....

I've seen in the past where a "sweet" smell coming from the exhaust turned out to be coolant getting into the combustion chamber.

I'd have the cooling system pressure checked. Hopefully it's not a cracked head/ head gasket problem.

 

[RavenTai]

I have read this also, but the one 80 with a blow HG I have personally been around had billowing clouds of white smoke that smelled anything but sweet, it was a nasty chemical odor, maybe at lower concentrations it is sweet?

 

[peebles24]

When I have been around vehicles that were losing coolant due to a head gasket, yes there was vast quantities of white smoke (steam) and what I would consider a sweet smell. Maybe that's because I have tasted antifreeze and it actually taste sweet to me.

 

[IdahoDoug]

Peebles,

If that's a picture of you, then you need to know that it is common for animals to be irresistably drawn to antifreeze and you shouldn't feel badly about it. It's a good thing that you are a rare Hippo indeed that can stop at one glass. From the looks of your skin tone it must have been the new Pennzoil Purple Long Life that got ya, eh??

Micheal,

To skip the delay from Blackstone, go get a couple tiny water bottles that are sold in stores by all the major brands. These are the small ones that hold maybe a half pint and are clear and ribbed like the more common 16 oz bottles. Remove the wate. Dry the bottle with a blow drier, fill it with your oil sample an it is rated strong enough to get a sample to them directly. Go to their webpage and look for a place you can print off sample bottle labele, and a sample information sheet. t


This way you can send it out ASAP and have answers within a week...

 

[peebles24]

Peebles,

If that's a picture of you, then you need to know that it is common for animals to be irresistably drawn to antifreeze and you shouldn't feel badly about it. It's a good thing that you are a rare Hippo indeed that can stop at one glass. From the looks of your skin tone it must have been the new Pennzoil Purple Long Life that got ya, eh??

I am a very rare breed!!! No actually I spent three years in a shop, over time you learn what most every fluid (vehicle related) taste like, usually not by choice.

 

[MH_Stevens]

Micheal,

To skip the delay from Blackstone, go get a couple tiny water bottles that are sold in stores by all the major brands. These are the small ones that hold maybe a half pint and are clear and ribbed like the more common 16 oz bottles. Remove the wate. Dry the bottle with a blow drier, fill it with your oil sample an it is rated strong enough to get a sample to them directly. Go to their webpage and look for a place you can print off sample bottle labele, and a sample information sheet. t


This way you can send it out ASAP and have answers within a week...

Doug:
Searched the Blackstone site and I can not find a sample bottle label. Can you see a link?

 

[MH_Stevens]

I need my truck and I need to know if she is bad or not so I'm just going to drive her hard and see what happens. I've noted the various damage containment options and I'm luck in that my truck is still under extended warranty.

 

[IdahoDoug]

It was under a drop down menu under "information" or something like that.

DougM

 

[MH_Stevens]

It is time for an oil change so I have her topped up, but here is a twist relating to the water. After yesterdays hard test (70 miles up and down 4500") I gained back the water I lost the day before so I must have developed some kind of air lock, or maybe do I need a new rad. cap? With HGF do the bubbles in the overflow tank occur right at start-up? Do they stop when engine hot?

 

[CJF]

Michael,

At this point it really sounds like you're over-analyzing.

Here's what I'd do:

1) Check your overflow coolant level first thing in the morning, and mark it. Check this each morning with the engine cold.

2) Start it up, and then watch and observe under the hood as it warms up. First, nothing should happen, and then you should feel the upper radiator hose get hot as the thermostat opens. Then you you can feel (different parts at different rates) the radiator start to warm up. At some point during this process, the level in the overflow bottle will start to rise noticeably (fun to watch) and the upper radiator hose will by now feel noticeably pressurized. (Give it a few before and after squeezes.) Once the rig is fully warmed up, the overflow bottle should hold this new, higher level; after driving around, if you check it right after you turn the rig off, it should still be at that level. Finally, over the next couple hours the overflow slowly returns to the lower level as the engine cools and coolant is sucked back into the system.

You might have an air lock or cap problem, but I doubt it. Do the above for a few (or more) days, especially step one. Unless you are gradually and consistently losing coolant, you do not have a problem. Even your morning measurement may vary a little (1/4-1/2 inch) if one morning is significantly colder or warmer than the previous one. Simply make sure your morning measurements do not have a general, downward trend.

Now go have a and relax.

Curtis

 

[MH_Stevens]

Don't think so CJF. I have now have clouds of white smoke on fire-up! It's beginning to look like HGF!

Blackstone will have my oil tomorrow or Tuesday.

 

[Digger276]

I would guess that also, head gaskets on well maintained vechicles normally show small signs first. Pressure test is the best route. The only thing that may occur is leaking under higher temps only, so see if a shop can pressure test it cold and warm. Antifreeze smells sweat. Good catch on the early detection could have cost you a lot more.