Imagine getting into your car and smelling an overwhelmingly sweet smell, similar to pancake syrup. Your first thought may be to check your backseat for any leftovers you left in the car or if you've spilled a sugary snack in the car. However, you don't find anything. When it comes to your vehicle, a consistent sweet smell in your vehicle can be a dangerous sign of a car issue. If you catch yourself sniffing syrup, there's a strong likelihood that you've got a coolant leak.
Coolant, also known to be a mixture of antifreeze and water, has a critical job when it comes to keeping your vehicle cooled. It is responsible for regulating your engine's temperature to avoid overheating. Coolant acts as a temperature stabilizer and transferer to provide heat to your cabin heating and defrosting systems. Furthermore, it can also prevent corrosion in your internal systems. The coolant moves through other parts, including the engine, hoses, radiator, and heater core.
The smell of maple syrup usually means that coolant is leaking within one of those places in your vehicle. With a leakage, there is a shortage of coolant circulating throughout. Driving your car with low coolant can damage your car, mainly because it may increase your chances of engine overheating. Irreversible harm can occur when an engine overheats, and your engine may need expensive restorative repairs.
As soon as you catch this scent in your car, be sure to take your vehicle to the experts here at Monkey Wrenches. Our experienced team will give you a complete cooling system inspection to find the leak and promptly repair it. Additionally, our techs can also assess any damage that has been created within the system. The sooner you take care of any car problem, the healthier your vehicle will be. So give us a call or stop by our shop today!