While the maple syrup smell is pleasant, it's not a good sign if it's coming from your car. Unless you have been eating waffles or maple donuts in your car or left a takeout box in your backseat, the maple syrup smell indicates an issue with your vehicle. If you are smelling something sweet like maple donuts in your car, the chances are that you are experiencing a coolant leak.
Coolant plays a critical role in your car. It regulates the engine's temperature and prevents it from overheating. It also transfers the warm air to your cabin heating and defrosting system. Additionally, coolant prevents corrosion, ensuring your car parts remain healthy. Coolant fluid circulates through your car's engine, hoses, heater core and radiator.
Why is the Maple Donut Smell Associated with Coolant Leak?
Coolant has a pleasant sweet smell that compares to maple syrup donuts. So, if you find yourself sniffing this smell in your car, probably your coolant leaks somewhere. When there is a coolant leak, the amount of coolant required to prevent your engine from overheating decreases significantly.
Whether you are driving a car with a diesel engine, gasoline engine or hybrid vehicle, the engine will create heat. The antifreeze or coolant ensures the engine stay at an optimal temperature. Driving with low coolant could cause the engine to overheat. Continued driving of an overheated engine could cause irreversible damage to the engine and other surrounding parts.
Low coolant can also cause the head gasket on your engine to blow, which results in decreased efficiency. If a head gasket blows, you may notice smoke coming from the tailpipe or the engine. Low coolant can also cause your car to shut off while driving. While this could prevent the engine from further damage, it can inconvenience you greatly.
What to do
The high-temperature gauge on the dashboard is designed to tell you when the engine is overheating. However, you can prevent the low coolant problems by taking immediate action once you catch the maple syrup smell.
If you notice something unusual with your car, like the smell of the maple donuts, be sure to seek professional advice. Our experts will thoroughly inspect the cooling system and fix the leak. Also, if you need your car serviced, bring your vehicle to Ming's Auto Repair today.