Faint coolant smell coming from the front of the radiator on a DT body style Ram 1500 V8 non-eTorque – weep hole in the water pump

[Ramtowski]

All,

I have a 2022 Ram 1500 Laramie, DT body style, 5.7L HEMI V8 (non-eTorque), with approximately 40,000 km.

I know this topic has come up before, but I wanted to revisit it and see if others have experienced something similar. My truck has had a faint coolant smell coming from the front of the truck, noticeable when the engine is warm or when there’s airflow (wind or driving). The smell is not present inside the cabin.

I previously had the radiator replaced under warranty, which did reduce the smell, but it has not completely gone away. There is still a very slight coolant smell that seems to come from the front radiator/engine area. It’s nowhere near as strong as before the radiator replacement, but it’s still noticeable at times.

My question is whether this is considered normal behavior on the DT-body 5.7L HEMI Ram 1500s, or if it could be related to another common issue—specifically the water pump weep hole, which I’ve seen mentioned in past discussions.

For those familiar with this:

• If the smell is related to the water pump weep hole, what exactly should I be looking for?
• Am I checking to see if the weep hole is leaking slightly, functioning normally, or possibly plugged?
• Would a very minor seepage that evaporates before dripping be enough to cause a faint coolant smell without visible leaks, coolant loss, or overheating?

At this point, I’m not seeing puddles, warning lights, or temperature issues—just the faint odor when warm. I’d appreciate any advice on what to inspect around the water pump and weep hole area, or if others have experienced the same thing and were told it’s normal for these trucks.


Thanks in advance for any insight

 

[kapinallinen2]

All,

I have a 2022 Ram 1500 Laramie, DT body style, 5.7L HEMI V8 (non-eTorque), with approximately 40,000 km.

I know this topic has come up before, but I wanted to revisit it and see if others have experienced something similar. My truck has had a faint coolant smell coming from the front of the truck, noticeable when the engine is warm or when there’s airflow (wind or driving). The smell is not present inside the cabin.

I previously had the radiator replaced under warranty, which did reduce the smell, but it has not completely gone away. There is still a very slight coolant smell that seems to come from the front radiator/engine area. It’s nowhere near as strong as before the radiator replacement, but it’s still noticeable at times.

My question is whether this is considered normal behavior on the DT-body 5.7L HEMI Ram 1500s, or if it could be related to another common issue—specifically the water pump weep hole, which I’ve seen mentioned in past discussions.

For those familiar with this:

• If the smell is related to the water pump weep hole, what exactly should I be looking for?
• Am I checking to see if the weep hole is leaking slightly, functioning normally, or possibly plugged?
• Would a very minor seepage that evaporates before dripping be enough to cause a faint coolant smell without visible leaks, coolant loss, or overheating?

At this point, I’m not seeing puddles, warning lights, or temperature issues—just the faint odor when warm. I’d appreciate any advice on what to inspect around the water pump and weep hole area, or if others have experienced the same thing and were told it’s normal for these trucks.


Thanks in advance for any insight

At 7 years of ownership, still trying to figure this out. Been smelling it for the past 102 k miles.
No visible signs of a leak that I can see. Not saying that there is not one.

 

[Jako]

At 7 years of ownership, still trying to figure this out. Been smelling it for the past 102 k miles.
No visible signs of a leak that I can see. Not saying that there is not one.

Same scenario, don't recall smelling it lately but did years back. I have also added coolant over the years. It's a quick check with the oil, oil changes, tire rotations, tire pressure adjustments, washes and waxes, window washes and so forth. Monitor and log level and any fluid added so at the least there is some idea of the loss.

 

[1791]

get a uv flashlight and a bottle of this

Amazon.com

 

[jamiehughes]

good l;uck..on my 20 ram i couldn't even see a weep hole but the antifreeze was running down the bypass pipe on the water pump.. changing the water pump definitely fixed it..