Re: smelling coolant
Reply #3 –
If your coach MotorAid water heater plumbing is still factory stock, you should have one water hose valve on the wall in the vicinity of the water pump and water heater. Closing this valve diverts coolant flow around the water heater to increase flow to the dash heater/defroster unit.
Unfortunately, the valve only closes one hose going to the water heater, so it does not completely isolate the water heater coolant loop. My engine does not have any valves at the engine to shut off coolant flow going forward to the water heater and dash heater/defroster.
I have had several instances of leaks where the the MotorAid rubber hoses connect to our water heater. They are attached to pipe nipples, and probably held in place with simple worm gear drive clamps. These clamps will loosen over time, especially if the ambient air temps are swinging between hot and cold.
Try reaching up behind the water heater and see if you can find the two clamps with your fingers. If they are leaking, you will feel the wet sticky coolant. It is hard to reach them, but not impossible. If they are loose, tightening them up will often stop the leak. I finally ended up placing a second clamp on each hose. This solved my coolant "leakage" problem.
If they have been leaking for a while, the coolant has probably soaked into the insulating blanket around the water heater. If so, even after you stop the leak, you will still smell the coolant stink every time you open the bay door. Only fix for that is totally replacing the insulation, which would probably require removal of the water heater.
I cut a inspection port in the bay wall of our coach. It gives much better access to the area behind the water heater.
Behind the Water Heater Access Port
Topic: smelling coolant