Help: Sweet Smell and Rear Brakes!

[JLS]

It has been a long while since I have been on here. It is nice to be back.

Anyways, I have been neglecting my 99 Disco. I live in CO and it is cold outside, the reason why it's being neglected, but I have a coolant leak and I don't know where. It is a slow leak but over the past two weeks, getting out of the truck I smell that sweet smell. My engine is running good, and I don't see anything coming out of the tail pipe. I am hoping beyond all hope that I don't have a blown head gasket. What are some steps to verify coolant getting into the combustion chamber? I do notice a puddle of coolant above the front cover where the water pump bolts up. That puddle has been there a long time so, that leak could have gotten worse, or I sprung a new leak, which I believe is the case. Any suggestions on where to start and how to verify probable causes of that sweet smell of antifreeze cooking.

Also, my rear brakes are not working, just fronts. Slick, snow covered roads equals bad. What would cause that??? This weekend I am going to check the calipers and see if there is any thing going on at the wheel. But if everything looks good there, what could it be. Basically, if I get fluid at the rear calipers then something must be up with the calipers, correct? If I don't get fluid to the calipers, what then? I think I read that the master cylinder may need rebuilt. If that is the case, how hard is that to rebuild? Second, how do you determine that it is truly bad?

A big huge THANKS in advance for any tips, suggestions, or pointers. I would have searched, but the two things above have me super worried and money is super tight right now and I want to get things situated and maybe done this weekend. Plus, work is taking up most of my searching/internet time.

Jeremy

 

[p m]

A quick check if your calipers are or are not frozen:

Take a wheel off, and use a big flathead screwdriver to push the pads apart. If you can't, it is an indication; if you can, work them as far apart as you can, and have somebody push the brake pedal. The pads should return back towards the rotor. If they don't, very likely the caliper is frozen.

The master cylinder only went bad on my jeep once, and the feeling was that of the brake pedal slowly going to the floor.

 

[riceybean]

Expansion tank is where my D1 leaked, the seam where the two halves were sealed together.

 

[JLS]

Thanks p m! I will report back what I find... If it is at the wheel, I am sure I will figure it out. Have done my own brakes since I was 19, 32 now so... It is the other components that I am not knowledgeable about, but I may become...

Edit to add: Ricybean, thanks will look at that. I do have a milky substance on my vaccum tube from the driver's side valve cover to the plenum???

 

[p m]

I don't know of plastic coolant lines in a D1. Rubber all around. I don't think throttle heaters are known to leak on D1s, either - not to say they can't, but it is not common.

 

[LRflip]

Could be your waterpump had always leaked and the bearings are finally giving way.

Waterpump is an easy afternoon fix. and relatively inexpensive....just be careful where you get the wp from, there are some cheap pieces of shit floating around.

 

[SSL9000J]

There's a chemical test for exhaust gas in your antifreeze, I think it's around $50 for the kit. If it's positive, you have either a blown head gasket (best case) or cracked block (boat anchor.)

 

[DarylJ]

There's a chemical test for exhaust gas in your antifreeze, I think it's around $50 for the kit. If it's positive, you have either a blown head gasket (best case) or cracked block (boat anchor.)

Advance/Autozone rents the kit. Just need to buy the indicator fluid ($7 or so for a bottle that is sufficient for 8-10 tests).

If I were him I'd be looking for external leaks first. But after that, it's block tester time.

 

[riceybean]

oops 99 D1, sorry bout that

 

[DownUnder]

Also check the TB plate and hoses.

 

[JLS]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys! I will report back what I find when I find it.

Jeremy

 

[bri]

When checking for coolant, make sure to check if you floor carpet is wet.

 

[SSL9000J]

When checking for coolant, make sure to check if you floor carpet is wet.

Good call! If the heater core sprung a leak that's where it will go. (Just had this same problem just a few days ago.)

 

[JLS]

While bleeding the rear brakes I had a couple of air pockets, tiny ones, but still air pockets. They are indeed working now. I wonder if they are not getting the same pressure as the front? The reason why this is concerning me is because on the snow packed roads here, when I tested the brakes, the fronts lock and the rears continue to roll. Will check again after the bleed job.

Coolant issue: No damp floor, no smell in the cockpit. Does this add to the potential leak area? It seems the coolant in the over flow tank only gets down 1.5" - 2" from the full point and then seems to stop? Also, looking under the car last night, my transmission cooler lines are leaking like a siv. Does ATF have a sweet smell? I noticed my left CAT covered with something and traced it back to the cooler lines.

Thanks all,
Jeremy

 

[I HATE PONIES]

The reason why this is concerning me is because on the snow packed roads here,
when I tested the brakes, the fronts lock and the rears continue to roll

Mine does this on occasion when it is super slick. Locking the CDL helps a lot.

 

[smrover1]

My brakes are doing same thing