Hello,
I have a 2002 Ram 1500 4.7L and started getting a white, sweet smelling smoke out the exhaust recently. I read over the similar issues on the forum but none seemed to have all the answers for my issue after I have run some tests. For some background I have 125k on it. It does not and has not over heated at all. For some background I have replaced the heater core, water pump, rad and rad cap all within the past 3 years from wear and tear, all were original.

To narrow down the smoke issue I started by turning over the truck with the rad cap off, and had no rush of coolant out the top. Then I ran a compression test and 5 of 8 cylinders read a 120, the other 3 varied from 90 to 110. I added some oil to those cylinders and they all came up to 120. I ran a coolant compression test too and had no external leaks. The oil looks fine and does not have a milky color. I was told by the auto store that the intake manifold on the 4.7L does not have coolant running through it. Is he right?

I feel like I have ran every test to narrow down the head gasket and none of them have turned up anything. Can anyone point me in the direction of another test or have seen anything like this happen?

Thank for the help!

 

One thing not mentioned in your txt....... Are you loosing coolant?
Is the level in your overflow tank, consistently the same?
If its not, your either loosing or using it :-((

Al.

 

Yes I am losing a little bit of coolant out of the res, maybe an inch a month or so.

 

Well that much isn't much but, It's still not right. As you probably know, you should be at your fill mark all the time and not need to top anything up.
I don't know if this amount would be why your seeing that white smoke and smelling the sweet smell.
Sweet smell could = burned coolant.
There is a test you can buy, where you take a sample of coolant from your radiator and the test checks if there's emission gasses in the coolant.
That will tell you 100% if there's a head gasket problem.
You can get this kit from major auto stores.
Al.

 

Blown headgasket and I would also wager maybe rings? I personally either drop in a new engine or yank it for a rebuild. The 4.7s don't take very kindly to blown head gaskets or overheating.

 

After building/driving 2.2 turbo daytonas in the 80s....i know that smell. you are turning and burning coolant. luckily you aren't losing oil into the coolant....so you could let it go for a bit. Obviously towing and wheeling on the beach in 100 temps with the AC are out...

 

without a shadow of doubt it is a head gasket. coolant has a sweet smell and when the head gasket goes it leaks coolant into the cylinder and burns it with the air/fuel mixture thus creating the white smoke.

 

Tons of threads here of 4.7s with blown head gaskets and white smoke is another indication of just that. Add to that to knowing fact of coolant loss and well, you already got your answer.