Sweet smell from exhaust on my 2017 F-250… what’s going on?

My father-in-law passed away, and we bought his 2017 F-250 with 86k miles. From what I know, there’s no issues with the CP4 or turbos, but I’ve noticed a sweet smell coming from the exhaust. At first, it was rare, but now it’s happening every time I run the truck.

I’ve heard that a sweet smell could mean a coolant leak, but my coolant levels seem fine. I even marked the levels with a sharpie for both hot and cold, and they haven’t dropped after a week of driving.

Could it be something else?

Haha, that’s just the sweet smell of diesel exhaust in the morning!

2017s don’t usually have issues with the CP4 or turbos. My 02 hasn’t had any problems like that either.

Could it be the smell of DEF?

I don’t think so. I wouldn’t expect DEF to smell sweet. The sweet smell makes me think coolant, but I can’t find any leaks.

Keep an eye on your coolant levels over a few days and see if they drop at all.

I’ve been monitoring it. Marked the coolant tank levels for both hot and cold with a sharpie, and they’ve stayed the same after a week of driving. That’s why this is so confusing!

Might be worth taking it to a good diesel shop for a check-up. I do that every few oil changes just to catch any potential issues, especially since I tow a lot. A pro might spot something you’re missing.