I smell coolant. - Page 2

Brian MP5T · February 5th, 2012, 06:04 AM

Unless you are seeing it on the driveway, it is probably all in your head... (Or boiling off)

00bluees · February 5th, 2012, 08:44 AM

yeh it has disappeared so i think i was being paranoid, must have been coming out of the overflow and splashing around. coolant level hasnt moved since i topped it up so if anything is coming out of anywhere, it aint much.

00bluees · March 5th, 2012, 04:11 PM

alright so got home today and as soon as i pulled in the driveway i could smell burning coolant. pop the hood and the drivers side fan shroud and fan is covered in it. my first assumption is its leaking out of the cap, however the cap and its immediate surroudings are dry. but everything else below it is covered in coolant.

my overflow reservoir is showing about 3/4" above "FULL" after shutting off the hot engine. what do you think, replace rad cap and remove some coolant?? i'll have a closer look at it when there isn't a -20 windchill in my driveway, but i couldn't see exactly where it was coming from.

thuzil · March 5th, 2012, 08:50 PM

Upper rad hose

00bluees · March 6th, 2012, 10:47 AM

any particular place it usually leaks. it looked dry, last night as this morning when it had leaked again. this morning it looked more like it came out of the cap when i got to work and looked. i'll pop it off tonight and check for holes.

Hacker · March 6th, 2012, 11:35 AM

After the engine is warmed up (i.e. thermostat open), rev the engine (3000-4000 rpm) to build up pressure in the cooling system. You should see coolant leaking or spraying out at this point. You never see the leak when you're out of the car because the water pump is not running fast (engine idle) or not running at all (engine off).

J.

Brian MP5T · March 7th, 2012, 06:54 AM

If the second seal on the cap is busted, then it is possible that it is coming out of the cap.

The cap has a pressure seal that lets the coolant into the bottle, but it also has a main seal that prevents leakage.

For the cost of a cap, I say that is cheap "Diagnostic" work...

Scout · March 7th, 2012, 07:40 AM

Open the rad cap (when engine is cool) let the car run after it warms up if you see coolant spewing up from where the rad cap is you have compression issues.

Sounds like that because the cooling system seems to be pushing coolant into the resevior.

00bluees · March 10th, 2013, 03:42 PM

Update. This goes away in warm weather. Went through the whole summer without ever smelling it. Once it gets cold it leaks from somewhere, gets on the fans then as soon as i slow enough for the fans to come on it flings it onto the exhaust and its burns up. I replaced the rad cap but that did nothing. I am assuming it is leaking out of the top of the rad. Perhaps from where the plastic endtank meets the core.

Thats about that. I wont bother replacing the rad because frankly i dont care enough. Just figured i would update my findings in case other ppl stumbled across this thread with an issue of their own.

February 5th, 2012, 06:04 AM	#11
Brian MP5T 2010 Donating Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Ottawa Ontario Posts: 3,828	Unless you are seeing it on the driveway, it is probably all in your head... (Or boiling off) __________________ Brian \| WAY NORTHSIDE \| 2002 White Protege5 www.mp5t.com

March 5th, 2012, 08:50 PM	#14
thuzil Vendors Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Steel Town Posts: 1,015	Upper rad hose __________________ I'm catching the 4:00 train north to Ecuador

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February 5th, 2012, 08:44 AM	#12
00bluees Members Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Barrie Posts: 3,200	yeh it has disappeared so i think i was being paranoid, must have been coming out of the overflow and splashing around. coolant level hasnt moved since i topped it up so if anything is coming out of anywhere, it aint much.

March 5th, 2012, 04:11 PM	#13
00bluees Members Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Barrie Posts: 3,200	alright so got home today and as soon as i pulled in the driveway i could smell burning coolant. pop the hood and the drivers side fan shroud and fan is covered in it. my first assumption is its leaking out of the cap, however the cap and its immediate surroudings are dry. but everything else below it is covered in coolant. my overflow reservoir is showing about 3/4" above "FULL" after shutting off the hot engine. what do you think, replace rad cap and remove some coolant?? i'll have a closer look at it when there isn't a -20 windchill in my driveway, but i couldn't see exactly where it was coming from.

March 6th, 2012, 10:47 AM	#15
00bluees Members Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Barrie Posts: 3,200	any particular place it usually leaks. it looked dry, last night as this morning when it had leaked again. this morning it looked more like it came out of the cap when i got to work and looked. i'll pop it off tonight and check for holes.

March 6th, 2012, 11:35 AM	#16
Hacker 2010 Donating Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: North York Posts: 948	After the engine is warmed up (i.e. thermostat open), rev the engine (3000-4000 rpm) to build up pressure in the cooling system. You should see coolant leaking or spraying out at this point. You never see the leak when you're out of the car because the water pump is not running fast (engine idle) or not running at all (engine off). J.

March 7th, 2012, 06:54 AM	#17
Brian MP5T 2010 Donating Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Ottawa Ontario Posts: 3,828	If the second seal on the cap is busted, then it is possible that it is coming out of the cap. The cap has a pressure seal that lets the coolant into the bottle, but it also has a main seal that prevents leakage. For the cost of a cap, I say that is cheap "Diagnostic" work...

March 7th, 2012, 07:40 AM	#18
Scout Members Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 212	Open the rad cap (when engine is cool) let the car run after it warms up if you see coolant spewing up from where the rad cap is you have compression issues. Sounds like that because the cooling system seems to be pushing coolant into the resevior.

March 10th, 2013, 03:42 PM	#19
00bluees Members Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Barrie Posts: 3,200	Update. This goes away in warm weather. Went through the whole summer without ever smelling it. Once it gets cold it leaks from somewhere, gets on the fans then as soon as i slow enough for the fans to come on it flings it onto the exhaust and its burns up. I replaced the rad cap but that did nothing. I am assuming it is leaking out of the top of the rad. Perhaps from where the plastic endtank meets the core. Thats about that. I wont bother replacing the rad because frankly i dont care enough. Just figured i would update my findings in case other ppl stumbled across this thread with an issue of their own.