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Smell coolant no leak

X

xj98b

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Norfolk. VA
I did a search but there was not a solid answer. I smell coolant after the engine is hot, but I cant find a leak and not much if any coolant is gone from overflow or radiator. Any help would be great. By the way its a 98' classic.
 
How's your oil look?

Sometimes I smell coolant too (not really strong, but it is distinct...)

No leaks on mine.....it's just a distinct smell, that's all.....and its really the only unsealed container, besides washer fluid....so I suppose its easier for the smell to get to you!
 
maybe a small leak around the water pump. Awhile ago i smelt the same thing and found there was a small leak between the upper radiator hose and waterpump. Ended up replacing both. Apparently the guy before me never flushed the coolant so it was pretty grungy in the radiator and such.
 
Look closely at the radiator fins (front and back). Do any look kind of crusty and bluish?
Sometimes you can have a small leak in the radiator (pinhole) that only starts leaking when everything is hot & under pressure
 
Also check the tail pipe for steam. Is it misfiring. Check plugs for discoloration. Could be head or gasket.
 
check the plastic valve that the heater hoses route from, cracks easily & may leak sporadically...mine does. check the under sides of your hoses found a large crack on the bottom side of my upper rad hose (not apparent as the coolant that leaked evaporated before I could see it or the puddle, and coolant is only in the upper rad hose while its running). also you may have a pin hole in a hose as well. check the end tanks of your rad, mine developed a crack with intermittent leak when cold weather started. JB weld fixed that. best thing to go is look for the green has stain as noted before.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions I will do a check on everything I can tomorrow. Anything else. I was thinking heater core or headgasket but a cracked hose or connecter would be cheap to fix.
 
With a heater core you'd notice a coolant smell inside......

Although I can't say that for sure. The 1980 oldsmboile with less than 60k that's in the garage had a "mystery" leak on the floor for years! Finally, the heater core burst.......STRONG coolant smell inside, vents all steamy, and the heater core was leaking through the door on the firewall (different way to access it on that car. I didn't do it myself, a shop did. But I had the FSM and it stated you access the heater core by removing the wheel well and getting it from behind the engine, sort of the passenger side and below.)....no coolant leaking inside either.

Here's the car for your viewing pleasure :)

2126586_77_full.jpg
 
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