pr0zac

i have a 96 lt4 and it started using coolant. it isn't leaking on the ground and its not mixing with the oil(that i can tell). yet you can smell it whenever the engine is warm. no stains on the carpet either. i don't see any white smoke coming from the exhaust. i had to replace the head gaskets and waterpump/thermostat six months ago. had the dealer do it. it seemed fine for a while but blew the upper radiator hose and it has never been the same. i shut it down as soon as i noticed, which was seconds after it happened. i filled it back up with coolant and water and the next time i checked it it was low. didn't think anything of it because it could have had an air bubble. then i checked it again a few days later. the whole resevoir was empty again. filled with water. temps never went over 200. yet a few days later it was empty again. i am in iraq righrt now and couldn't really screw with it before i left. i am thinking that the heads are warped or another head gasket is on its way out. any suggestions.

SilverBeast

Possibly the system was not "burped" thus was not completely full. So whenever you add water to the overflow tank, it's replenishing itself from that. Should stop after a few more fills if that's the case.
Take care of yourself and thanks for your service

comp

doesn't sound good ,,, does the dealer take care of you on their work?? I hope so

rick lambert

with Silverbeast-just watch it for now. And thanks for your service-becareful

CFI-EFI

Where did you detect the odor? You can smell a leaking heater core before the other symptoms, present. A cracked head, bad head gasket, or manifold gasket will cause white "smoke" from the exhaust. Otherwise it could end up in the oil, Both of which you say isn't the case. It HAS to be going somewhere. If it isn't on the ground or any of the other possibilities, you can only be STILL filling it, as suggested above. Keep your head down, and thank you.

RACE ON!!!

pr0zac

i have tried bleeding it on an incline also. the smell is coming from outside the car. i can only smell it with the windows down, top off or walking up to the car. i was thinking it was the heads too but they didn't have any noticeable cracks or leaking when the heads where off. just the peice of gasket that let go. the engine is spotless and dry. i parked it the same way every night and no drips. oil level was the same.

good news is only 40 more days of being bombed and i will be home.

runner140*

You shouldn't smell coolant. Could it be the system needs to be burped? or re-burped. The process is to fill up the system. Then turn the engine on and bring up to normal heat. Then add coolant until full and turn the screw (burp) on the water pump until no more air comes out and only coolant. Tighten burp screw and put the radiator cap on the that should do it. Good luck.

CFI-EFI

Yeah, he shouldn't, but he DOES. That proves it isn't a "burping" problem. In order to smell it, it has to be coming out of the car.

RACE ON!!!

SunCr

Start it and warm it up until the thermostat opens, then shut it off. That should keep the temp low enough to keep the leak from boiling off and you should at least get a drip or two on the ground. Otherwise, buy or borrow a pressure tester and pump it up to 15 psi.

96CERon

Had a similar problem with my LT4--started to smell coolant after driving to work or home. Could see not leaks but eventually started to see evidence of coolant getting on the belt. It was a failing seal in the water pump and coolant was coming out of the weep hole in the pump-just enough initially to be evaporated on the front of the engine and to smell. This is my second water pump and I used the magic red GM coolant, RO water and the GM vegetable seal tabs as recommended in the manual.

Best of all to you.