Coolant smell in engine bay
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,453
Likes: 347
From: SC
Coolant smell in engine bay
For over a year or so I've been chasing this odor. I never see coolant, level is never low. Today I pressure tested the system. I could not find a trace of coolant. I'm stumped. Car performs fine, no over heating, no coolant loss at the surge tank nipples or hoses. Just would like to get to the bottom of it. Any ideas?
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 3,905
Likes: 250
From: Orlando FL
My Coupe did that for years. Never did spring a leak anywhere. It did evolve to the water pump occasionally spitting a bit out and I started getting a leak from the tank. Upper nipple cracked. I just changed the pump, t-stat and tank a month or so ago, no more smell.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,453
Likes: 347
From: SC
I would bet the water pump.... When the leak just begins it is usually while you are driving and the coolant evaporates on the hot engine. Then a drop or three will weep out the hole on the bottom side of the shaft housing leaving just enough to have that distinct coolant odor.
Takes a lot of loss over a significant time to be noticeable in the surge tank.
Takes a lot of loss over a significant time to be noticeable in the surge tank.
Wouldn't that be noticeable during the pressure test?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,453
Likes: 347
From: SC
Racer
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 376
Likes: 21
From: Coos Bay Oregon
I think the most likely place to find your evidence is to rub around under the water pump. Grab a couple of cotton ***** from your wife's make up area and rub those around. Wait until the engine is cool before you do this. Also, rub around under the top tank on the radiator and the bottom tank. Check the bottom side of the hose connections from the coolant tank and the radiator hoses. On the side of the engine block there are freeze plugs. You'll need to check those out too. It doesn't happen very often, but occasionally one of them will start to seep when the engine heats up and the coolant pressure comes up to operating temperature.
Good luck with it.
Good luck with it.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,243
Likes: 5
From: Loveland CO
my vette leaked at the pump as well. no signs of drops or leaks until i got i up and you could see some coolant crust from the water pump. My Bonneville had a smell but no leak and was the radiator leaking around the plastic end tank.
S
S
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,453
Likes: 347
From: SC
I think the most likely place to find your evidence is to rub around under the water pump. Grab a couple of cotton ***** from your wife's make up area and rub those around. Wait until the engine is cool before you do this. Also, rub around under the top tank on the radiator and the bottom tank. Check the bottom side of the hose connections from the coolant tank and the radiator hoses. On the side of the engine block there are freeze plugs. You'll need to check those out too. It doesn't happen very often, but occasionally one of them will start to seep when the engine heats up and the coolant pressure comes up to operating temperature.
Good luck with it.
Good luck with it.
I've checked all of those areas. Must be such a small leak, I could find nothing. Will keep searching. I did pressurize the system overnite at just over 15 lbs. In the AM it was down to about 11 lbs. so I know there's a leak somewhere. I'll just keep an eye on it. Like I said, it's been this same situation for a couple years and never added coolant so we'll see how it goes.
Thanks
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