Coolant Smell

[CLABORN1960]

Have any of you ever had a coolant smell after driving your vette? Whenever I drive my vette, after I turn it off, I smell coolant. There is none (coolant) leaking on the ground, I don't see any wet spots on the engine, hoses, water pump area, but I smell it...

Any suggestions as to where to look??

 

[Fishman]

Had the same issue last year... a pin-sized hole in the heater core was my problem.

 

[Chas]

look in the area under the dash where the passengers feet would be....i would take of the plate and lift the carpet and look under it if you can...i am with the heater core leaking as well....mine was a pita to do.....they seem to have installed the heater core and then built the car around it!

Good luck...let us know what you find...
Chas

Have any of you ever had a coolant smell after driving your vette? Whenever I drive my vette, after I turn it off, I smell coolant. There is none (coolant) leaking on the ground, I don't see any wet spots on the engine, hoses, water pump area, but I smell it...

Any suggestions as to where to look??

 

[Tuna]

It doesn't take much of a leak to stink.

You might want to pressure test it soon and see where the leak is. In the meantime, keep an eye on the coolant level.

 

[unknown1]

got a similer prob but I've got coolant leaking from rear of right head by the purge tube. It is dripping onto the right side "cat".Smells sso good... Has anyone replaced these tubes while engine is installed/or heads still on?

 

[CLABORN1960]

more info...

I noticed this morning when I started the car a slight squeal (almost couldn't hear it) that went away after the car ran for about 3 or 4 minutes. I am thinking its probably the water pump, but I just replaced the thing last December.... someone tell me that a pump life is longer than that??

 

[oldace84]

Yes. After refill and reset of radiator.
tony

 

[WhalePirot]

pump life is longer than that

maybe, maybe not. Depends on what you installed. A new, factory pump should easliy go 50k miles.

Rebuilds are a crap shoot. They may only fix the broken part, not ALL parts.
Remanufactured should be a lot better, almost as good as new.

 

[CLABORN1960]

maybe, maybe not. Depends on what you installed. A new, factory pump should easliy go 50k miles.

Rebuilds are a crap shoot. They may only fix the broken part, not ALL parts.
Remanufactured should be a lot better, almost as good as new.

Well I am no longer sure what pump was put in. It may have been a rebuild or remanufatured... the mechanic who did the work is out of the country...(this is starting to feel like one of those neverending, downward spiraling out of control disaster movies of the week)
My regular mechanic will check it out this week, but with that morning squeal, I am believing more and more it's the water pump... (oh I just had this done in December...)

 

[unknown1]

Figured it out,as a bad valve cover gasket. No I cant smell/tell the diff in coolant or Mobile 1 or trans fluids anymore.Over ex-posed to it all.Anyway it is a valve cover prob this time.Thought it was a coolant leak as I had just replaced all that crap.And may have had some "residual"burnoff.Alls well that ends well.

 

[CLABORN1960]

Update!!!!!!!!

well I have more info and maybe a solution to those symptoms I described. I took my car to my mechanic and he put the cooling system under pressure. He found a very very small hole in the hose that goes into the water pump. He told me that it was spraying a small amount of coolant out, but that the fan was probably blowing the coolant back into the engine away from the opti-spark. He indicated that the opti looked fine.

So he is replacing the hoses, and the serpentine belt. I was getting an early morning squeal that I thought was the water pump (just replaced in December), but the mechanic said that the coolant being sprayed onto the serpentine belt giving me the squeal.

I am not sure, but I am thinking that when I was just letting the car idle before the fans came on, some coolant might have been working its way down into the opti causing the stumble when I finally started to move? Sound plausible?

 

[Hib Halverson]

Have any of you ever had a coolant smell after driving your vette? Whenever I drive my vette, after I turn it off, I smell coolant. There is none (coolant) leaking on the ground, I don't see any wet spots on the engine, hoses, water pump area, but I smell it...

Any suggestions as to where to look??

If the coolant smell is inside and you often have fogged windows, look for a leak in the heater core.

If the coolant smell is outside the car and is stronger with the hood open and the engine is not overheated, first see if the radiator cap is sealing properly and repair as necessary. Then check all coolant hoses, hose connections and engine part lines where coolant flows for leaks then repair as necessary.

If the coolant smell, and maybe white smoke, comes from the exhaust, look for a head gasket leak.