Coolant smell

[Larry's Yellow Rdstr]

When my 87 get up to operating temp I can smell coolant but I cannot find a leak anywhere. My heater core is not leaking. The radiator cap is fairly new. The coolant recovery tank has a cap that isn't perfect but I think it seals properly. This is driving me nuts. The past week or so the car is running a little hotter, but again I cannot find a leak. No spots on the garage floor after a run??

If there is a leak the water must be evaporating before it leaves a trace. Hoses are old and I have replaced two small ones. ???

 

[G Winter]

My guess is the radiator hose at the thermostat housing or the gasket on the housing. Could leak there and boil off. not sure if the hose from the throttle body would leak on the manifold. I think it is to far forward.

 

[tonylong]

I had a similar problem with my 89 cert.
For years I could smell coolant, and niticed the overflow bottle losing coolant.
I finally had a long pressure test done, and found it was the heater hose (long funny looking hose that ran under several components - preventing me from seeing it leaking). After replacint it 2 months ago, the smell and leak stopped.
The pressure test is what found the problem.

 

[Ted Krempa]

also, check heater core. Its like a small radiator on the firewall somewhere. God help you if that is the problem !! (check carpet on passenger firewall and floor for moisture)

 

[larry bud]

When my 87 get up to operating temp I can smell coolant but I cannot find a leak anywhere. My heater core is not leaking. The radiator cap is fairly new. The coolant recovery tank has a cap that isn't perfect but I think it seals properly. This is driving me nuts. The past week or so the car is running a little hotter, but again I cannot find a leak. No spots on the garage floor after a run??

If there is a leak the water must be evaporating before it leaves a trace. Hoses are old and I have replaced two small ones. ???

I would replace all the hoses if I were you.

Is the smell from the inside or outside of the car? I've had hoses where the leak was so small it just dripped slowly out, but if you bent the hose in a particular angle, it would squirt out.

I'd also check the radiator. It will drop down into the shroud that protects it. Could be a very small leak.

 

[Larry's Yellow Rdstr]

This weekend I'm gonna take a serious look for the problem. Thanks for all the suggestions, I appreciate it.

 

[John Robinson]

Leak

If you smell it then it is probably hitting a hot surface like a manifold or exhaust pipe. Remember the air movement under the hodd can take the liquid a long way away from the source. Nobody's mentioned the water pump but you might also check the weep hole for leakage. Good luck and let us know what you find.:cool

 

[Moonunit 451]

I had a similar problem with my 89 cert.
For years I could smell coolant, and niticed the overflow bottle losing coolant.
I finally had a long pressure test done, and found it was the heater hose (long funny looking hose that ran under several components - preventing me from seeing it leaking). After replacint it 2 months ago, the smell and leak stopped.
The pressure test is what found the problem.

The hose that Y's L center in the middle of the alt bracket is the one he is talking about, The original is a one piece hose, and it is not easy to locate a leak there cause you can't see it. The other thing I would look for is an intake leak. Sometimes you will find a small amountof coolant in the intake valley's up by the firewall. Good luck. A pressure test would be your quickest diagnostic proceedure.

 

[tyrel]

There are many places it could be leaking. Lots of mechanics will do a pressure test for free, this is where you should start. Also check your oil, if there's coolant in it, it's a head gasket leak.