Random coolant smell. No leak

[SpecBamf41]

I cant seem to find the leak. No drips on the ground. But can smell it while not moving. Is there a common leak that anyone knows about that may cause this?

 

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[FJuan]

Get the motor up to temp, and check the over flow tank. If you see bubbles, then you may have a blown head gasket.

[iNVAR]

1) Check the hoses for SIGNS of leakage. You don't need a big leak or one that drips to the ground for you to smell it. If there's a leak somewhere and it drips onto your exhaust, there will be a smell, and you'll see white discoloration wherever it's coming from.

 

2) Could also be your heater core. Does the smell get stronger with the heat on? Or is it coming from the outside?

[doccrowley]

1- check all hose clamps (hoses shrink in cold temps)

2- check especially the main/ upper radiator hose where it goes underneath the power steering pump (my clamp used to weep just a little bit)

3- and last, but most serious of all would be head gaskets

 

I've been through all 3

[DonnyJagaru]

What Invar says. Listen for a tell-tale "sizzle" when you shut the car down.

[lobieGT]

What Invar says. Listen for a tell-tale "sizzle" when you shut the car down.

 

donny, where do you hear that sizzle? inside? hood open/immediately post shut down? do you mean something along the lines of coolant bubbling/boiling in the system? just curious myself as i recently seem to be experiencing similar issues to OP.

[kzr750r1]

Could be in many locations under the hood. I'm not the first I'm sure to say I hate the use of these spring clamps on these cars. They just don't cut it even when the car is new.

 

Some you can't see until you pull the intake off.

 

One thing I have noticed lately is the smaller hose from the overflow tank to the radiator looks like it's weaping over the entire length of the run... It's all the heat cycles and white not black any more, rubber obvously is degrading.

 

So it's only a matter of time that most all the hoses need replacing on these cars. While your at it buy a bag of worm gear clamps and lock those suckers down for good. I'm about to make a list of the hoses I need including vac and water and go to town. Mine have been replaced peace meal as needed so far couple of vac hoses and the turbo feed hose.

[Brian3676]

I was searching for 3 months for my small coolant smell. Could not find it anywhere. Finally when I had my intercooler off I found the smallest pin leak at the rubber hose connection to the metal coolant tube for the turbo.

[kzr750r1]

That hose takes a beating where it is. Theres a reason for the heat shield over it from the factory. Both the turbo lines as a matter of fact take a beating with heat cycles.

[DonnyJagaru]

Sorry, incommunicado for a while. The sizzle is coolant dripping onto the exhaust manifold and evaporating. So no puddle on ground.

[Max Capacity]

Could be the water pump weep hole. Mine leaked/weeped on the exhaust crossover tube and smoked out the hood scope after shutting it off.

[LegacyLove88]

Mine was leaking at the thermostat. It would stink up the whole cabin.