Antifreeze smell

[YeuEmMaiMai]

I thought I read somewhere that it's not really an overflow tank. It's supposed to read full when at operating temp and a lower level when cold

 

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It's an over flow tank. Subarus like most cars operate about 15-16 PSI of pressure. Just like almost all liquid things, coolant expands as it heats up and once the pressure reaches a predetermined limit - as set in the radiator cap, it opens and lets coolant out until the pressure comes down and closes the valve. As the car cools off, the pressure drops and the coolant is again sucked back into the engine via vacuum... the reason you keep some coolant in the tank is to prevent the cooling system from sucking AIR back into the system as it draws coolant back in during cool down.

[EndUser2012]

Honestly, my 99 Legacy I just recently fully rebuilt the motor and I smell coolant but no burn that I can see...I shrug and keep driving it not a single issue 15k later... Wifes new 2017 Legacy, little smell but oh snap no coolant going away... I honestly think some people need to learn to be less picky or perhaps they just shouldn't own a car and give it to me

[vicvega]

Honestly, my 99 Legacy I just recently fully rebuilt the motor and I smell coolant but no burn that I can see...I shrug and keep driving it not a single issue 15k later... Wifes new 2017 Legacy, little smell but oh snap no coolant going away... I honestly think some people need to learn to be less picky or perhaps they just shouldn't own a car and give it to me [emoji38]

True. [emoji23] Just kinda weird that coolant smell is common anytime there's a leak. Maybe the placement of the overflow causes false positives. In my case I lost coolant and never saw puddles or visible signs of leaks. The dealer started monitoring and topping it off every visit. The offered to keep the car and provide a loaner. Owning the car two years and 3 months with 15k on the odometer it's no longer new lol

 

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[Micropacket]

Just had my car in to have the dealer check for a leak. I had to add coolant a couple times and could never find the leak. My warranty is almost up. They saw seepage at the egr cooler and replaced it and a couple gaskets. I had looked all over with no luck. Just drove it home and I can smell it really strong after putting it in the garage. Assume they got some coolant splashed around when they were replacing it. Plan to hose down the engine this week and hope the mystery is solved for me. Will let you know.

 

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[Opie]

You will almost always smell coolant from a hot Subaru engine because they use vented coolant overflow tanks. They are not sealed and vent to the atmosphere, if the cooling system is passing a pressure test, that is what you are smelling.

 

If the overflow tank is anywhere between the low & full it is fine. Usually at low when cold, full when hot. If the overflow tank is over filled it will purge coolant out (and increase the smell).

[vicvega]

@Micropacket..Good luck and thanks for your post. This reminds me to check my coolant and oil first thing tomorrow morning. I have been watching these like a hawk from personal experience and posts from other members. Please keep us posted. How many miles on your ODO?

 

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[Micropacket]

31000 on the odo. When I would check under the hood the smell would be coming from the passenger side towards the firewall not the reservoir area. I always check the coolant when the car is cold and had to refill a couple times as it would go below the low level. I did not overfill the tank. Had to add about every 6 months. This was not a "normal" smell. And the level did go down although slowly. The loaner car did not have the symptoms or smell. I understand the venting people mention, but that is not what I was smelling. Smelled like antifreeze hitting something hot and vaporizing. Enough to attract my attention. Owned many cars and trucks over the years and this was not a normal smell you should notice this much.

 

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[Jsmith]

31000 on the odo. When I would check under the hood the smell would be coming from the passenger side towards the firewall not the reservoir area. I always check the coolant when the car is cold and had to refill a couple times as it would go below the low level. I did not overfill the tank. Had to add about every 6 months. This was not a "normal" smell. And the level did go down although slowly. The loaner car did not have the symptoms or smell. I understand the venting people mention, but that is not what I was smelling. Smelled like antifreeze hitting something hot and vaporizing. Enough to attract my attention. Owned many cars and trucks over the years and this was not a normal smell you should notice this much.

 

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Hard to diagnose over the internet, but the heater core is in that area....

Do smell it from inside the cabin?

[UGCspawn]

Simple check for you, as I went through this past winter, and the result was unsuspected. While driving slow, use your windshield fluid, and see if you smell it each time you activate it. I don,t understand why, the the washer fluid that I buy at Costco smell that rotten fish that coolant have aroma when used. I realized that my car would smell each time the weather was bad, and by triying different method to dupplicate the smell, I found this almost by accident....My dealer was quite happy over the pphone, because they were about to conduct tests on my car.

[Jsmith]

Simple check for you, as I went through this past winter, and the result was unsuspected. While driving slow, use your windshield fluid, and see if you smell it each time you activate it. I don,t understand why, the the washer fluid that I buy at Costco smell that rotten fish that coolant have aroma when used. I realized that my car would smell each time the weather was bad, and by triying different method to dupplicate the smell, I found this almost by accident....My dealer was quite happy over the pphone, because they were about to conduct tests on my car.

 

 

Huh? I don't think you completed your thought? What does that mean?

[waldguy]

^^^ He's saying the smell he thought was antifreeze was really Costco windshield washer fluid.

[Jsmith]

Ahhh thanks for translating....

 

He should use the Rain-X orange fluid, I love the smell of that stuff lol

[UGCspawn]

Huh? I don't think you completed your thought? What does that mean?

Sorry, was only on my firs coffee when I wrote this. Like Waldguy said, what I though was antifreeze was the washer fluid. Same smell. It,s a first for me after owning many cars (5 of them being Subaru). It's a fast test to do to eliminate that cause.

[vicvega]

Quick update: Car sat a week and a half and I checked the oil and coolant before starting.

 

 

Reservoir level cold: went up to the line once the engine warmed up.

 

 

Oil dip stick:

 

 

Looks good to me only 1406 miles since its oil change in Dec 2016.

 

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[capttris]

You look a little low on the coolant. The COLD level should be at the lower mark, as a minimum. For the sake of measuring and monitoring, you may want to bring this up EVEN with the lower mark, so you can monitor accurately.

[brokentv]

I bought a 2013 legacy a few months ago and have notice the coolant smell here and there, but havent noticed and leaks or significant coolant loss. The only time I noticed some coolant loss was on a 800 mile trip to california, which I think was to due to the stretch of the trip that took my fully loaded car with ac on through 3-4 hours of 115 desert heat. Aside from that it seems the smell comes for me on the hotter days especially after sitting in rush hour traffic. I'm wondering if that blue coolant just has an extra strong smell and these cars vents more than older subs or in my cars case perhaps it is a sign of the water pump needing replaced.

[Twhit]

I bought a 2013 legacy a few months ago and have notice the coolant smell here and there, but havent noticed and leaks or significant coolant loss. The only time I noticed some coolant loss was on a 800 mile trip to california, which I think was to due to the stretch of the trip that took my fully loaded car with ac on through 3-4 hours of 115 desert heat. Aside from that it seems the smell comes for me on the hotter days especially after sitting in rush hour traffic. I'm wondering if that blue coolant just has an extra strong smell and these cars vents more than older subs or in my cars case perhaps it is a sign of the water pump needing replaced.

 

 

 

I have a 2017 and I notice the same thing only when it's really hot outside , above 93. And yes the AC running entire time as well. Not every time but once in a while.

 

 

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