Radiator smell

[yank dini]

Just wondering that if I really run my Vibe for a little bit. I begin to really smell the radiator when I get out of the car. I never give it a second thought for older cars, but is it normal for a new car to do this???

[NovaResource]

I'm not sure what you mean by "smell the radiator". Do you smell coolant? Is there coolant leaking? Is the radiator low? If you aren't leaking coolant, you are fine. You are probably just smelling the heat off the engine. That's normal when run hard or in hot weather.

[yank dini]

Sorry I guess I meant coolant. Trust me I've driven enough "hoopties" to recognize that smell. I was just a little concerned that's all. I'm not leaking fluid (green) though so I guess I'm ok.

[Hawke]

Take it to a dealer and get a pressure test done. Tell them you can smell the coolant. You may not be able to see the coolant, especially if it's dripping on something hot an evaporating.

[NovaResource]

The best way to know if you have a leak is if the coolant level drops. Check the coolant when it's cool and while parked on a level surface. If it's not going down, you're not loosing any. Remember, that coolant smell couls just be from the vent of the overflow tank.

[d_m_kolb]

That is a good way but if the leak is very small as it must be if you can't find any coolant on the ground your best beat would be to do a radiator pressure test. Any garage should have this simple device.All it is, is a radiator cap with a hose connected to the top and then a small air pump with a gauge. You attach the pressure cap to the radiator where the stock pressure cap sits. You then pump up the system with pressure and watch the gauge. If the gauge moves down meaning it's losing pressure then you have a leak. If the guage doesn't move then you probably don't have a leak.I have one of these kits at home and it ran me around $20 at sears.

[NovaResource]

I agree, a pressure tester is the best way but most people don't have one. If the loss is so small that you can't see the level drop, it's not something I'd be too worried about then.

[Hawke]

Just take it to a dealer, it's under warranty and it's a valid claim. You wouldn't get smell from the overflow bottle unless you're driving in real hot conditions. Also about seeing the coolant level drop, the system wouldn't be under pressure with the engine off and if you could see the level drop when it's sitting there, it's already too late. There wouldn't be any coolant left in the engine after about 5 minutes of driving. So if you can't see the level drop but can still smell it, it's still a problem.

[NovaResource]

quote:Also about seeing the coolant level drop, the system wouldn't be under pressure with the engine off and if you could see the level drop when it's sitting there, it's already too late. There wouldn't be any coolant left in the engine after about 5 minutes of driving. So if you can't see the level drop but can still smell it, it's still a problem.What? You check the level when the engine is off and cool, not when it's hot and running. Check it today, go drive it and check it tomorrow. If it's lower, you lost coolant. If it's not lower, you haven't lost coolant. And yes, you will smell coolant from the overflow bottle when the engine is hot.
[Modified by NovaResource, 2:19 PM 9/30/2002]

[Hawke]

quote:Check the coolant when it's cool and while parked on a level surface. If it's not going down, you're not loosing any.From this it sounds like you were saying to simply sit there and watch the coolant bottle when it's cold for five minutes or so and if you can visibly see it dropping then you have a problem. My response was that if the car is sitting there not running and it's cold and you can see the level dropping you have a seriosus problem and wouldn't be able to drive five minutes without loosing all of your coolant. You didn't mention checking every day or so. And no, you shouldn't smell coolant from the overflow bottle when getting out of your car. When it cools down, it contracts thus sucking coolant back into the system and air into the bottle.

[NovaResource]

quote:From this it sounds like you were saying to simply sit there and watch the coolant bottle when it's cold for five minutes or so and if you can visibly see it dropping then you have a problem. My response was that if the car is sitting there not running and it's cold and you can see the level dropping you have a seriosus problem and wouldn't be able to drive five minutes without loosing all of your coolant. You didn't mention checking every day or so.Sorry, I thought that was obvious.quote:And no, you shouldn't smell coolant from the overflow bottle when getting out of your car. When it cools down, it contracts thus sucking coolant back into the system and air into the bottle.So your engine cools down so fast and sucks the coolant back in the system before you can even get out of the car? Wow! That's impressive. Unfortunately, reality is that the overflow bottle has hot coolant in it long after you turn the engine off and vapors DO escape.

[Hawke]

quote: So your engine cools down so fast and sucks the coolant back in the system before you can even get out of the car? Wow! That's impressive. Unfortunately, reality is that the overflow bottle has hot coolant in it long after you turn the engine off and vapors DO escape.I guess I got on a touchy subject. This is getting off topic and taking it to the dealer and getting a pressure test would be free and is the best thing to do. Honestly, you really think smelling coolant on a regular basis when getting out of a car that is less than a year old is normal?

[NovaResource]

quote:I guess I got on a touchy subject.Not a touchy subject, I just know how a cooling system operates. As the engine gets hot the coolant expands and creates pressure in the radiator and engine. As pressure increases, the temperature at which the coolant starts to boil rises. However, too much pressure could rupture the radiator and/or coolant lines. This is where the radiator cap comes in. They are rated at a specific pressure (usually 15 to 22 pounds depending on the vehicle). When the pressure in the system goes above the rated pressure on the cap, the cap opens allowing coolant to flow into the overflow bottle. The released coolant lowers the pressure in the system to below the caps rating and the cap closes. If the overflow bottle was totally sealed, it would rupture from the pressure of the hot coolant that was released from the radiator cap.A good example of this is to get a plastic gallon jug of milk with a snap on cap. Put a small amount of water in the jug (about a pint), leave the cap off and put it in the refrigerator for a few hours to get good and cold. Then put the cap on and remove the jug from the refrig. Place it in direct sunlight or anywhere there is a source of heat. As the air in the jug gets warm the pressure in the bottle goes up. If enough heat is applied it could blow the cap off.To prevent pressure in the overflow bottle, there is a vent to release the pressure. The smell comes from the heated coolant heating the air in the bottle. When the engine is shut off and starts to cool, the coolant cools and pressure is decreased in the system. As the pressure in the radiator goes down, it creates a vacuum in the radiator. That vacuum now opens a second valve in the radiator cap and atmospheric pressure forces the coolant in the oveflow bottle back into the radiator. This is why a properly operating cooling system never looses coolant in the radiator and why the level in the oveflow tank is always higher when hot.So, if you check your coolant level when the engine is cold, then drive the car allowing it to get hot and then cool down again, then when cold, recheck the coolant level. If it's the same you probably don't have a problem. If it's lower, then you have a problem. Also check the level in the overflow tank the same way. Check when cold, drive, allow to cool and check again. If it's going down, there is coolant loss somewhere.quote:Honestly, you really think smelling coolant on a regular basis when getting out of a car that is less than a year old is normal?If the engine is real hot, yes. My cars don't do it on a regular basis but in the summer during 90+ degree days and when the engine is real warm from either a hard or long drive, you can smell coolant if you are standing near the front of the car.

[Hawke]

quote:To prevent pressure in the overflow bottle, there is a vent to release the pressure. The smell comes from the heated coolant heating the air in the bottle. And the heated air expands forcing air from the bottle out to the atmosphere, this happens when the vehicle is warming up, not when it is shut off. quote: When the engine is shut off and starts to cool, the coolant cools and pressure is decreased in the system. As the pressure in the radiator goes down, it creates a vacuum in the radiator. That vacuum now opens a second valve in the radiator cap and atmospheric pressure forces the coolant in the oveflow bottle back into the radiator.This is why I said the system will suck ambient air into the bottle (through the vent) and you wouldn't be able to smell the coolant since air is going in(through the vent), not out.quote:If the engine is real hot, yes. My cars don't do it on a regular basis but in the summer during 90+ degree days and when the engine is real warm from either a hard or long drive, you can smell coolant if you are standing near the front of the car.True on hotter days you may be able to smell it due to slight afterboil. This is why I said you wouldn't smell it unless it was hot out in my second post, but this shouldn't occur on a regular basis.

[Vibe Rater]

Is the car brand new? If it is brand new, it may simply be a case that there was some coolant spilled in the assembly process, and what you are smelling is this spillage burning off. If this is the case, the smell should gradually get milder until it is gone. Maybe rinse under the hood with a garden hose or something and give it a few days to burn off. If the smell persists or gets worse, take it in. There is a leak somewhere. It wouldn't take much coolant to cause a bitter, unpleasant smell. That stuff is powerful, and pets are attracted to it (sweet smell) and will drink it, much to their own harm. Drinking coolant blows the kidneys right out. Death soon follows.

[NovaResource]

quote:And the heated air expands forcing air from the bottle out to the atmosphere, this happens when the vehicle is warming up, not when it is shut off.It happens as long as the coolant in the overflow bottle is hot. Drive you car for a while and then shut it off. I guarantee the coolant in the overflow bottle will still be hot after you shut it off.quote:This is why I said the system will suck ambient air into the bottle (through the vent) and you wouldn't be able to smell the coolant since air is going in (through the vent), not out.Like I said above, this doesn't happen immediately. In reality, the coolant will get hotter when the engine is first shut off because the coolant is no longer being circulated by the water pump and fan is no longer cooling the radiator. It takes a little while for the coolant in the system to cool down enough to create enough vacuum in the radiator to suck the overflow coolant back in.

[Hawke]

quote:It happens as long as the coolant in the overflow bottle is hot. Drive you car for a while and then shut it off. I guarantee the coolant in the overflow bottle will still be hot after you shut it off.It has absolutely nothing to do with being hot, only temperature change. As the temperature increases it expands, decreases it contracts. I wouldn't consider the coolant in the bottle hot either. The hot coolant is in the system, not in the bottle.

[NovaResource]

You have no idea how automotive engine coolant systems work.quote:It has absolutely nothing to do with being hot, only temperature change. As the temperature increases it expands, decreases it contracts.Hot coolant sends out an aroma even if it's cooling off.quote:I wouldn't consider the coolant in the bottle hot either. The hot coolant is in the system, not in the bottle.Oh yeah, then go pour it on your arm right after you shut the engine off after a long trip.

[Hawke]

quote:You have no idea how automotive engine coolant systems work.dude it's you that has no idea what you're talking about.quote:Hot coolant sends out an aroma even if it's cooling off.Any coolant sends out an aroma, true warmer colant will send out more. What I stated was whether or not the air would be going in or out of the bottle. You said air would be going out of the bottle when it's hot, look up a couple of posts. You might have learned this isn't the case in high school, in a basic science class.quote:Oh yeah, then go pour it on your arm right after you shut the engine off after a long trip.I wouldn't have a problem doing that with the overflow system the vibe has. If it were a surge tank, that would be a different story.

[NovaResource]

quote:Any coolant sends out an aroma, true warmer colant will send out more. What I stated was whether or not the air would be going in or out of the bottle.The whole question posted at the top was about SMELLING the radiator. That is what I'm talking about. An aroma that you can smell comes from the hot coolant in the overflow tank escaping through the vent. Get a clue.

[Hawke]

quote:The whole question posted at the top was about SMELLING the radiator. That is what I'm talking about. An aroma that you can smell comes from the hot coolant in the overflow tank escaping through the vent. Get a clue.But that's not what you were debating was it... Nice to see you've come around. I stated before, if it's really hot you will be able to get a slight coolant smell, smelling it on a regular basis is not normal! The smell escapes by diffusion. Given the small opening in the bottle this is a very slow process!