Odd Cooling Problem

kdog_x · Sep 1, 2004

I was having a problem where my overflow would not stay filled up, I replaced the upper/lower hoses and the TB hoses as well, but it still never fixed my problem. The radiator stays filled all the way to the top, but the overflow will be empty within a week or two. I pulled the overflow off and filled it in a sink to check it -- couldn't find any leaks from the hose or the overflow tank that way.

So I pretty much just said screw it and I just fill the overflow once a week, but now when I get in the car in the morning it smells like coolant worse and worse, so I figured maybe it was the heater core. I checked the passenger side floor for wetness and it's bone dry, I also checked the two firewall hoses and they don't appear to be leaking either. I'd hate to pull the dash apart for the heater core if thats not my problem -- anyone have any suggestions?

CoupedUp93 · Sep 1, 2004

Have you checked the thermostat housing, and around the lower intake. Also how is the car performing? If performing badly could be head gasket. Blown head gasket will let water into the cylinders.

kdog_x · Sep 1, 2004

CoupedUp93 said:
Have you checked the thermostat housing, and around the lower intake. Also how is the car performing? If performing badly could be head gasket. Blown head gasket will let water into the cylinders.

No leaks from the housing, nothing from the intake either that I can find. The car is running pretty well, it's got a little bit of hesitation at about 2k RPMs but I'm figuring thats probably related to something else. Head gasket would probably be bad at any RPM range.

L8 MUSL · Sep 1, 2004

Drain the oil (you probably need to anyway) and check for coolant.
I had a head gasket go and it never really heated up or smoked, I just had water dissapearing from the cooling system.(at first anyway) but when I drained my oil, the first few quarts were straight coolant!

FrdMustangCpe · Sep 1, 2004

does the coolant/oil kinda chemically separate themselves? im noticing that i may have the same problem too, i havent replaced anything either. i may change my t-stat to a 180, replace all the hoses, and flush the radiator.

dastang2 · Sep 1, 2004

check the radiator cap, if it is busted the overflow won't work very well. check for missing rubber or a bad spring, go ahead and replace it anyway.

The Shape · Sep 1, 2004

Definently check your radiator cap. As cheap as they are just replace it and see what happens. Also though you mention smelling coolant but that your floorboard isn't wet. Alot of times the coolant from a leaking heater core will drain out of the firewall drain hole for your A/C evaporator core instead of into your floor board. Hopefully it is just the radiator cap though and an easy fix.

bgjohnson · Sep 1, 2004

the exact same thing happened to me, I didn't figure it out for about 2 years until I did my setup. I looked the old radiator over pretty good and discovered a pin hole prick that let coolant out only when it warmed up when pressure was applied, and it would follow the radiator support into the frame and fall out when I drove, I couldn't see it until I had it out, so try and check it over real well, look for darker wetter spots on the fins. good luck.

fost9508 · Sep 2, 2004

Question sort of off topic....how can you tell if you have a cracked head gasket, I understand you check the oil for coolent, and I haven't noticed any...any other symptons. I have noticed hesitation at 1-2k RPMS which I can't explain.

Thanks,

dastang2 · Sep 2, 2004

take the spark plugs out and note if they are wet or dry, smell the wet ones to see if it is gas or water. you would also most likely have some missing.the coolant will be missing and it may be running hotter.

kdog_x · Sep 2, 2004

I replaced the cap and radiator together about a year or so ago, so I don't think that's the problem. I just changed the oil about 2 weeks ago and there wasn't any coolant in there that I noticed. It's weird, I don't really smell anything while I'm driving, but when I go out there after it's been sitting a while with the windows closed it smells pretty strongly. Can't smell it under the hood, no puddles, or leaks or anything. Would anything other than the heater core cause me to smell it inside the car before the engine is warmed up?

bgjohnson · Sep 2, 2004

try this, if you can't find the leak and you suspect the heat core. just unplug the hoses that go into you firewall and connect them to each other with an elbow, so basiacally just bypass it and see if you are still missing coolant in a couple weeks, and this won't hurt anything at all, just a test to narrow it down some more, and if that doesn't work I'd check the intake gaskets, don't forget you have coolant going through that too. and also if you have a leak in the intake gasket that might also explain the 2 k stumble you described.

dastang2 · Sep 2, 2004

kdog_x said:
I replaced the cap and radiator together about a year or so ago, so I don't think that's the problem. I just changed the oil about 2 weeks ago and there wasn't any coolant in there that I noticed. It's weird, I don't really smell anything while I'm driving, but when I go out there after it's been sitting a while with the windows closed it smells pretty strongly. Can't smell it under the hood, no puddles, or leaks or anything. Would anything other than the heater core cause me to smell it inside the car before the engine is warmed up?

can't hurt to just check. a radiator cap is a cheap piece of metal and rubber and they can go pretty quick if it is a cheap brand or whatnot.

Odd Cooling Problem

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