Uziguy18

iTrader: (1)

so i got a new radiator installed on my 98 z28.

afterwards started smelling the sweet smell.

no drips or leaks. didnt eat coolant

now today i raced a Suzuki bike and did a victory burn out and powerslide..

parked the car and it was gushing out coolant from somewhere on the drivers side

cant see anywhere on the rad that its leaking from.

hoses t stat waterpump all have no leaks...

my best guess is the smell would be from the heater core? since it wasnt actually dripping.

but now when it lost a 1/4-1/2 gallon of coolant..i refilled it,, had to drive 30 mins to work.. stopped at a gas station i normally stop at...i checked and the fluid didnt move.. isnt leaking,, cap wasnt even warm and neither were the hoses...

yet yesterday 2-19-15 when i made the same trip and i stopped at the gas station with the new rad the cap and hoses were burning hot like normal

maybe isnt circulating after it lost all that coolant and i refilled?

ULTIMATEORANGESS

iTrader: (4)

yes,heater core is my guess. is your tstat working properly?

Uziguy18

iTrader: (1)

should be?
temp gauge goes up to 185-and higher but not 210 when in traffic
driving stays 185 and lower

Silverbird01

Can you borrow or rent a radiator pressure tester? That should find any coolant leak you have. Good luck.

Uziguy18

iTrader: (1)

I'm sure a local autozone or whatever has one to rent

So that will pinpoint the leak?

Silverbird01

It should find the problem. I had a similar problem with my TA. I was loosing and smelling coolant but didn't see anything. Didn't smell anything in the car only near the front wheel area and under the hood.


Put the tester on and pressurized the system to 15lbs....viola! there it was, water pump weep hole and water pump gasket leaking everywhere. It came pouring out.


Not saying that is your problem but the pressure tester helped by saving me a lot of time searching and possibly leaving me stranded when the water pump would really have let go!

Uziguy18

iTrader: (1)

Alright thank you

roninsonic

iTrader: (3)

on the passenger side, it could be the hoses going TO the heater core coming off the water pump, as well.

Have you had your temp slider set on hot since it stopped leaking?

Uziguy18

iTrader: (1)

No I have not.

I had found the leak. It was a tiny cut in a rubber cap on the driverside bottom of the rad. Since it has a lt1 rad in it.

Now once again I'll be on a hunt for a new leak. Fills up the channel under the rad. Yet don't see anything wet besides there.

Will be checking it out first thing in the morning.

Uziguy18

iTrader: (1)

Car sat for 12 hours. I went to check the coolant level and when I turned the cap a rush of air escaped and the coolant was bubbling.

Doesn't look like oil in the coolant
Dip stick is still standard brown oil. Not sludge
Oil cap is stained a brownish orange. Nothing actually wet or moist.