I have been noticing a coolant smell inside the car. I only notice when the car is first started up on cooler mornings. I noticed it last winter and had it checked. I had the dexcool flushed out and prestone in the yellow jug put back in. I had a complete flush and fill done on it. After I had this done I didn't notice the smell amymore. But now It seems to have come back. I don't have an indordinate amount of coolant loss. The smell just aggravates me.

What could it be??

Tim

possibly a small leak in your heater core?

Check under the car to make sure you not leaking. The only other thing I can tell is try a different brand of coolant if the smell is a problem. Sound like from what you have said its a small leak. Get it checked out and fixed! Good luck.

sounds like a trip to the parts store to me


Tim

you may want to do a number of things here:

possibly get your radiator cap checked
put the UV dye in it, and hit it with a UV light after a while
buy one of them things called an air freshner and ignore the smell.

may also want to check your bypass hose <if you guys even have one> and be sure its not leaking or anything. does the car puff out a bit of smoke when it starts in the morning?

you got some interesting ideas. The air freshener idea is so crazy it just might work. I will check the hoses.

Thanks for the input.


Tim

I've noticed an occasional smell that was present when I entered the closed car after sitting a long time, overnight. It was like coolant. So I have been watching. But I've decided it might be water from air conditioning and a little moldy smell coming from that.

I tried parking the car with the windows closed after the car was good and hot and the radiator was pressurized and a leak in heater would have seeped slightly at least. No smell. I've checked under water pump and around elbows on manifold to water pump looking for seeps. None found.

So don't panic unless it happens every time the car is closed up and has hot coolant under pressure that seeps and gives the smell.

My neighbors probably think I'm crazy when they see me open the hood after the hot car sits an hour and I'm going around the motor and radiator sniffing for scent of DexCool!!!

I have an 00 truck that smells like coolant when I first start it also. I had the dealer check it out. Nothing.

I've pressure tested it....Nothing

It may be from a slight amount that overflowed at one time and is sitting on the plastic splash shield.

Consider trying an enging cleaning. Since I've begun cleaning my engine 1-2 times a year the smells of oil, road gunk and coolant have all disappeared.

Hey thanks Bill. I'll give it a good cleaning maybe tomorrow. And see if that helps.

Hey imidazol don't worry about your neigbors, They prolly wouldn't understand anyway.
LMAO

Tim