stryker Posted July 7, 2007 Report Share Posted July 7, 2007 Well since I got this car I had a bad water pump. I fixed that and now it seems like I can smell anti freeze all the time.It has been a couple of weeks since I changed the pump so any spilled coolant should be long gone by now. I haven't had to add any coolant either. It looks a little low in the recovery tank but still not low enough to add any yet. No milky oil and I don't see any thing coming out the exhaust. I started checking around here and everyone wants more than I have in the car to fix head gaskets.I have tried all that crap pour in junk before with no luck. Anyone know of a easy way to tell if it is a head or head gasket? Car still runs fine and there isn't any other issues in the drive train. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1990lumina Posted July 7, 2007 Report Share Posted July 7, 2007 Are you sure it's the head gaskets?? Are there any visible leaks on the ground by where you park or anything?? Might have a leaking heater hose or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19Cutlass94 Posted July 7, 2007 Report Share Posted July 7, 2007 If the head gaskets were leaking you would smell the antifreeze being burnt out the tail pipe. And since you said that theres nothing coming out the tail pipe, then its not the head gaskets... Im gonna take a long shot guess here and say that its got something to do with the heater core if you can smell it inside the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy K Posted July 7, 2007 Report Share Posted July 7, 2007 If the head gaskets were leaking you would smell the antifreeze being burnt out the tail pipe. And since you said that theres nothing coming out the tail pipe, then its not the head gaskets... Im gonna take a long shot guess here and say that its got something to do with the heater core if you can smell it inside the car. x2 sounds like it is NOT a head gasket Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stryker Posted July 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2007 Like I said in the first post,Maybe a head gasket? I'm not really sure at this point. I can't find any water ANYWHERE!. I notice the smell more at the front of the car than anywhere else. The floor is dry and there is no normal signs of water leaking from hoses or anywhere else. That is what made me think head gasket. I figured it if it was a small leak,by the time it got to the back of the car it would have evaporated enough to not see anything. It may not be much of a problem for me after this week because I have a offer on it that would make me a pretty good profit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stryker Posted July 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2007 Well as of today I don't think it's the head gasket!! After 9 hours at work we were in the parking lot and a coworker says man I smell antifreeze and he asks me if I had a leak. My car was the only one with in 50 feet of us so it HAS to be my car. The bad thing is there are NO puddles of liquid anywhere under or around the car and it had sat there for 9 hours without being started. The floor isn't wet so I figure it isn't the heater core and since I changed the water pump a month ago I have only added about a pint of antifreeze. I just figured that was because I didn't get it all the way full. I can't see or find any heater hoses and I tried to run the heat/defrost and it all seemed to run fine.So where the heck is the smell coming from???????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOHCRagtopguy Posted July 13, 2007 Report Share Posted July 13, 2007 I would perform a pressure test on the cooling system. This is a gizmo that you would attach to the radiator neck and pump it up to about 20 PSI, watch the gage to see if the pressure falls. If it does then you have a leak somewhere and usually you will be able to spot it. Sounds like you have a tiny leak that probably dries up before you have a chance to see it when you pop the hood. I highly doubt if it is a head gasket however. From your descriptions it is not showing any symptoms of that. Good luck, hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy K Posted July 13, 2007 Report Share Posted July 13, 2007 I bet. I betcha you have a crack at the top of one of the radiator side pieces. (most likely on the drivers side) it is high up enough that coolant does not flow out, but pressure lets out vapor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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