Ok two weeks ago we had the radiator pulled to install my o2 housing, 10.5 turbine housing, Forge WGA and we also did a set of Samco Radiator hoses. We did spill coolant all over the place so I didnt pay attention to it at all. I just thought that over time it would burn off and that would be that. Well after we did it I maybe put 50 miles on the car before last weekend when I went on a 4 hour road trip to get my car tuned.

I thought this would rid the coolant smell but after riding 4 hours there and then 4 hours back I can still smell a hint of coolant in the engine bay. After I let the car cool off I checked the radiator and sure enough it was filled up. It might of took 10 drops to top it off completely after driving 8 hours and being tuned. The car runs perfect, it was tuned on 27 psi with alky. The motor has ARP studs also if that is of any help.

Im just wondering how long it will take for this to get burned off? Not sure if the temperature matters but it was in the 40s for the duration of my trip and I was cruising anywhere from 65-80 mph on the interstate. Im just puzzled cause I can smell coolant but when I check the radiator its always filled up. Any suggestions?

Oil appears to be perfect and nothing apperas to be mixing with the coolant

 

It took about 3 weeks or maybe even a month for the smell to completely go away. I'm sure your car is fine though just takes a while for the coolant to go away especially if a lot got spilled over the engine bay.

 

I noticed that silicone hoses smell like there were leaks.

 

Wow im surprised it takes that long for it all to burn off. Yeah coolant went all over and then when the fan came on it sprayed all over the place, lol. Thanks for the reply.

 

Check to see if you are pulling coolant from the resevoir just in case...if you had a leak, your radiator tops it's self off.

 

nvm, I read the entire post...hope it goes away soon

 

I agree! I had a blown freeze plug and had coolant all over the place and the smell has been going away as time passes, i still have some dry coolant by the firewall and behind the block...

 

Just checked the reservoir and it still has plenty left in it.

 

Put better clamps on the two lines that go to the turbo once you take them off they never hold like they did i had the same prob and i just put better clamps on those two lines had a small leek there try that.

 

We left the coolant line hooked up. We took just the hotside off the car and left the compressor on the car. Although we did move the compresor maybe one of those clamps you are speaking of came loose and it has a tiny leak. I will look into that as soon as my Ported/Coated stock manifold arrives and I install it.

 

Mine smells like coolant too. I had a blown headgasket(3 weeks ago) and I can still smell it. Im gonna power wash it soon.

 

If coolant is mixing in with your oil, what color will it be when you go to change it? My oil is usually pretty dark and I smell coolant when I am driving around w/ the heat on as well. I am not sure if it is from spilling it in the engine bay or if I have a leaky headgasket. It drives me nuts because I can't find any leaks.

 

Look at the freeze plug by the alternator, also check for leaks behind the block. Look at your overflow coolant tank and look at the color, if it looks brownish dark green, it means youre leaking coolant and you may have a bad headgasket..Also, if coolant was mixing with the oil, the oil would look watery

 

fwiw, if you have the rad hoses removed for an install, a pretty good amount of fluid can pool up inside the slieved hose ( it runs from below the intake side of the intake manifold down around the front of the motor below the exhaust manifold). It doesn't seem to want to drain, on my car the smell lasted about a month.

 

When my BOV flew off the hose and I thought I blew my headgasket , we opened the radiator cap to check for bubbling and whatnot. some coolant got out and the smell stayed for a couple weeks. crazy huh?