Mystery Coolant Leak
 

What's up guys

I purchased my second Evo 8 about 3 days and today am having some coolant problems. It's weird because before I bought the car, I obviously test drove it, and beat on it pretty good like I always do to make sure everything is good and never smelled or saw any coolant under the car, after the drive. I then stayed the night in the city I bought it in driving it around and then again the next day for 5 hours back home. Basically I've been driving it with no problems for the past 3 days. Well today driving around I noticed smoke coming out of my hood vent, got home, and coolant was all around the radiator, a/c lines, intercooler piping....even around the top of the radiator. I wiped everything down, put the car on jackstands cranked her up and waited.....for about 20 minutes. It wouldn't leak again! Couldn't find any source of it.

Has anyone else had this happen to them? Guess I'll keep watching it the next couple of days.

I had that happen on mine just out of the blue while driving. Thought it was coolant, cleaned it but never saw it again. Until I tried to use my ac and it wouldn't work. Turned out a small hole rubbed into my ac line on the pulley. The refrigerant and oil looked like coolant steam and left a slippery residue like the coolant. U might want to check that.

Check the coolant hoses going to the turbo as well...maybe just a small little hole in those too...

Coolant has a very distinct smell, there's no mistaking it for anything else.

Is the overflow all hooked up properly? My hose wasn't routed once right and it sprayed coolant onto my exhaust manifold, radiator...basically everything :(

make sure the radiator cap seal isnt torn.

so i just had this happen to me today. i smelled coolant went home. popped the hood and coolant was on top of the radiator and aclines and what not. i lost about half a quart. filled it went for a drive and came home. more coolant. i washed it again and let it idle. i found the leak coming from the top of the radiator where the radiator clips bend over the plastic top of the radiator. wtf would have caused this? is it repairable?

I've had that happen to a different radiator on a different car...I was told it was not repairable...had to be replaced.

i dont think you can repair the plastic part without it failing again.
I wouldnt take the chance on getting stuck someplace, replace that leaking radiator.

GL