Here's the deal. i just replaced my radiator (along with some other things, but thats another thread.) due to some front end damage. the NEW radiator has been in the car now for a little over a week i guess, and i keep getting the distinct smell of antifreeze? i checked all my hoses a few times now, along with the radiator itself. no holes/leaks or anything. i dont see any fluid anywhere. i bled the system pretty well over the last week as well. so im not sure why i still smell it? it was much worse (stronger) at first, but has die down some.

is this normal with a new radiator? its been SO LONG since i have had to replace one in anything that i dont remember if this happend before? thanks guys!

 

Why did you replace the original radiator? Was it leaking? Did you spill any anti-freeze mix when you put it in the new radiator?

I had to change teh radiator about a month ago on my '01 Prelude. I had no anti-freeze smells at all.

 

Did you get anti-freeze on your hands during the install/swap? Is it on your steering wheel, now, too? Maybe you had some on your shoes, and tracked it on your carpet. When the car heater warms up your interior, you smell it...?

 

I've replaced radiators, but generally only use water so no "coolant" smell. However, DEEZEE is right. If you spill any antifreeze anywhere, it will smell for awhile. If you still smell it in a week, it could be a problem. Chech your overflow tank to make sure it is not going below the min line. Check it when the car is cold and the radiator has pulled the overflow back in. If the level is dropping from day to day, you have a leak.

 

i replaced it due to hitting a racoon. i "tried" to bleed it like my friend at nissn told me to. (jack up the front end, open the cap, rev motor, watch air bleed.) so needless to say i made a BIG mess! i got antifreeze everywhere! it might just be burn off? it is getting better now. i think i have all the air out of the systm though.

 

Heh, I whacked a squished a racoon about a month ago... I was quite suprised to see my Veilside lip hold up...

Anyways, try spraying some Simple Green where you got anti-freeze on. It should break down any of the residual fluid...

 

Those little ****ers do damage! I hit one awhile back on the corner of the bumper. Cracked the washer tank and slight damage to bumper.

 

A buddy of mine hit one at about 100 in his Prelude. Really messed up the entire front of his car pretty seriously. Lots of damage. Of course, I guess hitting anything other than a small bug at 100 mph can cause serious damage. (And those stupid bugs can still chip your paint!

 

yea, it did some damage! there is a thread about it here smewhere. i can try the simple green. but i might as well take the top off the bottle! i got that **** everywhere!! how long would it take to burn off you think? i cant smell it much anymore.

 

check all your clamps are tight...and what radiator did you use and what hoses?

 

ill check them again, but i dont see any fluid anywhere? i used an exact copy of the oem radiator, only its made by koyo, along with the stock hoses. the radiator was only like $220 shipped with a lifetime warrenty through www.radiator.com! they even got it to me the NEXT DAY!! i was going to get the koyo aftermarket race version, but someone told me it wasnt worth the trouble.

 

they may be lose enough to vent the odor but not necessarily the fluid - especially the upper hose...I had the exact issue with my aluminum radiator

 

ill look at it. thanks.

 

if you spilled any coolant onto your motor, or into the engine bay at all you may still be smelling that burning off. You may get that type of smell for some time after the work was done even if there's nothing wrong, if the spilled coolant is burning off..,..

 

thats my best guess too. i got it all over when i bled it. the first cold morning (the next day) i drove it after the change, i was getting alot of steam rising up throught the vents in the top of my seibon hood when i stopped, along with a strong smell. it has been much colder out since then, but no steam, and the smell is still getting lighter. now you have to open the hood and smell for it, to smell it. ill keep posting here to let you all know how it goes. thanks again for all the help guys.

 

I changed the radiator in my '68 Mustang coupe with a 302 when I was 17. There's nothing to it just check yer hoses which you already have. And it's pretty easy to see if there's a leak so it sounds like you don't have one. Check your engine bay after driving your car a while; shut off your engine and as it cools down, see if you can smell antifreeze; you could have a porous leak that only steam can seep through, so you wouldn't see a leak; usually this occurs at the return hose or even your radiator cap. I used to hose down my '68 Stang's engine after covering the electricals with foil and that would eliminate any kind of smell besides getting it clean.

 

i hosed it down pretty good the other day. im going to look over the hoses again. ill take a close look at them after my drive home from work today.

 

I just replaced my OEM plastic radiator w/ a GReddy all aluminum unit. No smelly. Ohh this is on the 240SX.

I put a Fluidyne in the RX-7, no smelly either.

 

well i got looking at it today, and it look like i put one of the hoses (top left) on the radiator almost all the way butting up to the radiator, but not quite! the clamp was a on a slight angle as well. i was rushing when i did it because it had gotten dark out, and i only had a flash light. my friend had my good lamp. so i see how i couldve miseed it. i wouldnt think that could make that big of a difference? there wasnt any fluid around it? i readjusted it, then took it for a 20 min drive. i was in trafic alot so i didnt get to push it very hard, but when i got out afterwards to check it...........i couldnt smell it anymore? its too soon to say "its fixed", but ill keep you guys updated. i need to go for a more "agressive" drive to tell for sure! Z1 im wondering if you were right about the hose venting only the odor, and no fluid? if so, there is VERY little tolerance for that hose to be off! what hose is that anways? is the upper left hose the return? thanks again guys!

 

Trust me, I'm right

Ditch the stock hose clamps (the crimp ones) and get some decent worm style or t bolts if you want the bling....your odor will be gone

adam