Okay started my car tonight and noticed that it smelled like coolant as it warmed up. Now this was not coming from my exhaust it was coming from the motor. I think I might have a small leak but the funny thing is if I drive it everyday I can't smell it, it's only when the car sits for a couple days. Now if it was the turbo's going out wouldn't I smell it out the exhaust too? I'm going to pressure test the coolant system and try to find the leak but wondering if anyone has some good spots to check first, or if anyone had this problem.

 

Make sure coolant is not leaking from your air conditioning pipes inside the cabin. A quick way is to make sure your carpets aren't wet. I had the same problem until it was discovered that the o rings on the air conditioning pipes inside the cabin were leaking coolant. Really difficult to detect and a total bugger to replace as just about the whole dash had to come out to get to the air cond system. I hope it's an easier solution for you than me.

 

Might be a leaky turbo coolant hose. When they first start to leak, they seep and leave a puddle on the turbo housing, which evaporates as the car warms up. This puddle can cause a fire, since AF is flammable.

If the leak source is not obvious, do a coolant pressure test (lots of threads on this, search).

 

If you're on the stock radiator, I bet its the know expansion leak problem. Mine does this. Mine is not a daily driver, and I stay glued to my Commander watching the coolant temp when driving it.

Anywho, as the coolant starts to warm, so does the radiator. The stock radiator core is aluminum and the end caps are plastic. They don't expand at the same rate, and the difference in expansion rates leads to leakage. Mine does this but not every time. It seems that if I try to perfect the coolant level (topping at the radiator cap, and adding coolant to the 'C' in the overflow), the next time or two that I drive it, it will seep a bit during warm up. Once it is completely warmed up, the leaking stops. I think there may be some info in this in the stickie that has the alphabetical list of info.

It makes me nervous, I can smell it during warm up. But I stay glued to the coolant temps, and this has been happening long enough that I'm able to tolerate it. But a new radiator is in order, and I'll be procuring one when I find what I'm looking for.

 

Well guys I have been busy and have not had a chance to check it out yet. I have a aluminum radiator and a metal AST. I have just cleaned my whole interior and my carpet is not wet. I am going to check my turbo line now and do a pressure check. I drove it today and it has been sitting for a few days and I could smell the coolant. I went to the back to check the exhaust and see if I could smell it, and nothing. I know it's a leak on the motor just need to take time and find it. Thanks guys.

 

I had the same problem and i lifted my passenger side carpet up and it was leaking coolant out of my heater core. Try lifting up your carpet and check it out.

 

Well I don't have a heater core in it right now. It started to leak about 8 months ago and I pulled the lines out and rerouted them. It's not coming from in the car. If I close the door I don't smell anything. Last night I started it up and I could see the steam coming out of the hood from the lights. I lifted the hood up but could not pin point the location. just smelled like coolant. Like I broke a line but no fluid lose. As soon as it warmed up the smell was gone. Drove to the store came back and nothing. It freaks me out. Tomorrow I should have time to look it over and check it out. Just been really busy working on my wife's AE86.

 

Well guys found it. It was coming from a sensor. It was just a small bit.