Coolant leak???

[michaelz944]

I drive a 1999 Toyota Solara SLE V6.

Early today I had my engine mounts replaced and the car drives much "tighter" now. Later during the day I noticed a very heavy, syrupy-sweet smell coming from underneath the hood. Not too prevalent and pervasive; but it certainl wasn't there before just yesterday.

So I popped open the hood to inspect the radiator and all hoses and couldn't find any visible evidence of any coolant leaks (which was odd). The coolant level appeared to be at the appropriate level in the resevoir tank and the temperature gauge on the dashboard remained the same and didn't indicate any higher than normal temperatures.

So tonight I placed some flat pieces of carboard underneath my car to see if there is any leakage. If I do find a spot or two tomorrow morning, I'll simply have to take it to the shop again to have it further inspected (and preferably NOT to the same guy I had change the engine mounts as I suspect he may have done something deliberately so to bring it back to the shop to rip me off for more money...like he doesn't have enough business already! ...or could it just be a random coincidence? Hmmm...)

But if I don't, and if the mild oder persists, would it still be worth my while to have it checked out? Given everthing I've just stated, is it something I should be deeply concerned about? Maybe all the mechanic did was top off my fluids and accidentally spilled some coolant on the engine, and all it was was just the order of the residue (perhaps)?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated...thanks!

[michaelz944]

Also very important to note: The radiator wasn't steaming at all. Just a mild, yet heavy, syrupy-sweet scent of coolant.

[Mike Gerber]

If you find a spot it needs to be checked out. A mechanic will replace the radiator cap with a device that allows him to presurize the cooling system and then check for the leak. It is possible that the mechanic topped off the cooling system for you and did spill a bit. If so, that will go away in a few days.

Mike

[michaelz944]

Thanks for the post, Mike.

Actually there was all but ONE tiny drop found the next morning (less than half the size of a dime). On my way to the shop right now to have the system flushed, pressurized and checked for any leaks (for maintenance and peace of mind's sake, it's not a bad idea anyway).

Thanks again!

[Mike Gerber]

Originally Posted by michaelz944

Thanks for the post, Mike.

Actually there was all but ONE tiny drop found the next morning (less than half the size of a dime). On my way to the shop right now to have the system flushed, pressurized and checked for any leaks (for maintenance and peace of mind's sake, it's not a bad idea anyway).

Thanks again!

Have the system pressure tested first.

Mike

[michaelz944]

Indeed. That was already done and it turned out to be a defective radiator cap afterall.

Thanks again Mike!

[Mike Gerber]

Originally Posted by michaelz944

Indeed. That was already done and it turned out to be a defective radiator cap afterall.

Thanks again Mike!

I'm glad it was the cheapest and easiest thing to fix.

Mike