post-new head gasket. Still smelling coolant

[91tercelowner]

OK. So it's a week after the new head gasket/engine work.

I have driven all over the place. The crap floating around the system is now all burned off and the car passed inspection.

But I notice when I drive, at the end of a trip, after I park, I can still smell coolant a bit coming from under the hood. Popped the hood, the reservoir level is just fine. There don't seem to be any leaks. It smells like it is coming from the cap--and I know for a fact he replaced the cap.

So, given I don't even remember what "normal" is anymore, is this a problem?

Or do all or some cars give off a little smell of coolant steam from the cap after the car has been driven around?

The guy lied to my face about something, so I reallllly don't want to go back there ever again.

But $1200 is $1200 after all.

Thoughts?

[toyomoho]

After a long drive get a strong flashlight. Check the bottom of the radiator where they may be a plastic shield that coolant could pool. Check the engine and hoses for signs of leakage. When the engine is cold you can feel the hoses for coolant.

If you think the leak is near the cap, inspect the radiator area under the cap for leakage. A coolant leak on a hot surface can evaporate leaving only the coolant odor. Check the hose going to the overflow tank.

Is is possible given all the items that needed to be removed, a hose or something else could be leaking. Possible loose hose clamp.

[91tercelowner]

So what you are telling me is that there is never a time when one should smell coolant?

Two days after I got the car back from the shop, (1) I failed inspection on emissions, and (2) I was finding puddles of oil under my car.

When I took it back to him, he found one of the seals they had installed was defective, and leaking. He replaced it.

While it was going to be there, I asked him to check the coolant level and everything else. So I would like to believe he did, although who knows?

He had to run the engine real hot to burn off all the old coolant which had contaminated everything. In order to make it pass inspection, so I would like to assume he would have noticed any leaks right then.

I guess I was hoping you would say that this is just some coolant in the radiator being released through the release valve in the cap... that this sometimes happens.

Not so much, eh?

I didn't see anything obvious when I looked under the hood and determined the smell was coming from the cap. Plus no steam seemed to come out when I idled it (but that was with the hood down).

I am not a mechanical person, actually. He said to come back in 2 weeks and he would check everything, but the way this guy operates, he may well charge me AGAIN if anything else has to be done.

[91tercelowner]

I checked all those places you suggested, there is still that smell, but nothing seemed to be leaking and the clamps looked okay.

but still that smell at the end of a longer drive. Not as strong as pre-new-head gasket, and not every trip. But when the trip is a little longer than just a quick errand, and when the engine is hot, after I stop the car and turn off the engine, there it is.

[hevster1]

I hate to say it but I did suggest you come to me or I even offered to come to you as I remember. 2 simple tests would tell you if you still have a leak and where.
Good luck with your car.

[hevster1]

I guess it's fixed.

[91tercelowner]

The smell eventually pretty much faded... I was later told it can take up to 500 miles before the smell is completely gone. I have not come close to that number of miles yet...

[4speedsleeper]

What shop did you take it to? For 1200$$$$ god I would have fixed and cleaned the engine bay for that amount. You got ripped.