Coolant Leak!

Hey guys, I have been getting a whiff of coolant whenever I get out of my truck for a few months now. I don't smell it in the cab though. Anyhow, I looked over and over for the leak and cant find it. Everything always looks dry. Well last friday I was heading to work and stopped at the store to grab a coffee and heard a hissing sound so I turned around at saw steam coming out from under my truck like mad. I saw that the temp gauge was normal (i know it didnt just overheat, the temp has been normal since this started) so I headed to work seeing how I was almost there anyway and figured I'd investigate once I got there. Everything was friggin wet so I couldnt find the soure of the leak once again. Now it's just been back to smelling it only when I get out, but no spraying like friday. What the hell! I am losing coolant slowly. the weephole in the waterpump seems to be fine too. Any ideas?

It's a 1997 s-10 4cyl. 2.2engine

Please get back to me ASAP with any Ideas. Thanks guys......

could be radator cap, replace anywayse, but if its wet all over its comming from somewhere in the system, could be a hose connection, rotting at the metal, could be intake, but doubt it if its not alwase wet, how warm was the moter when it puked on ya?

Be sure to check all your hoses and seals by the thermostat first then start investigating aroung the head. Be sure you check your heater hoses going through the firewall. You'll probably have to rinse it all down with water, let it dry and then have a buddy help you check for leaks. There are tons of places to leak coolant from including the EGR adapter on the backside of the head right next to the firewall.
Have a buddy help you and be very thorough, it'll just take time.

its probably the head gasket. very notorious on the 2.2. http://forums.s-series.org/viewforum.php?f=16 check around on that forum if you want some more info.

head gaskets are noted on the 2.2; but, that doesnt explain his one time soaked engin bay

Had the same problem on a 4.3, but same year. Problem was the radiator cap, like has been mentioned. Even though it looked ok, once I checked under the cap itself, the whole radiator neck was coated with crud from the pink antifreeze seeping out of it. Just had the same problem on my company truck, an F-150 -- a sligh odor of antifreeze from time to time. You do have the right antifreeze (non-green) in there, right?? I live in Calif., so I have to remind myself to actually check this stuff once in a while. When I lived in Utah, it was normal to check it once a year at least when winter rolled in (Think Snow!!).

May not be the problem, but it would certainly be a cheap fix if it was...

Later...

eti engineer

head gaskets are noted on the 2.2; but, that doesnt explain his one time soaked engin bay


id have to agree, i must have skimmed over that part >< anyway like the guy said above my post, id check the radiator cap. theyre fairly cheap to replace anyway if its somewhat old.

Also check your Freeze Plug. It could be leaking when you are driving because pressure is being put on it and is slowly leaking it out onto the street but doesn't have enough pressure on it when at a stop or when parked.

I have had the same condition on two separate occasions with my s-10 and once with my Mustang. Occasionally get a whiff of coolant whenever I get out of my truck/car with a steady loss of fluid. Each time turned out to be the small hose from the radiator neck to the overfill bottle. I wouldn't think that hose would be under pressure, but if tightening the clamp worked each time.

With your particular problem, loss then antifreeze everywhere, I had a situation once where there was a very small, like 1/4", tear in the top radiator hose. When the temp went way up, it would spray all over the place, but under normal circumstances it would not leak.