radiator problems?

[Auzzie064]

I have a 94 Lebaron GTC which I have had for the past 4 years. I have been fixing it and replacing things on it left and right, and I must say that this thing is pretty much MINT!
Anyway, the newest problem with the car I think has something to do with the radiator. I drive the car about 50 miles a day going to and from school in Minneapolis, and recently I have been smelling a burning chemical of somesort throught the vents while I am driving it. The car seems to be running absolutely fine. Doesn't shake, doesn't stall, hasn't been over heating. The other day while I was driving it after it had been sitting in a parking lot for about an hour, I noticed smoke coming out the grill while I was sitting at a red light. Luckily I wasn't far from home. I got my brother, an aspiring auto mechanic to look at it, and he said all it needs is a new tighter sealing radiator cap. But the smoke isn't jsut coming from the area near the cap, its coming from all across the engine compartment, just behind the grill and headlights. So I asked my father, an auto broker/dealer/semi-more-knowledged-about-car-engines-than-my-brother, and he says I need a new radiator. The car has about 133,000 miles on it. I was just wondering if this is a common thing with Lebarons, or radiators in general, or if anyone has any idea what I am talking about...

[KManiac]

These cars use radiators with metal cores and plastic end tanks. When the car is hot, look at the ends of the radiator to see if you see coolant seeping from the edge of the tanks. These tanks are prone to cracking over time. Being plastic, they cannot be patched, only replaced. Also, check the condition of the rubber hoses, including those to the heater core. Replace if they look old or cracked. A new radiator cap is a good measure item.

[Boogieman142]

yes they are plastic and yes they can be repaired.

Justin

[jshelaf11]

i have the sam problem with my 1992 lebaron plus when i come to a stop sign my car dies is it from the cold weather or what is the problem

[jshelaf11]

i dont know what the problem is but i put fuel injector cleaner in before filling my tank and it goes away for awhile then it stalls out after awile of driving and it only stalls when i let go of the gas. plus i been losing anti-freeze slowly and just recently i have been seeing smoke or steam coming from the radiator just under the cap can anyone give me some advise on what it is or what i can do to fix it?

[94LebConv3La604]

It's probably steam which means you either A. Have a leaking radiator cap and needs to be replaced as it can no longer hold proper pressure or B. you have a hole in your radiator and you need to either patch or replace it.

Of course there may be other solutions and other problems, but that's the best I can do. If you can, give it a very quick sniff to see what it smells like. Don't go huffing it like it was some chick's perfume.