Antifreeze smell, water pump or change antifreeze?

[Jaygza01]

hey so after i take my car for a drive, and its a 5spd and I shift around 5,000 rpms or so, so i run the engine good......when i get out I always smell antifreeze, now I have never changed the anitfreeze even though it is green, but I have replaced the waterpump within 2 yrs and only driven it about 2,000 mi with the new one. Could this be that the water pump is going or i just need to change my antifreeze? :smt023

[Jeffylou87]

Is anything leaking? Park the car after driving it for a while and look underneath..

[Jaygza01]

no the car leaks nothing, the only thing its ever done is spray under the hood a bit where the over flow tank is because there was a crack in the cap that covers the overflow tank so I just sealed it and now its fine, just smells outside the car after I drive it, I was thinking maybe the thermostat? Car also has small amt of heat coming out of the vents when I drive it on a hot day, maybe a relation with the other problem but not sure....

[Fishboy55]

You've got a pressure leak...the system only leaks when it's under high pressure so if you let it sit, nothing drips. Check all your clamps if you have any of those shitty mitsu factory clamps replace them. also look for dried antifreeze around all connections to the water jacket. Finally make sure the hose from the radiator cap to your overflow bottle isn't clogged. If all that checks good, replace the radiator cap.

[pinoyesv6]

wash the engine bay. if your car sprayed antifreeze everywhere thats what you probably still smell.

i'd probably change the coolant too since you don't know when it was last changed.

[Jaygza01]

ok i will check all hoses/clamps, and change radiator cap just to be safe, any suggestions on cap...i know a lot of aftermarket/universal stuff craps the bed so should i go oem or just order from advanced auto? as for washing the engine bay, ive never done it, i always thought you could damage your car if you spray down the engine, am i wrong? when i change the antifreeze i just take out the plug on the bottom, drain it and then flush it with a hose for a few minutes right? and then i fill it with 50/50 antifreeze right? thanks again guys ur a life saver with all the problems ive come across with my G:smt003

[Proto]

Take the plug out of bottom of the radiator. Flush for 5-10 mins with waterhose and let all the water drain out. Then refill with 50/50 which normally takes about a gallon and a half. Replace the radiator cap with a new one from any auto parts store (I just had this problem causing mine to run hot). If you aren't running hot then I wouldn't worry about the thermostat.

[guynlidia2006]

i would do the rad drain and refill twice... that way the dirty fluid in the block gets dumped as well