Coolant leak + smell in cabin = ????

[mancini_mark]

Hi folks,

I've got a coolant leak somewhere. I checked all of the coolant hoses and around the engine bay, but there is no apparent leak there. The engine runs beautifully, so I'm assuming it's not a head gasket. The radiator and water pump are roughly 2 years old. So, I'm guessing it's either the heater core or radiator cap. Would you smell coolant in the cabin if it was the radiator cap? Or is it the heater core?

Thanks,
Mark

[rickm]

The heater core.

[ryan roopnarine]

what's the weather like there? you could always tie it off for the time being until you can get it fixed...i'm not doing mine until september. wouldn't like to be losing coolant in an e34, with its excessively fickle cooling system.
]

Hi folks,

I've got a coolant leak somewhere. I checked all of the coolant hoses and around the engine bay, but there is no apparent leak there. The engine runs beautifully, so I'm assuming it's not a head gasket. The radiator and water pump are roughly 2 years old. So, I'm guessing it's either the heater core or radiator cap. Would you smell coolant in the cabin if it was the radiator cap? Or is it the heater core?

Thanks,
Mark

[Jeff N.]

If an M30, check the coolan tank on the firewall for cracks... Mine was splitting on the seams and a little coolant was running down the firewall. Hard to spot. Smelled like antifreeze in the cabin - just like a heater core.

Jeff




Hi folks,

I've got a coolant leak somewhere. I checked all of the coolant hoses and around the engine bay, but there is no apparent leak there. The engine runs beautifully, so I'm assuming it's not a head gasket. The radiator and water pump are roughly 2 years old. So, I'm guessing it's either the heater core or radiator cap. Would you smell coolant in the cabin if it was the radiator cap? Or is it the heater core?

Thanks,
Mark

[mancini_mark]

It's a 1990 525 (M20). All the cooling stuff is up front...seems ok. Man those heater cores are expensive.