7 replies to this topic

[JBVolvo]

After thinking I was 99% positive I had some sort of heater core leak due to a strong warm coolant smell whenever the heat was turned on, I've found the source! So far it must be a slow leak but getting worse. I popped the hood last night after a drive to check my oil, only to smell the strong warm coolant under the hood. I sniffed around the coolant pump and lines with no luck. Every once in a while I'd get a strong whiff enough so I was confident there was external coolant hot and steamy somewhere. I finally found it. Just a moist area on the radiator (passenger side). Sure enough I noticed the steam from it. Within 10min of having the car off it'd all but dried. Only a drip was visible down below in the splash guard. So I assume everytime I turned the heat on, somehow I was sucking in air through the engine compartment and it entered through the vents.

Now. Do I replace the friggn thing or toss in some stop leak halfass. I'm at 210k. Not sure if it's worth dropping $200 on a radiator and replacing at this point. It's a toss up.

[MyCarIsRed]

JBVolvo, on 15 October 2009 - 04:43 PM, said:

After thinking I was 99% positive I had some sort of heater core leak due to a strong warm coolant smell whenever the heat was turned on, I've found the source! So far it must be a slow leak but getting worse. I popped the hood last night after a drive to check my oil, only to smell the strong warm coolant under the hood. I sniffed around the coolant pump and lines with no luck. Every once in a while I'd get a strong whiff enough so I was confident there was external coolant hot and steamy somewhere. I finally found it. Just a moist area on the radiator (passenger side). Sure enough I noticed the steam from it. Within 10min of having the car off it'd all but dried. Only a drip was visible down below in the splash guard. So I assume everytime I turned the heat on, somehow I was sucking in air through the engine compartment and it entered through the vents.

Now. Do I replace the friggn thing or toss in some stop leak halfass. I'm at 210k. Not sure if it's worth dropping $200 on a radiator and replacing at this point. It's a toss up.

Thanks for the update! I hate it when folks don't post up results. I've noticed the seals on the hood don't "seal" as well as they maybe once did, i know i smell engine once in a while through mine.

Sounds like a perfect excuse to find a turbo

[jpursell]

Replace the radiator. My 850 developed a small crack in the passenger side resevoir about 1/2 way down. When I drove over 70mph, the coolant pressure light would come on, and steam would start coming out from under the hood. As long as I wasn't on the highway and since I don't experience any stop and go city driving, the coolant level would just slowly inch down, but it would always evaporate by the time I was home.

I replaced the radiator and have gone another 40k miles since. Also, look at it this way, your getting a coolant flush as well The rad replacement is pretty quick and easy. The hardest part I had was that the plastic tabs on the bottom of the aftermarket radiator didn't line up with the slots in the sheet metal below, so I drilled into the tabs and but some large zip ties in. I used FCP Groton's Behr Radiator.

Since then I've added a new p/s pump, new rack, steering column u-joint, axles, rear shocks and mounts. Next on the list is a new heater blower motor (2nd one I've done on this car), new evap and heater core, pcv overhaul. I should be good until well past 300k...

JBVolvo, on 15 October 2009 - 04:43 PM, said:

After thinking I was 99% positive I had some sort of heater core leak due to a strong warm coolant smell whenever the heat was turned on, I've found the source! So far it must be a slow leak but getting worse. I popped the hood last night after a drive to check my oil, only to smell the strong warm coolant under the hood. I sniffed around the coolant pump and lines with no luck. Every once in a while I'd get a strong whiff enough so I was confident there was external coolant hot and steamy somewhere. I finally found it. Just a moist area on the radiator (passenger side). Sure enough I noticed the steam from it. Within 10min of having the car off it'd all but dried. Only a drip was visible down below in the splash guard. So I assume everytime I turned the heat on, somehow I was sucking in air through the engine compartment and it entered through the vents.

Now. Do I replace the friggn thing or toss in some stop leak halfass. I'm at 210k. Not sure if it's worth dropping $200 on a radiator and replacing at this point. It's a toss up.

[Ihatespeedbumps]

No stopleak!

[designstate]

Ihatespeedbumps, on 16 October 2009 - 11:25 AM, said:

No stopleak!

Stop leak will stop the leak because it will screw up your engine and you can't use the car anymore. With the car not running you don't have a leak. The stuff clogs your coolant passageways in the engine as well as stops the leak. Basically it will mean awful things for your car. DO NOT USE!

[JBVolvo]

designstate, on 16 October 2009 - 12:48 PM, said:

Stop leak will stop the leak because it will screw up your engine and you can't use the car anymore. With the car not running you don't have a leak. The stuff clogs your coolant passageways in the engine as well as stops the leak. Basically it will mean awful things for your car. DO NOT USE!

Wow really? Good thing you told me. Talk about a generic response

[98V70BASEBOY]

jpursell, on 15 October 2009 - 05:07 PM, said:

Replace the radiator. My 850 developed a small crack in the passenger side resevoir about 1/2 way down. When I drove over 70mph, the coolant pressure light would come on, and steam would start coming out from under the hood. As long as I wasn't on the highway and since I don't experience any stop and go city driving, the coolant level would just slowly inch down, but it would always evaporate by the time I was home.

I replaced the radiator and have gone another 40k miles since. Also, look at it this way, your getting a coolant flush as well The rad replacement is pretty quick and easy. The hardest part I had was that the plastic tabs on the bottom of the aftermarket radiator didn't line up with the slots in the sheet metal below, so I drilled into the tabs and but some large zip ties in. I used FCP Groton's Behr Radiator.

Since then I've added a new p/s pump, new rack, steering column u-joint, axles, rear shocks and mounts. Next on the list is a new heater blower motor (2nd one I've done on this car), new evap and heater core, pcv overhaul. I should be good until well past 300k...

So the Behr unit is not quite a perfect fit? Anyone have any experience with the Nissens radiator that FCP sells? I notice that both the Behr and Nissens have "lifetime" warranties, and am thinkint about going with the Nissens. Anyone have any experience with the fit of the Nissens?

[DVolvoguy850T5]

98V70BASEBOY, on 20 October 2009 - 05:53 PM, said:

So the Behr unit is not quite a perfect fit? Anyone have any experience with the Nissens radiator that FCP sells? I notice that both the Behr and Nissens have "lifetime" warranties, and am thinkint about going with the Nissens. Anyone have any experience with the fit of the Nissens?

I replaced mine with the Nissens that FCP sells. It is a direct fit. Works great. However the oil cooler line reinstall, the hose connectors where tighter than a mares ass in fly time but works great. No problems since replacement. The hardest part of the job is getting the left hand upper radiator mount bolt up in the fwd side behind the left head lamp.

On an other note when reinstalling the intercooler, if stock becareful of the older ones because the little tabs break easily.