Thermostat/radiator it smell hot but no leaks what can i do thank you.

The smell it hot glycol (coolant). Never remove the cap when the engine is either running and/or hot, water will come out no matter what and can potentially be REALLY hot. Try looking for coolant leaks 1st. With the engine dry and cold (best done in the dark ) take a torch and start the engine. The leaks will be shiny and easy to spot. Either a thermostat gasket, split hose or leaking water pump.

Check the coolant in the radiator if it need coolant there is a leak if you find the leak from the radiator renew it .and renew the thermostat

Hi It sounds like you have a hose leaking from the radiator system and the smell and is hot coolant on the exhausmanifold and the rest of the engine ,could be fan belt missing or loose,hose split ,thermostat sticking shut etc answer check coolant fill to level only,check fan belt, start and check the hoses and look for leaks ,you might find it only leaks when it starts to get hot but it is a coolant leak.

I have an older Chrysler Town and Country but I had the same problem, I found mine to be a leaking radiator, check all of your hose connections and if you have the flimsy plastic radiator in your van, get the more expensive aluminum version. The plastic radiator melts at the bottom because the are required to be grounded and sometimes this is not done properly, therefore sending an electric current through the radiator melting out the bottom, went through three of these before anyone let me know that they had to be grounded. If there are no leaks under your radiator or hoses, the next thing I would check is your cylinder head the burning smell could be dripping from your head to your exhaust. I would say you have a nice sized leak some where because with these vans if you do not have enough coolant in them they will not produce hot air fill your radiator up with more coolant and then test your heater, it should work but until you find the leak I would make sure to keep extra water/coolant inside the van.

it could be a slight leak from the heater matrix (check for damp in the passanger foot well) its self or the thermostat may be sticking this may cause the bottom hose to stay cold. you could try removing the thermostat and running it without it and then putting a rad weld in the coolant system to seal the matrix.


let me know if this helps


cheers big mike

The smell is most likely the anti-freeze you smell. You may need a new overflow cap, which over time will not hold pressure like it should and can cause you engine to run hot and lose coolant. It could be the water pump leaking, a hose leaking. Can you see where you may be losing coolant at? How often does it run hot? Do you have to re-fill after it runs hot. If you not having to add coolant, then your thermostat may be bad or the water pump. But losing coolant could be the overflow cap or a hose, and let's not forget the radiator could have a small hole or split somewhere. It's a matter of finding out where or what are it is leaking in.

A. Do you have a Coolant Leak causing the smell? What is the Radiator Coolant Fluid Level? Have you been adding alot of Fluid?
OR
B. Replace the Thermostat. The Thermostat is stuck closed.

Either one A. or B. causing the:
1. Engine to overheat, because there is not enough fluid or the thermostat is stuck closed not allowing fluid to circulate.
2. Heat is not working because the heated (hot coolant) is not travelling to the heater core.

You may have a bad thermostat or a weak water pump or a clogged radiator. Smell does not indicate if its hot. The gauge or coolant light might suggest its getting hot. You may have a fuel control issue that is overheating the catalytic converter which would smell or an oil leak that is dripping onto a hot surface causing a smell. You may have a real small coolant leak that you cant see that could cause this also.

The rubber smell is coming from all of your hoses and burning coolant. I would replace the thermostat, check the water pump, and the radiator for leaks.

Did you check the thermostat? brand new thermostat sometimes went bad too; happen too me once on my 1989 toyota supra....; Check the water pump and hoses. Flush the radiator really good then get 50/50 mix water & coolant;