Hey guys,

I have a 03 G35 Sedan.164,000 miles. She has a very faint antifreeze smell. Most people can not smell it, but I have a nose for this stuff. A friend drove it for a day and she said it got "warm" not sure what she means by that. The needle did not go to the H tho. Keep in mind it's 100 degrees this time of year here.

I let it idle for 45 minutes in my driveway with no heat issues. Should I be worried? From what I can see, the water in oil thing looks ok (normal oil, not "chocolate") and no white smoke out the tail pipe.

Should I be worried?

Thank you in advance

 

Odds are if you're smelling it in the cabin it's probably a small leak. Check around the radiator cap, hose clamps, thermostat, etc.. It could be leaking from several different places, I replaced my radiator cap, overflow hose, and don't have a smell anymore. Look for anything that's white and crusty or fluid leaking while it's running.

 

Get one of these


Oohhhh aaahhhh, shiny..

 

I'm in the process of replacing my radiator at 136K. As mentioned examine all cooling system components for a leak because it seems like you can trust your intuition that something's not quite right. If you are a DIY'er I ordered a replacement radiator and thermostat from RockAuto for $93 shipped and it shouldn't take much longer than an hour or so to replace both. A reputable local shop quoted me $691 to replace both and I had to LOL.

 

Stop! Before you spend $$ on a new radiator have a mechanic do a "Pressure Test" on your cooling system which will determine if and where you have a leak causing the smell you're experiencing! If you can't visually see where it's coming from this is the best idea! What if the leak is your water pump, why replace the radiator? Get it?
Gary

 

Wrap the rad cap with a paper towel. See if it gets wet.

 

Little late to the party eh big fella?

lol but good advice nonetheless, don't think I've ever seen that mentioned on Driver!

 

Not necessary!

There's a reason...lmao

Seriously, if your radiator cap is letting out pressure aka leaking you'll see dried often green fluid on the top of your radiator which a blind man could easily spot.
Gary