Coolant smell?

[legbuh]

I also had the same issue as everyone else and was told it was somewhat normal, it’s not, it ended up being a bad water pump, my guess is there’s probably a lot of them that have this defect

Wouldn't there be signs of coolant loss and/or leakage if that were the case? Or people's WPs going kaput? All I see are people hitting 100k miles with zero issues.

 

[TheAlien666]

Wouldn't there be signs of coolant loss and/or leakage if that were the case? Or people's WPs going kaput? All I see are people hitting 100k miles with zero issues.

Coolant has a very strong smell. Just a tiny drop of warm or hot coolant will smell a lot. So if it happens on the water pump seals along the shaft, it might not even be visible (behind the front pulley), but you will still smell it. The radiator fans will also push the smell around and under the car (hence the strong smell when you get out of the car). And it will take a very long time to notice a coolant level drop in the expansion tank from a few drops a day. But you're right. I don't think that any car with a cooling system should have any coolant smell because it is a sealed and pressurized system.

 

[G-33002]

Wouldn't there be signs of coolant loss and/or leakage if that were the case? Or people's WPs going kaput? All I see are people hitting 100k miles with zero issues.

I will update with more info as soon as it’s back from the dealer, initial information I got that there was a tiny leak noticed after they injected die into the system, somewhere having to do with the water pump, which they are replacing, I will have photos after, not sure if it’s internal or what exactly it came from, I will update as soon as I have the car back

 

[Slip_Angle]

Coolant has a very strong smell. Just a tiny drop of warm or hot coolant will smell a lot. So if it happens on the water pump seals along the shaft, it might not even be visible (behind the front pulley), but you will still smell it. The radiator fans will also push the smell around and under the car (hence the strong smell when you get out of the car). And it will take a very long time to notice a coolant level drop in the expansion tank from a few drops a day. But you're right. I don't think that any car with a cooling system should have any coolant smell because it is a sealed and pressurized system.

Yet all Stingers, G70s... Hyundai's and Kia's all seem to have it but no actual leaks (for the most part)

 

[robh693]

I had a 2013 Optima Turbo, a 2015 Cadenza and now I have 3 Stinger GT's. All of them have the distinct odor of coolant after reaching temp. With over 100,000 miles combined I can assure you it is normal as long as you are not losing enough coolant that you need to add some frequently.

 

[Slip_Angle]

I had a 2013 Optima Turbo, a 2015 Cadenza and now I have 3 Stinger GT's. All of them have the distinct odor of coolant after reaching temp. With over 100,000 miles combined I can assure you it is normal as long as you are not losing enough coolant that you need to add some frequently.

How would you define frequently? IE: What would be a normal amount to add?

 

[socalvn]

I also had the same issue as everyone else and was told it was somewhat normal, it’s not, it ended up being a bad water pump, my guess is there’s probably a lot of them that have this defect

were you leaking fluid with this bad water pump ? I have no drips under my car but I have this smell

 

[TheAlien666]

Yet all Stingers, G70s... Hyundai's and Kia's all seem to have it but no actual leaks (for the most part)

I had a Hyundai Elantra brand new from 2016 to 2019 and never had any coolant smell from it. Having had about 12 cars in my life (I'm almost 57), I've never had a car from any other brand, new or used, that had a coolant smell when warm, except my 2018 Kia Stinger. Not even when hot. Except when there was a leak on them, either from the water pump, a cracked hose or fitting, or a punctured/rusted radiator. So, unless this is some kind of new cooling system that lets some coolant evaporate on purpose (wouldn't see why?), I don't think that it's normal to smell coolant in an engine bay with the motor up to temp. Can an actual Hyundai engineer pitch in on this?

 

[robh693]

How would you define frequently? IE: What would be a normal amount to add?

Basically ever. You may need to add a small amount once a year to cover evaporation.

 

[JSolo]

I've had to add ~3-4 oz twice now in the last 10 months. It's not so much mileage dependent as it is number of start/shutoff cycles.

Car recently rolled over 4K mi. Coolant smell appears to be less now. It has warmed up outside too (~60F now), vs colder (20-30F) before. It's something I keep an eye on, and have a gal of premix from kia to top off as needed.

Is 3-4oz much....? Compared to my previous cars, any amount is too much. ie, '15 honda 2.4NA, and '12 G37 3.7NA. Neither car ever needed to have coolant added. Both cars had at least one drain/fill. Once level set, no fluid ever added to either.

ymmv

 

[vipeboy2000]

I've had to add ~3-4 oz twice now in the last 10 months. It's not so much mileage dependent as it is number of start/shutoff cycles.

Car recently rolled over 4K mi. Coolant smell appears to be less now. It has warmed up outside too (~60F now), vs colder (20-30F) before. It's something I keep an eye on, and have a gal of premix from kia to top off as needed.

Is 3-4oz much....? Compared to my previous cars, any amount is too much. ie, '15 honda 2.4NA, and '12 G37 3.7NA. Neither car ever needed to have coolant added. Both cars had at least one drain/fill. Once level set, no fluid ever added to either.

ymmv

I really feel like there just seems to be tiny seepages on some cars from seeing some post about either wp leaks or some hose clamp/connection area leaks ... should not be needing to top off a closed coolant system that often... That said, I have also smelled coolant after driving early on... very rarely now but still every once in a while.. however I am at 28k miles and the level is still right in the middle between Low and Full on the reservoir.. never topped off. The level does fluctuate, it sits closer to L when cold and right on the Full line after driving it seems.

 

[JSolo]

^^My level measurements are always with car in cold state - sitting over night. Can't really form a baseline after it's warmed up. My understanding the res level should be set when cold. Yes, anywhere between L and F is ok, but I prefer F when cold .

 

[vipeboy2000]

^^My level measurements are always with car in cold state - sitting over night. Can't really form a baseline after it's warmed up. My understanding the res level should be set when cold. Yes, anywhere between L and F is ok, but I prefer F when cold .

same, it has been the same cold level since i purchased the car with 6 miles on it.. little bit above the L line when cold.. i thought about topping up but i just check it about once a month to see if it drops..

 

[777David]

On my first oil change (April) at the dealer, I picked up a gallon of coolant. Topped mine off to F. This reminds me I need to check and see if it has dropped any. I still get the coolant smell wafting in ever so often, mostly after coming to a stop.

 

[Aero_Tech]

Old thread I know but I've started noticing a coolant smell now too. Car only has 14,000 km on it. My Genesis Coupe did that from new as well. There were never any leaks or low fluid levels. Just that annoying smell every time I shut the car off. It's worse when it's warmer out.