oil/petrol/antifreeze etc.

[annie0000]

I noticed on my driveway the other day, a water repellant spillage at the front (on the passenger side) of my car. It smells chemically, but not particularly like petrol or oil or antifreeze - I checked all my levels - I was very low on coolant - but my car has always gone through loads of that - must be some kind of problem, but had the car for 3 years and just top it up from time to time and it is fine.

There have been no futher leaks, I left the car further down the drive to make sure. There was a decent amount of spillage. My car is a 99 Daewoo Matiz, so it is not blessed with much in the way of warning lights and is driving perfectly fine, though I can smell the chemically smell from it when I get out. I am hoping to trade it in soon, so I don't really want to spend any cash on it - I also only drive 6 mile round trip a day.

Does anyone have any idea what the likely cause of the spill is?

Also, there are no obvious damp patches or wet areas inside the engine.

[dilligaf]

I would check your coolant for leakage. You say that it gets through loads. It shouldn't. It should never need topping up. Where is is going? this may be your problem.

[annie0000]

Thanks dilligaf - I know that it has always been losing some coolant, but I have never had any problem with patches or loads of it on the driveway. I don't think that it is losing any more than usual.

As I said, I am hoping to change the car shortly - it is only worth a few hundred pounds anyway - what is the risk if I just keep topping it up and driving it for the next few weeks - bearing in mind that the car is never running for longer than 15 minutes at a time?

Is there anyway of sealing the coolant system without an expensive garage bill?

[Panic Button]

Chuck a bottle of Radweld in. �2.99 from Wilkinsons, or probably silly money at Halfords.

It won't stop a major leak from a split hose, but can seal up pinprick leaks.

[annie0000]

Thanks Panic - I will probably do that. I have checked the hoses etc and they don't seem to have any obvious holes or damp patches, but I can see a damp area on the underside of the exhaust pipe - towards the front of car. The area on the inside of the bonnet above where the coolant goes in is a bit splattered and the splatters do feel slightly damp, so I think that it has come from there - but then again. who knows - if the radweld doesn't work, I think I will have to bite the bullet and take it to the garage. I guess my only concern is that if it is petrol I might be risking blowing myself up!

[Panic Button]

You would know if it was petrol.

Does it smell slightly curryish? I often thinks there is a cheap curry around when I smell hot coolant.

Lift the bonnet and look above and below when the engine is up to temperature so the cooling system is pressurised.

[annie0000]

Hi Panic - no it doesn't smell like curry - very acrid and chemically type of smell - very hard to describe. I will try having a look when the engine gets to temperature wich to be honest is not that often at this time of year - I only really use the car for going to and from work which is only 3 miles away, but my timetable for finishing work and getting back home to get the kids is too tight to do it any other way than driving - other than that, it is to the supermarket or taking the kids to judo or swimming - all local journeys.

[Panic Button]

Are there any petrolhead guys at your work, who think they know about motors?

Why not ask them? Butter them up by saying you know they are really knowledgeable about cars and they will fall over themselves to prove it.

[annie0000]

Hi Panic- sorry, but that made me laugh - unfortunately, I work in Financial Services with a mixture of compliance staff, auditors, lawyers and actuaries - a less likely bunch of petrol heads you are never likely to meet!!! I might nip and ask one of the gardeners - I do have a husband as well, but he is not mechanically minded (he does have other talents). On the other hand, my 7 year old son can build absolutely anything out of lego/meccano or suchlike - maybe I should get him a Haynes manual and let him loose!

[dilligaf]

If you see splatters around the coolant filler see if it is coming from the pressure cap, the seals do perish and you wouldn't notice while driving on such a short journey.

If it smells like acid check your battery to make sure it has not been over topped up.

If it is the rad and you're getting rid of the car do as Panic Button suggested and use rad weld.

And last of all please don't come up my way to sell it!!

[annie0000]

Thanks diligaf - other this problem it has been a brilliant car - it has a fairly new battery so I dont think it will be that - there is definitely splatters above the coolant filler, so that sounds as if it is the problem. I have had the car for 3 and a half years and all I have had to do is replace the battery and part of the exhaust. It has passed its MOT first time on every occasion. Not bad for a 9 year old car really. If it wasn't for this problem, I would have been happy to sell it privately, however, I think that now I will probably trade it in - so it will go to auction.