Well, here's a new one for me.  I am driving my daughter's 1989 Probe while
she is in California (She has my car).  I drive to Dearborn and back, so it
gets a real workout.  Several days ago, I started smelling a sweet smell and
finally lifted the hood and found a leaky radiator.  I could not pinpoint the
leak, but fluid was around the plastic tank where it joins the tubes & fins.

I filled it back up with 50:50 mixture and continued to drive it.  Meanwhile,
I made an appointment with Palmer Ford in Chelsea to look at it today
(Saturday).  They could not get it to leak.  They pressurized it to 15 psi,
ran the car, and zero leaks.  Ron, their service manager told me that he has
seen some of these cars which had small leaks at sub-zero temperatures due
to differential shrinkage of the plastic tank and the copper or brass tank
support.  This type of leakage goes away when the temp. rises.  Mine is not
leaking now!  (If I replace the radiator, it is $200 + $60 labor).      

They did not charge for the diagnosis.

1 responses total.

That sounds like as good a reason as any to check ALL fluids, even in
cold weather. It was a leaky radiator that contributed to my overheating
the engine in my car and losing use of it for nearly a year. :(

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