I discovered a hair line crack (approx an inch long) right below my radiator cap in the black plastic tank part. It only leaks a small amount after i have been driving my car for a while and then shut it off. It does not leak while the car is running. Do you think i could seal this crack with some kind of sealant, or is it going to have to be replaced. Thanks guys

 

I would not depend on a sealing additive in the cooling system to fix the problem, those sealers can cause problems. I had a crack on my passenger side tank while back, took radiator to a shop, they installed a new tank for $60.00.

 

Well i was thinking more of a sealant on the outside of the crack (like a silocone or glue), not the stuff you pour into the radiator.

 

Yes, try some devcon or araldite, and if doesn't work you can replace it.

 

i wouldnt have just 1 side tank replaced... if your gonna go so far as to pulling out the radiator, just replace it... your car is 8 years old... a new radiator couldnt hurt..

JOe

 

JB Weld

 

I have a question for you about this.

Do you notice an odor in the cabin after driving your car around town and not running AC or just having the climate control **** turned to OFF?

I have this problem where the smell of coolant creeps into the cabin once my car warms up and I already ruled out the heater core so Im starting to think i have a small crack in the radiator.

 

I would try JB weld. I did it on my radiator and it lasted almost 4 years. The damn radiators in these cars are junk. I just replaced mine and it had so many damn cracks in it, it was hard to believe.
Turbo_Z i believe i have a coolant system pressure checker. We could put some pressure on it and see if it starts bleeding out somewhere.

 

i cant believe these reply's to use JB weld and just JIMMY RIG it.

how some people can just throw putty on a crack from the outside and have peace of mind driving it i'll never understand...

i know how sometimes you just cant afford it, but remember what COULD happen if you just dont look down at the temp guage in time and you blow your motor, blow out the head gaskets, and then think of the price of that repair, or imagine how far away from home you could be and think of the tow bill...

do it once, do it right, be done with it for another 8 years...

JOe

 

Well the piece is plastic not metal. JB Weld does not work on plastic, right?

 

JB Weld works very good on plastic. Just make sure the surfaces are clean and you give it time to setup and cure.

 

My car does this exact same thing! I can have the heat on, a/c or whatever and there will not be any smell. But if I leave it in the off position and the car gets up to temp, I can smell coolant in my cabin. Let me know if you figure anything out.

 

These plastic radiators are junk, and crack very very easily as they have proven time and time again. If you want to go dump $200 in it every couple of years thats fine. Its like anything else if you take the time and do it right it will last. Most of the time its just a small crack. Mine had a split in the side and it wouldn't ever leak the seam would just always be slightly moist. If its leaking bad enough that you are going to run the car out of coolant and you don't smell it in time, then you deserve to blow it up.