So today, as I was at a stop light, I noticed smoke coming out from the hood and the smell of sweet radiator fluid. My temp gauge went up slightly above normal.

First thing i noticed is fluid seemed to have been spray out through the front through the grill. Looking at the leak, most of it is on the driver side.

I tried my best to look at the hoses but doesn't seem like much was coming from there... coolant reserve is a bit low.

I shined my flashlight through the grill and the driver side of the radiator wall is all soaked.

So... hose issue or radiator busted?

 

All it takes is a "hairline" crack for the radiator to leak. debree could have hit it, or the hose could be dry rotted. Check all hoses and connection, particulary in the area of the leak.

My guess is a debree since you say the fluid is spraying out the front. good news is th radiator is an easy replacement on the cars. fill the coolant in the radiator and reserve tank back to full and turn the car on, let it warm up and then look for the leak while the car is running.

 

Ok I took off the bumper and started the car. I noticed that coolant is seeping through the A/C condenser in front of the radiator. Is that possible? Or is it freon? Inthink it is coolant cuz it smells like it. Anyway, i stuck ny hand between the condenser and radiator, and it seems that only the condensor is wet with blue liquid.

so now i am confused, is it the condensor or radiator? Anyway thinking of taking it to a
mechanic to diagnose

 

It's the radiator. If you had a hole that size in the condenser you would have no AC and it would be leaking gas, not a blue liquid. Definitely no steam from the condenser.

 

Hmm good point, my ac is working well still. Ok i will look for an aftermarket radiator, any suggestions?

 

You should check the L shaped plastic thats comes from the reserve tank, mine had a small crack and thats where my leak was coming from.

 

Mine leaked from the small hose on the low pressure side at the overflow even when the car was brand new. A couple zip ties helped in my case. However, since anything past the radiator cap is low pressure or vacuum it won't spray out and through the condenser. You could disconnect that hose once its warm and there would be no leaks. It wouldn't be until the engine began cooling that it would begin sucking air and not water back into the radiator and then got hot again that it would leak a little.

 

I had to replace my radiator cap the other day bcz it was spraying all over it was only like $10... Also on the over flow container make sure that the hose is connected inside to the screw top... my problems are gone; hope this helps...

 

I had a hairline crack on my reservoir cap had some fluid leaking out of there. hopefully u figure it out