Antifreeze smell on 03 OBW

[BrianW]

Two trips to the dealer and they still "can't reproduce": after highway
driving in my 2003 OBW I often can smell antifreeze. I can't see any
leaks, and the coolant level does not seem to be going down. Yet, the
smell is there.

Anybody else experience this?

 

[Vinnie]

Two trips to the dealer and they still "can't reproduce": after highway
driving in my 2003 OBW I often can smell antifreeze. I can't see any
leaks, and the coolant level does not seem to be going down. Yet, the
smell is there.

Anybody else experience this?

My 04 Baja had the same problem.

It's a combo of the the radiator cap and filler neck.
Seems there was a bad batch of caps made in Japan
which develop cracks on the seal and leak which then
results in scale forming in the fill neck. Pull the cap off
when STONE COLD and look at it and inside the fill neck.

Have the dealer replace the radiator cap
and THOROUGHLY clean the filler
neck surfaces clean of any scale or mineral
buildups. Finally have them put a very light
coat of Indian Head Gasket Prep or similar
water sealent along the inner seal surface flange
of the radiator cap. Do not take off the cap
afterwards unless you must have to do so.
If you do, clean it yourself and put a fresh film
of sealent on one side of the mating flange surface.

 

[Orangutangue]

Two trips to the dealer and they still "can't reproduce": after highway
driving in my 2003 OBW I often can smell antifreeze. I can't see any
leaks, and the coolant level does not seem to be going down. Yet, the
smell is there.

Anybody else experience this?

Replace the radiator cap. Had the exact same problem.
Turns out to be small fissure cracks in the metal sealing ring
inside the cap, specifically the phosphor-bronze sealing ring.
New cap installed and all the AF odors went away.