MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGF Technical - Whiff of coolant

Morning all - over the past few weeks or so I get a faint whiff of coolant after hard acceleration. Levels haven't dropped and no noticeable leaks anywhere. Seems to have coincided with the colder weather we're having.
Is this normal? thanks in advance.
Paul Bevan

not normal, but hopefully just a coolant cap - get to haflrds and source yourself a new one now - leaving might lead to HGF
Will Munns

thanks Will - HGF six months ago and sensing deja vu...
Paul Bevan

Paul,

Just a thought......
Could be some spilled coolant in the engine bay from your HGF.

Sam Murray

I Often get a faint wiff of coolent after a hard drive as i walk past the rear of the car. Two year owner, hgf fixed prior to purchase, now done 6,000 miles since purchase,i,ve changed the cap, no water loss but still a faint wiff , the halfords cap by the way was to tall and the access cover would not shut, took it back said it was the correct one ,but would not refund as i had no reciept. Got the proper item from rover which was cheaper!! Perhaps i should be worried but after two years you tend to forget about it.Any one else with the same wiff...???
m e johnson

Same here, after a longish run and/or driving around town get the spicey smell from the engine bay. I always check oil/water before driving and (this is where I push my luck) so far no problems. There is no coolant loss other than I have once had a minimal top up to the marker and that was only to assuage the paranoia of you know what caused by a miniscule drop in coolant level. Robert
Robert Matthews 1

Kind of reassuring to know there are others with similar whiffs! Topped the coolant up yesterday, fitted a halfords cap and raced into work this morning - so far no smell so fingers crossed!
Paul Bevan

By the way, what are the dangers of overfilling with coolant?
Paul Bevan

You've got me wondering now...
Ok, what other smells do we all get whilst driving? I'm getting Rob Matthews's "spicy" smell - not sure if it's coolant or "hot engine" smell. Not been too bothered as I used to get it in the Elise.
VERY occassionally i get a warm oil smell too.
I've checked the oil and coolant levels. Oil is fine, just on the top mark. Coolant is lower than I expected, but since it was changed by MG Rover a week ago it's not moved. Never empties, just on the low mark.
S J Knight

just touching on the lovely orange and pink coolants ..as
i get it when i first start the engine put the fan on drive for a bit and it goes away .have noticed in my f that in the bottle there are splash marks as if it has stuck to the inside off the bottle. looks like
cogestation, does not do it in the summer i think we all have paranioa when it comes to the f and the coolants....

darren jeffery mk
darren jeffery

Yup...I have the faint smell as well (52 reg TF160, 42k miles), only noticed it recently (just been serviced) and, yes, mainly after accelerating.

Also, when I open the boot after a drive, I have always had (from new) a faint high pitched continuous whistling...........
S R Kenyon-Edwards

Yep i'm with you on the whistle too.

If i wanna top up the coolant, is water still fine or m,ixed with antifreze?
SJ Knight

My TF whistles too, maybe we should start a band.
Ian Hunter

Hmmmm...is it just TFs that whistle, I wonder...
S R Kenyon-Edwards

nope mine's a 2000MY 1.8. Perhaps we can start a Male voice ca(oi)r?
Available now on one CD...

"Good King Wensleslass went out, on the feast of Stephen... But he couldn't get far as his head gasket had just blown."
"Ding Dong merrily on high, in heaven the bells are ringing... but we couldn't hear them over the noise of that Bl**dy Scorpion exhaust."
"Silent night, Holy... crap.. how much for HGF repairs???"
And who can forget the classic..
"Once in Royal David's city.. He had the hood knifed and the stereo stolen."

Merry Christmas everyone.!
S J Knight

Hi lads and lassis
My f 1.8 1997 seems ok we've only had it for 7 months radiator failed in the first week then fuel pump failed in the second month we put this down to age radiator matrix not there when i bought it and when er indoors drove the car it was sick all over the road.Then a noise from the fuel pump then nothing ? We have smells from engin bay coolant, i think its down to a hot engine. Luck has it i've got MGB in the garage and MGZS180 Hatch 05 Plate up the drive.
MERRY XMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL
Graham
Graham Howard

This thread was discussed between 06/12/2005 and 17/12/2005

MG MGF Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGF Technical BBS is active now.