May 1992

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Dear Tom and Ray:
I'm a little old lady who owns a 1986 Chevy Celebrity that I only drive to Bingo and area stores. The car has less than 17,000 miles on it. Recently, when it stalled on a cold start, I took it in for a tune up and a radiator flush. Now, I have a strong odor of anti-freeze. There isn't any leak on the garage floor. Is something wrong?
Val

TOM: I don't think it's anything to worry about, Val. Whenever my brother flushes someone's antifreeze, he always ends up spilling a good bit of it all over the engine compartment. And my guess is that's what you're smelling, too.

RAY: It's easy to spill. And normally, the spilled antifreeze evaporates after a few days. But you may not drive far enough to get the engine hot enough to make the stuff evaporate.

TOM: So get a few of your girlfriends together and go on an adventure. Go play bingo somewhere far away...like in the next town. The long drive ought to get rid of most of the coolant.

RAY: If it doesn't disappear after a couple of longer drives, then take it back and ask the mechanic to take another look. But my guess is that won't be necessary. Good luck with the car and the Bingo, Val.

Back to the May 1992 index

© 2008 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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Auto repairs can be costly! Save money by ordering Tom and Ray's pamphlet: "Ten Ways You May Be Ruining Your Car Without Even Knowing It!" To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.