radiator leak????

[mikeyt2885]

i have a 1991 toyota celica gt 140,000 miles,2.2 liter..i recently had an oil changed and the guy got alot of oil around so it has been burning off and smelling. but it's been a few days and now today it still smells like something is burning but i'm not sure. also, the day after i got the oil changed i noticed greenish gook on top of hte radiator. i dont kno if it has beent here for a while or if it's new. could that be radiator fluid leaking b/c i dont know much about that area so i'm not sure. it looks like something might be dripping onto the panel under the car , and doesnt look like oil b/c of the area.looks like it might be dripping from the bottom of the radiator or a hose. please help me out if u have ne ideas on where to check.

[DanD]

The first thing I can suggest is try and mop up as much of whatever it is you see, with you saying it has a green color it’s probably coolant, then watch if it returns.
The next thing is to check and top up all of the fluid levels and then monitor them as to which is going down.
Make sure you don’t let anything empty out a small leak could turn big very quickly.
Dan.

[mIkEyT2885]

since then i've figured ou that the leak is on the top only..if i top off the radiator it leaks a very little bit then stops..but u can see the green fluid all along the top of the radiator where it leaks ....i am saving money to replace it myself but in the meantime as long as it doesnt leak big on the floor or ne where else do i have ne thing else to really worry about when it starts gettign warmer. it's been warm a bit now and i havent had one problem. but should i not use the a/c , etc until i fix it? will tha cause it to overheat with such a small leak? ne help would be great. thanks

[Venturi]

mikeyT, a leak in the cooling system will affect the systems ability to work properly. Not just because of a loss of coolant but because the system must remain pressurized in order to avoid boiling the coolant. Pressurization in the system raises the boiling point of the coolant from 212 degs. to around 230+ degs. depending on the system pressure. A loss of system pressure would allow the coolant to boil at a much lower temperature which would greatly affect the cooling system’s ability to do its job.

While you might not have a problem with overheating now when the days get warmer and you add the extra stress of running the A/C, it may be enough to cause a problem. Just keep a very, very close eye on the coolant level and the engine temperature. Hopefully you’ll be ok and be able to replace the radiator soon.