98 I30 Coolant Leak Severity

[dansereaudd]

I have a 98 I30 I bought from a good friend, has 158k and just put $1250 into it for control arms, left outer tie rod, both rear rotors and pads, left rear caliper, alignment and oil change. All this was done 2 days ago. When I first looked at the car a month ago, I noticed that the right stud that holds the radiator in place was broken and the radiator would sway quite a bit. This was something that I had planned to fix, but forgot about when I went in for repairs. Basically, once the above repairs were done, I had to take it back to the shop for a realignment and I noticed on the way that there was a small puff of smoke coming from the grill area. I assumed oil was burning off somewhere so I had that same shop check it out. Turns out, they say that my radiator is cracked and I need to replace it ($400). This makes some sense to me, as once I was told about this I remembered the condition of the radiator before the repairs. However, I drove the car from Chicago to Indiana and back the day after these repairs and did not notice any smell or smoke. I am thinking that all the construction on the Chicago roads led to the radiator banging around and it cracked somewhere. So, I went to a home improvement store and bought a #8 self-tapping screw and a couple large washers, and screwed into the broken stud, so now the radiator is very solid. When I drive the car, I can smell a hint of antifreeze at stoplights, etc, but lately there has been no smoke. After sitting for 8 hours, only a puddle the size of a small saucer was evident on the ground. The reservoir has barely (if any) indication of a lower level of coolant than any previous observations. However, I just drove the car about 5 miles to my house, and once parked, I could smell a faint coolant smell, and could hear drops hitting some kind of shroud on the undercarriage of the vehicle. So I know there is obviously a leak, my question is Does it sound serious? As long as my TEMP gauge is normal, and the level in the reservoir is slightly above MAX, am I OK to drive it for a few weeks? I know this may sound like a stupid question, but I am just looking for some advice/closure. Thanks to anyone who has any input.

[NutriaforBreakfast]

Double check and make sure your water pump is not leaking
If so this is a major repair and should be handled asap

Make sure your fans are cutting on as the car approaches normal
operating temperature

Radiator at Oreilly's was around $100
Very easy to repair
Be sure to take off old rubber supports/feet from old radiator
You will probably have to remove the fan assembly (not hard either)
You are flirting with overheating and ruining your engine

I noticed the prices of the hoses at the dealership were as cheap as Oreilley's

[dansereaudd]

Thanks for the info. UPDATE:
Fans turn on like normal. Today (5 days after original post) was the first day that I noticed any fluid level differentiation, which was in the radiator, not the reservoir. I could see the fins in the radiator when I opened the radiator cap. Before, there was a level up to the neck inside the radiator. I just drove a few hundred miles in the last few days, and again, no smoke, just a faint smell of antifreeze if you walk to the front of the car. I have not been looking at the water pump for any leaks, so haven't noticed any from there. I have not replaced any coolant as of yet, as I was under the impression that that is the job of whatever pump is responsible for pulling coolant from the radiator when need be.

The level of coolant in the reservoir has been very consistent, as in it has not moved. Even after a 50 mile drive, I put the vehicle in park while its running, pop the hood, and the reservoir level is still an inch above MAX. Also, I have not seen or heard any leaks similar to that stated in the previous post.

At this point, I am going to have to wait until payday (31st) to purchase the radiator and begin the repair. Should I replace any coolant via the radiator itself?

Thanks again for your advice, let me know if there is any other info that may be of use.

[NutriaforBreakfast]

I would put new antifreeze in the new radiator