2003 Kodiak 400 question

[tori's dad]

I have been plowing snow with my Atv and it smells of antifreeze when it gets hot- the temp light came on today- I checked the antifreeze reserve and it was at the full mark- i opened up the radiator cap and it was 3/4 empty- wondering if my thermostat is sticking or what else could be the problem? any thoughts appreciated.

[Dave S]

First thing I would check as a precautionary thing.....check to make sure your oil doesn't have water in it. The oil will look milky if it does.

If the oil looks ok, then you can look into other things.

Does this machine ever see water and mud up to/above the radiator? If so, double check to make sure the fins in your radiator aren't plugged. It can still cause an overheat issue in the winter time.

With that said, if you're just plowing, you might not be moving fast enough to allow enough cooler air to pass through the radiator to keep it cooled down.

Another thing that will allow more coolant to pass into your resevoir is a bad radiator cap. I've heard of, but never tried, testing a radiator cap in a pot of water on the stove while measuring the temp.

I'm not quite sold on the fact there's anything seriously wrong with your machine just yet.

I bet MacGyver55 might have some other ideas if he sees this. He's the guy in this forum who really knows how to turn the wrenchces.

[Macgyver55]

Is it a smell coming from the exhaust or more like it is leaking on the outside of the engine?

As Lep said, if it has milky oil you have an internal leak, but frequently it is external leaks that cause the symptoms you describe. If the reservoir is full and the system is low, then it isnt pulling coolant out when needed. The function of the reservoir is to store excess coolant when the system is full and it is pulled back into the system if or when it gets low. Any leak in the system can cause the scenario you are describing to happen, but what I would check first is the hose between the reservoir and the engine/radiator. This is one place that will allow coolant to push into the reservoir but will suck air back in easier than pulling coolant back in.

The easiest way to check for an external leak is to fill the system and pressurize it. If you have no way to pressurize it, then fill the system, run it and visually inspect it for leaks after it is cooled off. Hose connection leaks show up much better when cold because the hoses contract and allow leakage. If you find no sign of an external leak, pressurizing the system is the only way to find out where it is going.

[tori's dad]

THANKS for the replies - the smell is coming from around the radiator itself- it steams out of the top of the engine hood- I filled the system and ran it pretty hard- no more steam coming off hood but the fan started up a couple times- left it sit overnight in cold garage with no leaks detected- may have to check the radiator cap now- thanks again guys!

[jeffreyd]

I bet the cap is loosing pressure and allowing coolant to escape. could have a small pin hole or something in a hose too that sprays when it is under pressure but would think that would leave a puddle. good luck