The last 3 nights when I get home from work I smell a strong anti-freeze odor. Checked around the engine bay and I don't see any leaks or cracked hoses but it's very strong around the passenger side area. Could it be the pump? I checked the resevoir and it was down about a quart after I just topped it off about a month ago. Are there any tests I could do to the water pump or maybe get her running hot and slide under and look around? I did notice the color of the coolant wasn't looking too good when I added some to the tank. Any suggestions would be appreciated! TIA.

did you check the heater core? look in the passenger footwell, feel the carpet and look at the "black box" under the dash. gm's and fiero's in particular are notorious for heater core failure.

If the shaft seals in the water pump go bad, coolant will leak out of the weep hole (heh heh heh), which faces downward (logically enough) and is located right behind the pulley. You won't see much evidence of the leak since coolant will drip from the hole straight down onto engine, exhaust, and the ground.

But if the coolant smell is that strong inside the car, bHooper's probably right - check your heater core.

If the smell is inside and on the passenger side of the windshield the glass feels "oily" it's the heater core. If the smell is outside, Drive car until hot park it with a piece of carboard underneath, wait about 30 minutes then see if there is any coolant on the cardboard. This should give you an idea where to look.

I had the same thing happen, and it was the heater core (located under passenger dash). Kind of a pain to get the top screw off of the black housing, but once off, it was fairly easy to pull the core out.

Advanced Auto had the core in stock for approx. $35.00.

Thanks guys, but its definatly not the heater core. I went through that "puddle on the passenger side floor" thing last summer and it's brand new. The smell is coming from the engine bay, not inside. I'll look in your suggested spot Chadman....don't know how old the water pump is. Probably that time!

Has the recall(s) been performed? Water pumps are part of the recall.

Question for others: If the recall hasn't been performed before now, is GM still obligated to do it?

I believe they are still required to take care of recalls. Mine have been done though by pervious owner. Never knew their was a water pump recall! What was wrong with the original one?

They leaked.

When everybody was worried about engine bay fires, all the sources of ignition were looked at. Ethylene glycol will ignite if the temperature is high enough, i.e., coolant dripping on your exhaust manifolds.

Pontiac had a recall on any sources of coolant leakage. My V-6 water pump was replaced under recall in 1991. No charge.

You might check the coolant crossover pipe, and the hose connections, too. The pipes will sometimes rust through. It's the pipe that goes from the front corner of the engine, just above the compressor, under the front exhaust manifold, to the left side of the car, in front of the trans. Noticed mine was rusted when I was replacing my leaky water pump.

Yeah, mine rusted through, too, but it showed a significant leak.

The passenger side in the engine compartment could be a lot of things. From the top, the thermostat housing, which not only meets said crossover pipe in front (carwise) of the engine, but in the V6's, also has I/O for the throttle body coolant (These smallish pipes run through the middle of the intake plenum, then run through the TB). Down below, this is where the water pump meets the right side coolant pipe to the radiator.

There is rubber (a hose) between the thermostat housing and the crossover pipe and the TB lines, and between the water pump and the coolant pipe.