So I was driving and I noticed a bit of smoke coming out of the engine compartment. I opened up the hood, and noticed there are coolant splash spots here and there, nothing crazy.

Smoke comes from the radiator cap and the upper hose. The hose is very good condition, no cracks. The area where the hose clamp is a little moist, but no dripping or bubbling of coolant. The radiator cap was replaced 6 months ago.

I cleaned out all the coolant splash spots. And tried checking for the source of leak and smoke. I let it idle, no coolant was shooting out. However, the same 2 places still gave out smoke.

Reservoir still has coolant. Temperature gauge read below the mid point, like the past 10years. The temp gauage does work, because the needle climbs as engine gets warmer.

So, any advice?

 

You might have a cold pressurized cooling system leak test performed to identify the leak. Heat may be evaporatinga small leak as fast as it accumulates. There should be some coolant dye stains at the leak location. Probably corrosion/scaleunderneath the hose end fitting is allowing a little coolant seepage.

I replaced a hose on my subaru forester this weekend and cleaned a significant scale accumulation from around the fitting. I could find no fault in the hose, but the leak would lose perhaps 1/2 pt /month of coolant.

good luck

 

replace the cap as it most likely failed (pressure release valve)

 

That will fix the smoke from the cap, but what about around the upper radiator hose?

 

I like that idea, I will give that cleaning method a shot. I don't think replacing the hose will help, because the hose is in such great condition.

 

I want to verify that it isn't so much as smoke, but more like steam.... I hope someone understands what I am trying to describe.

 

Another note:

There are no weird smell such as: oil, gas, exhaust. Just the normal Honda Genuine Coolant smell.

 

replacing the cap will most likely resolve your issue. I had one fail on my 94 accord and coolant would bubble out of the overflow tank. New cap = problem solved

 

id watch out - girlfriend had the same problem once, friggin radiator BLEWup...
Funny story, we orded food at burger king, drove up, paid. She put it in Drive, and FLABOOM, smoke n stuff everywhere. She got all scared had to jump out - and made me drive (well, push drive) it out.

 

I guess I will get a new cap and some more coolant. Its jsut that the cap is less than a year old, I find it hard to believe it is faulty already.