Very Slow Coolant Leak-Burnt Coolant Smell

[Cousinphil]

I had been aware of a burnt smell in the cabin for a few weeks. Then the dreaded cluster bomb went off telling me I was low on coolant. I hate it when that happens. The coolant seems to be leaking from a small fitting on a black tube right over the top of the engine. What is that thing?

[IMG][/IMG]

[Audibot]

That is your bleeder screw, which is the highest point in the cooling system. When you do a flush, when the coolant is warmish to hottish, you open up that screw and release the trapped air, until coolant comes out, then you seal it again. If it's leaking and it's tight, then it may be corroded and you may need to replace the whole pipe. I'd start with trying to remove the screw, clean its and the pipe's threads, and see if it seals again.

[old guy]

That is a bleeder valve. Early ones were made out of metal. Beginning in 2004 it got replaced with a plastic bleeder that has a different screw pitch. Consequently you cannot replace your broken plastic one with a metal one. You need to remove the broken half of the bleeder and put a new one in there.