car smells like the radiator is overheating but it's not.rocks from side to side when I'm driving.?

Question

my 1991 caprice classic smells like the radiator is overheating after i start driving my car, i checked the radiator and the overflow ,both was normal. also while i'm driving my car rocks side to side. can someone tell me what the problem is?

Answer 1

Could be a leaking heater core. The smallest leak causes a lot of smell. Check on the floor under the dash on the passenger side to see if the carpet is damp.
The rocking is probably bad shock absorbers. Push down hard on the corners of the car then let go quickly and observe how many times it bounces. More than 1 bounce and it is time for new shocks.

Answer 2

If the car is rockin, don't bother knocking.... Probably a very small radiator leak, someday it will let you know for sure what the problem is when it "let's you down." Some mechanics have a small pressure pump with guage to pressure the system and look and listen to small leaks with the engine off. Side to side rock, could be minor, could be serious. Get someone to look at it, see that the front end is okay. Could be a bad tire with something like a belt that has slipped, or is very much not round. Front end thing can be very serious, it might suddenly make you a passenger, not a driver, that is a passenger going to a wreck scene holding the non-responsive steering wheel.

Answer 3

I had a van that smelled like the radiator was overheating i got tired of it and sold it cheap and the man that bought it knew how to fix it for 7.00 it was a switch under the dash he replaced it and it was fine,and the car rocking is probley a knot on a tire or a tire rounded off in front because of needing a frone end alliament.

Answer 4

u may have a small leek in the heater core witch will make it smell in the car. the rocking back and forth? could be a number of things i know u dont want to here it but take it in and have it looked at