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Gurgling noises and coolant smell.

17K views 42 replies 20 participants last post by  jessijeannette 
#1 ·
I recently heard a gurgling noise coming from behind my dashboard,smelled coolant in the engine compartment and noticed a low coolant level the other day. After four days at the dealership and overnight pressure testing the cooling system, dye tracing, camera scoping the cylinders and checking the plugs,the dealer could not find any leaks. They pulled two brand new K5’s off the lot and tested them as well and found the same issues. They sent all the information on all three cars to Kia corporate who came to the conclusion that for the time being this coolant smell and intermittent noise is inherent to this model. They topped off my coolant and told me to keep an eye on and see if it persists. Someone on another forum that works at a Kia dealership also said that all of their new K5’s are smelling of coolant in the engine compartment for some reason. Just wanted to give everyone a heads up in case you experience this in the future.
 
#2 ·
Brand new Kia owner here! I am having this exact same issue. My car has 250 miles on it and im getting a strong coolant smell from the engine bay. I was alerted to this a few days ago when i walked past my car after a drive and got a smell of it. Are they going to contact you for further diagnoses ? I think after the holidays i will call my dealer and make an appointment for them to check it out. Did you get a low coolant light or did you check the level yourself?
 
#3 ·
They did not diagnose any further than to keep an eye on it. I did notice that as soon as I got it back that even though they topped it off it still looked to be on the low side so I bought some coolant anf added just a little to the low line just in case.
I never got any low coolant light I just checked myself. I have not noticed any additional smells or gurgling noises since then. I also posted in two 2021 Kia K5 facebook groups and they had similar stories.
 
#9 ·
i have smelled coolant after drive a few times and can’t find source no leaks and not low on coolant have about 3000 miles on car now I thought I was going crazy but I’m glad I’m not the only one also ****** off with car play dealer has fix but I have read that fix has only lasted about a week on some cars UGH
 
#10 ·
Greetings All,
I have the same issue with my vehicle. The technician at my dealer discovered that the radiator cap on the high pressure overflow tank on the upper right side of the engine has a vent built into it which allows pressure and antifreeze vapors to escape. I have filed a complaint with KIA but have heard nothing. The service manager advised me to file a complaint with the NHTSA. Hoping that you guys will do the same so that KIA will have to look a fix.
Thanks,
Dwight
 
#11 ·
Greetings All,
I have the same issue with my vehicle. The technician at my dealer discovered that the radiator cap on the high pressure overflow tank on the upper right side of the engine has a vent built into it which allows pressure and antifreeze vapors to escape. I have filed a complaint with KIA but have heard nothing. The service manager advised me to file a complaint with the NHTSA. Hoping that you guys will do the same so that KIA will have to look a fix.
Thanks,
Dwight
Thanks you for the update that at least eases the fear that something is leaking. I have gone over my sons with small comb trying to find the leak. marked the level in coolant bottle and it remains the same yet i still smell coolant after hot drives and in AZ that is now till October.
 
#21 ·
Test drove a 2021 sonata N line (2.5T) (4/19/2021 build date) the other day. Car had pink antifreeze and smelled of coolant after ~30 min test drive. I didn't see any leaks, but the coolant smell is disconcerting on a new car.

The gurgle sound is usually an indicator of air in the system. Not sure how easy these are cars to bleed. Usually I use a vacuum filler when doing a coolant drain/fill. This eliminates any need to heat cycle the car afterwards and ensures no air pockets present.

First model year bugs? I like the k5 gt, but probably won't be buying anything in the near future, maybe a late 2022 or 2023 model.
 
#22 ·
Sorry to bring back an old thread; I own a Hyundai Sonata (which is basically the same car as the K5 underneath the skin), and recently I've been hearing occasional gurgling from the dash after shutting off the engine. I've checked my coolant levels and it's definitely below the min line. I have an oil change scheduled soon so I'm gonna have them top it off and take a look.

I know Kia & Hyundai dealerships operate differently, but for those who had this issue, did they resolve this under warranty for y'all? Would topping off the coolant resolve the gurgling, or does it require some sort of bleeding? I'm not the greatest when it comes to this stuff, just thought I'd maybe ask here since many of you had this issue. Thanks!

1751
 
#24 ·
Believe it or not, my kia k5 has the exact same amount of fill and so do plenty of others, you can see some YouTube reviews and pause under the hood. This is so specific that even after my engine replacement they still filled it to this mark. My car actually has a marker line at this level from the factory. Don’t know the point of the min Max line maybe it’s just a generic container.
 
#23 ·
I would suggest draining the system first before adding new coolant in there, unless you have a jug of the same factory coolant on hand, or use distilled water. From the looks of it, what seems to be happening is that when the engine is on and the coolant starts pumping through the system, the coolant level will decrease and ends up dipping down to the mouth of the outlet and causing it to gurgle.

I would still take it to the dealer and have them take a look, though. It might have a leak somewhere and it would be under warranty if there is.
 
#27 ·
Believe it or not, my kia k5 has the exact same amount of fill and so do plenty of others, you can see some YouTube reviews and pause under the hood. This is so specific that even after my engine replacement they still filled it to this mark. My car actually has a marker line at this level from the factory. Don’t know the point of the min Max line maybe it’s just a generic container.
I appreciate the replies y'all. I don't think there is a leak, I've been checking underneath the car and all I've seen is the AC condenser dripping from its drain tube (oddly enough more than the other cars I've owned). I checked that just in case as well but it seems to just be water and not coolant. Also haven't had an issue with overheating either. I'm going to bring it up with the dealer when I'm there for my oil change just in case, better safe than sorry. I'm assuming that the most they'll do is top it up with whatever coolant they've got on hand. Will update y'all when I go in for my service!
 
#28 ·
I just experienced this the other day. Also smelled something buring and under my steering wheel near the floorboard got hot. I was able to feel the heat on my legs. The smell of coolant has been an ongoing issue . My local dealership where I bought my car from refuses to service me and my car so fingers crossed my lawsuit goes in my favor !!
 
#31 ·
I couldn't find where the OP specified (or didn't) if this was the 1.6T or 2.5T engine.

It's interesting to note, some pictures i've seen show red coolant, other shows a blue or dark green.

Pics below are from my '22 stinger w/2.5T, ~1500 miles at this time. The levels appear unchanged from when I got the car a month ago. Build date is 6/9/2021.

This first pic of the reservoir for the intercooler. Somewhat hard to tell, but the level is at max or slightly above it.
1759


These next pics are from the radiator reservoir. These too appear to be right at the full mark (or within a few mm of it). I get no gurgling noises.
I am familiar with said noises on a different car which had air in the system after a cooling system drain/fill. The noise would manifest itself most when making turns.
1760

1761
 
#32 ·
Car above ('22 stinger 2.5T) is now at 2300 miles. The coolant reservoir level is halfway between full and low. There is a mild coolant smell after shutting the car off in the front/passenger side of the hood near the radiator. Still no gurgling sounds as the level hasn't dropped as low as in post #22. It's been cold enough to run the heat. No coolant smells inside the car.

The other day I bought a gallon of pink coolant, part number UM020CH263, list price $15. Local dealers are charging $15-30 for this. Demand list price if they want to charge more.

I will have some times tomorrow to add the fluid. I use a medical grade 60ml syringe for brake fluid flushes (to evacuate old fluid from the res), so will use one of these for the coolant. Don't expect to add too much.

Car detail; 3 months old ~2300 miles. Seems the level dropped recently as the pics above are from 9/3 and the level was still at the full mark. We did have significant temp changes, used to be in the 70/80's, now in the 40/50's. So long as car has no external leaks and is not burning coolant, i'm ok with topping it off every 3-4 months. One of these days I'll have to start the car up and stand behind it to sniff the exhaust, see if there's a sweet smell to it.
 
#34 ·
Hey y'all, I posted in here a couple of months ago about the gurgling & low coolant in my Sonata. I brought the car into service and mentioned it during the oil change and they said they topped off the coolant, no leak.

Despite that, the gurgling noises remained, occurring pretty often after shutting the engine off. I would also often get a sweet smell at idle right before a drive, so I mentioned that to them as well.

My car has been at the dealer since this Monday (11/1), and the dealer verified and reproduced the concerns.

It's now Wednesday (11/3) and I've been told they think it's a sticky thermostat, or potentially something else. They're in contact with Hyundai America apparently to figure out the issue as the car is "so new". (Built Feb 2021, purchased April 2021).

The latest I've heard was that they have to take apart the entire dash to check the heater core.

I also have a post on the Hyundai forums if anyone is curious, and I'll be updating that as I know more. Just in case any of y'all were having the same issues.
 
#38 ·
I checked mine after heading to the store and then stopping for gas on the way home. It was just below the min line, and is pink in my 22 GT Line AWD. May have heard a gurgle of air once or twice but not reccuring, and never had any coolant smell. Will keep an eye on it with more use of the remote start now that it's below freezing
 
#39 ·
Not sure if this is the same gurgling that many of you all here have noticed, mine sounds almost like flowing water just behind my steering when when I start the car. I also have noticed my coolant almost empty and will be taking it in tomorrow morning for a check up. This is very interesting and dangerous as it has the potential of overheating if the driver isn't aware of there fluid levels. If the engine does overheat on an unsuspected owner, I bet Kia will put all blame on the owner for overheating and not diagnose this issue first.
 
#40 ·
I barely used my car since december but the level has dropped some. I think it's the heatup/cooldown cycles rather than miles. It's slightly higher than halfway between low and full now. Last topped off back in oct. Less than 1K miles since then. No gurgling sounds.
 
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