I have a 2004 XC90, 2.5 turbo, AWD. I was driving the car in my neighborhood and a neighbor stopped me to tell me that liquid is leaking from the engine compartment. I drove home, parked the car, turned off the engine, stood about 3 feet from the front of the car and saw a steady stream of coolant leaking near mid-car/passenger side near the bottom of the radiator.

I placed a bucket under the leaking area. I refilled the coolant reservoir and within 15-20 seconds, the leak appeared again in the same location. I refilled the reservoir a second time and got the same result.

I refilled the coolant reservoir again and started the engine. The leak was slower, but was still present. Could this be a busted coolant hose or hole in the radiator? This is first time the car has had this issue.

Thank you!

 

Yes, do not drive the car any further - a damaged head gasket will cost $$$$$

Simply rent/borrow a radiator pressure tester and locate the leak - then solve it.

Or have the car towed to your trusted service provider.

 

Thanks, hoonk! I took the car to my trusty mechanic. He tested the radiator's pressure and found 2 areas where the plastic radiator was cracked. The replacement cost was $525 total. I can't complain because the car is 18 years old with over 231k miles and it's been pretty reliable.

 

Daaang bro. Ive had a radiator leak for 2 years and i just been topping it off every day. I did not consider this head gasket nonsense. This makes me concerned

 

If your car drips coolant or you can see residue on parts (like along the side seams of the radiator) you have a leak and should fix the problem area before the small problem becomes a big problem... The point was about not driving a car that's just dumped coolant as a simple overheat on a car with an aluminum head can warp the head causing a head gasket leak. Best to get a tow than chance limping home and turning a $500 repair into a $3500 repair.