1994 Astro leaking some kind of gas from corner under hood.

[blendergasket]

I drove my van about 5 miles just now and my friend commented on a smell. I drove to a gas station and noticed steam coming from the corner of the hood closest to the passenger mirror. The leak appears to be offgassing from the pipes right next to the blower motor.

It's basically done offgassing. What type of gas/fluid did I lose? Can I safely drive 50 miles home without it?

Thank you for the info.

[Rod's Trucks]

There are several heater hose connections which come together at the heater control valve almost directly below that area. If it had a slightly sweet smell, it might have been antifreeze mixture boiling off a hot exhaust manifold.
There re also some A/C hoses in the area, but that would be an unlikely source of steam.
Watch temp gauge and check coolant often until fixed! LET IT COOL, and BE VARY CAREFUL IF ATTEMPTING TO OPEN COOLING SYSTEM WHeEN hot.

Good Luck.
Rod J
Issaquah, WA

[blendergasket]

Thank you for your reply. It sounds like it is the heater core then? I ended up using my AAA and I got it towed to my home so I can try to fix it.

I wouldn't call the smell sweet, sort of a plasticky new shoes type of smell. The gas/liquid was seems to have been blowing forward from somewhere in the corner, but it was hard to tell where from. I will try to find the leak tomorrow night when I get home.

[AstroWill]

Could just be hoses, heater core, control valve, etc. Borrow a pressure tester from your LAPS and use it when COLD to find your leak.

[Toskavat]

If your coolant level is all right, and it smelled like plastic, check the plug on the blower resistor. Could be blower motor current overdraw roasting the plug. Good luck.

[blendergasket]

If your coolant level is all right, and it smelled like plastic, check the plug on the blower resistor. Could be blower motor current overdraw roasting the plug. Good luck.

Would that explain the steam that came out? I actually have a blower motor resistor on the way because my blower doesn't work so I will install it as I work on the leak