First drive of the year, coolant weep is it normal?

Well I could wait no more, we had a nice clear day here yesterday so I took the car out after 4 � months of storage. It started up like normal, and ran fine. I drove it for around 100 miles and filled the tank with fresh gas. It was great to be back in the car, it felt loud, fast and direct (compared to my A6 winter car at least). All seemed great, put it back on the lift (as it snowed yet again this morning), and I had a good look underneath it. On doing so I noticed a very slight coolant weep on the front right corner, not even enough for it to drip. Looks like it is coming from the radiator area, I presume from one of the hoses. I will probably strip the front end to find it, but I just wondered is a weep normal after storage and it goes away?, I only ask as there were no issues before I put the car away last year.

a little leakage, just due to old age perhaps? front rads and/or hoses.

Probably not "normal". I had to replace my radiator (and hoses) due to age last year.

Leaks aren't normal.

When I wrote 'Normal', I meant do you somethines get weeping after a period of storage, that go away once the hoses have heat cycled a few times?

Not normal.

It could be normal for a car that has been stored for months and not been started. Coolant has most likely been below the level of the bottom of the upper tank or some portion of it. Over the last few months temperatures have most likely changed and caused expansion and contraction cycles which has lead to a seepage or leaking issue. I'd say this very well may be normal but it's not good and may have been prevented by starting your vehicle weekly and allowed to reach operating temperature. Many issues develop while vehicles are stored. I fix and address them in my business, and have for decades. Good luck with the fix.

When whats supposed to be inside leaks outside, thats not normal. If it is condensation or etc as Nick mentions, that may not be an issue. You should always approach any problem like it is an issue, because it generally is.

Thank you all for your feedback, as I will more than likely need to drain the system I might take the opportunity to do the water pump & thermostat as a preventative

Not normal. The only place I've been told signs of coolant leaking is ok is at the water pump. But all you should every see is a small -- size not given by the techs I talked to -- white stain of dried coolant on the water pump housing. At no time should you see wet coolant there. From where you are reporting seeing the coolant a radiator is probably corroded through. Keep those radiator ducts clean of trash build up folks! But a hose could be bad. Or a hose fitting cracked. These and other possibilities will have to be checked for when the bumper cover is removed and the condenser moved out of the way and the radiator checked. 'course if any leak at the radiator this will require replacement of radiator. Also, if one radiator is corroded, the other is if not leaking probably close to it...

Not normal and they grow... Slow at first... Then kinda just explode one day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um-h2aUJHY4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xhw_hWpisY

So just to close this one off should anyone else have this issue, I stripped the front of the car and the top of the radiator where the endcap seals to the core was wet, so I was expecting to buy a new radiator. I called the local dealer and he wanted $900 for a replacement…gulp, when talking to him he mentioned that sometimes the gasket between the core and the endcap fails. So I decided to take it to a repair shop to see if the gasket could be replaced. When in the shop the guy tested the radiator several times but couldn’t find any leak which was strange, he said that any minor pinhole would have showed up and he felt there was nothing wrong with it. So I called the dealer again and asked if I could buy the o’rings for the hose connections, as they are a press in fit, not the normal screw clip, problem was the dealer doesn’t sell the end o’rings and you have to but the complete hose!!. So I cleaned up all of the connections, and the top and bottom hose seemed fine, with a decent fit, yet the top breather hose felt loose, the o’ring was intact, so I spread a very light smear of silicone on the o’ring and fitted it. Bled the system and so far no leaks, so I can only guess it was one of the o’ring connections, and after a winter of storage it was just enough to break the seal.

You just didn't get the system hot enough. Wait until warmer weather and then drive the car around -- with the A/C off -- and get the engine nice and warm, up to full operating temperature. Back at the house -- where the car will be easy to work on or get on a flat bed tow truck -- raise the rpms to 1.5K to 2K and hold until the radiator fans come on. Shut off the engine. Then wait, watch, sniff, and listen. As the heat moves from the engine to the coolant and raises its temp above 212F (when the fans come on) which also raises its pressure, you will see or hear or smell the coolant leak.

I idled it at 2,000rpm to get it up to temp until the coolant was flowing, then left it to idle until the fans came on. So far no leak, before it would weep just from a 5 mile trip