so i've notice while its raining, cold out and i stop at a light or park the car there is some steam coming out of the top grill on the driver side. one day i decided to look under the bonnet and noticed the steam was coming from the sponge on top the radiator under the air intake. is this normal? it doesn't smell or anything. is there something i can do to stop this?

thanks

 

Check your coolant level first. You might have a leak at your thermostat housing.

 

Yes and no. It's normal, and not much you can do. The intercooler gets hot, and the rain comes in the same way the air does. Just think of it as a smoking dragon.

 

I forgot about the rain.

 

so dont worry about it

 

Indeed. Same thing happens after taking the car to a manual car wash. Stopped at a light with steam coming out of the scoop, guy next to me looked at it, then looked at me kinda worried :p If there's no leak, then everything is fine.

 

On heavy rainy days the little foam strip above the radiator gets soaked and then when you stop at a light the radiator heat steams the moisture out of the foam. It happens all the time.



http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/17107515479/ES37539/


Here is the foam.

Thanks

 

thats it

 

Don't completely assume that there isn't a slight leak in the radiator. Check the plastic underbody pan beneath the radiator for evidence of a coolant leak. Mine has a very small pin-hole leak somewhere near the top of the radiator, passenger side, that does what you describe, but there is clear evidence of leaking coolant on the underbody pan.