something smells like coolant, but no leaks?

hey guys. ok so, i pull into the garage, and im hanging out doing something or whtever, and I smell coolant smell.
I looked around under the vehicle (1999 yukon denali) and i see nothing leaking. I have watched this for a few days now and chekc it out hot and cold, checked where i parked etc. i see nothing that indicates a leak.

BUT THEN CHECK THIS OUT!:
Im drinking a beer and looking at my alternator and thermostat area, and i sort of see a puddle down in the area. in front of the thermostat and down lower. Its hard for me to see in there, even with a flashlight. but i see a dark, wet-looking puddle down there.

Can you guys suggest what i might start thinking about to find out where my coolant is going? i filled the coolant overflow tank, and it seems to slwoly go down over a few days... when i check the radiator i see it is full, but only to right below the coolant overflow hose outlet.

Your thoughts? Can i clean it with simple green, and then watch for the leak or are there other things i can check or have maybe overlooked?

thanks in advance for your comments,

Pete

If it just started leaking it's tough to tell sometimes where it is coming out. Especially if the leak is slow. Keep an eye on it for a couple more weeks and see if it gets worse. It will become easier to find the worse it gets.

I had a similar condition on a 97 Chevy pickup a few years ago. I could smell it but I couldn't find any coolant. After a couple of months I started seeing a small puddle, and it looked like it was leaking somewhere around the back of the engine. A couple of weeks later I found the leak. It was coming from the front of the intake manifold and running back and falling off the back of the engine.

Is the location of the puddle beneath the water pump? Could be a weep hole dripping.

Most likely the intake gasket. It's not a tough job, but you will need a scan tool to set the cam offset (it's like setting the timing on a older car, but you need a scan tool, not a timing light) when your done. I'm not sure if the aftermarkte scan tools show the cam offset pid, so you might need the dealer to do it for you.