anti freeze smell inside car

cary Jackson

SCCoA Member
94 LX 4.6 with auto climate control. Head gaskets not blown, heater core not leaking, car not running hot, heat blows hot,but windows fog up, and the smell of anti freeze inside the car. What's the deal?
 
maybe a small leak in the heater core one that dose not leak inside the car, just evaporates off the core. it happened in a truck i use to own . or even the connecting lines to the heater core has a small leak...
 
I would go to auto zone and get a tub of radiator sealer which will work on a leaky heater core , I'm not sure what its called but its in a small cylinder and has the color of aluminum , powder based... I know its really cheap I told my buddy to use this on his grand am, and well over a year no smell , and no leaks if you don't want to pull the hc....
 
I'll try the stop leak. Maybe pull the dash in the summer.

Stop leak is great for gunking up your engine and radiator with garbage.

Why not just bypass the hoses going to the heater core instead of ruining your coolant system ?? The 94/95 4.6 is very easy to bypass.

- Dan
 
lol its winter man, I don't think one tub would hurt i never had any problems with this stuff.......
 
94 LX 4.6 with auto climate control. Head gaskets not blown, heater core not leaking, car not running hot, heat blows hot,but windows fog up, and the smell of anti freeze inside the car. What's the deal?

If it walks like a leaking heater core and quacks like a leaking heater core, then guess what....unless a leaky jug of antifreeze on the floor in the back fell onto a flaming can of sterno - you've got a heater core leak.

Try stop-leak - seriously - and then search for the l o n g message on pulling the dash that starts with pulling the seats, and then the steering column....and then the dash.....

Good news is...new heater cores are low lost compared to say, hubs with wheel bearings, a new windshield or an installed rebuilt trans :)
 
the pubs say 32 hours for a heater core replacement. i had to change it in my 92 sport about 7 years ago. at the time i was stuck out west so i cut some of the duct work with a dremal, replacement the core and then used fiberglass to reseal it all. ive heard of some people setting up access panels and other great idea's.. search around the forum for awhile. its been done many times and you'll find every bit of info you need.
 
hmmm should have maintained the cooling system...

seriously like said above its really only a heater core.

get a manual and start to work on it on a weekend and you will be dunn before work on monday.

if I had a 20 dollar bill for every time I had to remove a heater core that was plugged up with stop leak I could paint my 1992 and get some wheels.

dont do it. it will stop a leak but will also plug up the core and other things.
 
hmmm should have maintained the cooling system...

seriously like said above its really only a heater core.

get a manual and start to work on it on a weekend and you will be dunn before work on monday.

if I had a 20 dollar bill for every time I had to remove a heater core that was plugged up with stop leak I could paint my 1992 and get some wheels.

dont do it. it will stop a leak but will also plug up the core and other things.

i completely agree, stop leak decreases the efficiency of your radiator. so ya you'll be fine for the rest of the winter(maybe) then come summer you'll have over heating problems. stop leak is the worst thing ever. i wish they never even made the junk. if you dont feel like changing the core in the cold then set up a bypass and stop by a truck stop have get 2 or 3 12vdc heaters. 1 for the windshield and 1 for you would be enough to get you through the winter.
 
i also have a smell once in my car but after washing the engine from service station the problem solved some times the smell comes from dust also
 
If you are going to go the stop leak route take the old country boy way---a teaspoon of black pepper will do it...wouldn't be my first choice but if you need to get through the winter and do it in the spring, use the pepper and flush everything good "BEFORE" you replace the heater core so its all nice and clean when you get the new one in there so you don't clog it up...........Dan
 
Would reverse flushing the heater core be worth a shot if I have a similar small leak? I'm talking a very small leak that I only notice when the temperature outside drops. I'm thinking the leak came from puting in some Dyke's last year to get me home so I could install new radiator.

I couldn't find the thread on reverse flushing, but thought I saw one here before. Is it possible to do flush the heater core without getting directly to it? I've flushed the coolant system three times, but haven't taken it in to a shop to have it done.
 
Back
Top