smell antifreeze when I use heater

[Sunset01SS]

When I turn on the heater on my 96 Camaro it smells like anitfreeze but the heater works fine. Nothing is leaking anywhere. Where is the heater core located on the car? What else could be the problem?

[Colin]

I could write volumes, 'cuz I just did a heater core replacement. I noticed the funny smell months before it actually went out, but didn't think anything of it, 'cuz the smell went away. You can wait a little while 'till you actually see coolant, but my money's on a heater core goin' out, though your car is fairly new. But to answer your other question, MOST GM heater cores are located above the passenger seat footwell, up in the dash. Trust me, if it's that it's a beyatch to fix. . .not to discourage you or anythin'. I'm not a mechanic, but that's what my guess is.

[BattyV6]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Colin:
I noticed the funny smell months before it actually went out.<hr></blockquote>

I get a funny smell too. Does it kinda smell like BO? How much for the heater core replacement?

-Andrew

[cb1101]

coolant has like a sweet smell to it.....if your smellin B.O., you better hit the showers man :D j/k

[Colin]

Well, antifreeze/coolant kinda' smells like rubber to me. . .like tires almost. As for the cost, I did it myself with the help of my father-in-law and it cost about $20-$25 for the part itself and that was it. The mechanic quoted me about $400-$500 for the whole project, and that was for a third gen car! The kicker is you have to tear the dashboard away from the firewall, and that takes some time. . .not a hard deal, just time-consuming. It took me about 4 hours total to dismantle and reassemble mine. My vote is, if you're comfortable working on your own car and you know what you're doing, buy a Chilton's or a Hayne's manual and do it yourself, you'll save hundreds. Otherwise take it to a mechanic, 'cuz if it's not done right, you'll end up with bigger problems.

[Oryan02]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr> I get a funny smell too. Does it kinda smell like BO? <hr></blockquote>

Sounds like your carpet got wet and is mildewy. The only way to get rid of that is to change out the carpeting.

[BattyV6]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Oryan02:


Sounds like your carpet got wet and is mildewy. The only way to get rid of that is to change out the carpeting.<hr></blockquote>

...but it definately comes from the vents, just at startup. It's like a stale smell [img]graemlins/thumbsdown.gif[/img]

-Andrew

[MustangEater8251]

It could be the heater core going out.

Its a ~25-30 part.

but like said its usually up under the passenger seat byt the foor well, it is a b|tch to change.

I did it on a 92 GMC Jimmy, took me abotu 2-3 hours. But I reccomend doing it now. I smelled the same things in the Jimmy, then thoguht it as nothing then bam, 3/4s the coolant of the motor fomred a puddles on my interior carpet, I could splash in it.

I shamppoed the carpets, (mom has a carpet shampooer) it got rid of most the stains, and most the smell but there was still some smell.

Good luck.

[Colin]

Also, if you're thinkin' of doin' it yourself, a few pointers that Hayne's didn't tell me: do something about your brake light switch and your cruise control module on the brake pedal. I cracked the brake light switch and popped the vacuum hose off of the cruise control module. Easy fixes, but not fun to fix, nonetheless. Just FYI.

[95 3.4 Firebird22hp]

Maybe somthin died in there

[CamAroFaNaTic]

[ February 27, 2003: Message edited by: CamAroFaNaTic ]</p>

[CamAroFaNaTic]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr> Maybe somthin died in there <hr></blockquote>

[img]graemlins/rofl.gif[/img] Could be!

[ February 27, 2003: Message edited by: CamAroFaNaTic ]</p>

[Sunset01SS]

If my heater core goes out, will antifreeze dump into the car even if the heater is turned off?

[Jayy]

a little bit b/c there will be some anti-freeze in the core. it won't be a flood but your carpet will get wet

[Guardsman]

One other thing to check is for a drain hole, in the engine compartment, under the AC box. I read on a guy's site that he had found the drain hole, and it was plugged with something, and water coming off of the condenser was accumulating inside the box.