i tried to look through most of the posts but maybe i was impatient and couldnt find a problem like mines, although im sure there is one there. anywho, my car runs fine but after a while or sometimes right away i start to smell coolant inside the car, like fumes are comming through the vents or some junk. and sometimes the temp will go up, not hot just up and sometimes it will not go up at all and the smell will go right away. i hate that fricken smell it makes me want to beat my cars *** for stinkin, but i want to know how to fix this. just raplaced water pump, radiator and hoses with in 2000 miles or so. this problem didnt start til i put a cooler thermostat but for some reason my brain keeps telling me "the thermostat wat a good idea dont change it" but i think it wasnt after all, if i put the normal one back in, do you think it will fix my funky car, or could it be some thing else. my heater works fine and so does my ac. i am lost in the sauce help me.

 

Sounds like your heater core might be leaking and causing the smell of anti-freeze inside the car.

 

i had called a auto shop nearby and asked for a rough estimate for putting in a new heater core and he said it would be a little over five hundred. i got a price from kragen for a new core and it was only 40 dollars, so i asked that guy "what the hey" why so much, he said that he would have to disengage the ac and discharge it then take the old core out and put the new one and recharge my ac, is all that necessary or was that guy trippin??

 

500 seems a fair bit high. I don't have AC and my buddy and I changed it in about 2 hours. Call a few shops including a GM shop and see what kind of deal you can get.

 

how hard was it?? but do you really think thats the problem? i hope not

 

Hi
If you just replaced an old maybe non closing thermostat, that would definately increase the pressure on the heater core, when the stat closed.

That could be why the smell comes and goes with low and higher temperatures. So it does seem like you will have to change the heater core.

 

well is their any coolant on the pass. floor if not i wouldnt change the heater core...

https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/t...atercore.shtml in the tech article they didnt say anything about messing with the a/c..

anyway you might just have a leak somewhere around the manifolds or somewhere the coolant can be burnt by heat and making the smell go into the car..

i had a few hose clamps lose in my cooling system and coolant would leak and burn off on the passengers side manifold and the fumes would come into the car..

 

how did you find out about your hose leaks??

 

i saw the steam coming from that area!!

 

The problem with heater cores is the coolant is evaporating when it gets out. That's because it not only gets out way above boiling point, but drops from high to low pressure. So you rarely see coolant until it is really leaking and will spoil the interior.

 

dude you dont have to touch the ac, its all done from inside the car under the dash. Get a Haynes manual and see for yourself. Just get the core, some antifreeze and give yourself about 3 hrs, for a 1st timer. it wont be bad

 

so i tried to get at that damn thing and i loosened the three screws and the one at the top on the side was a b**** and i still cannot get that plastic piece off. i cant get to my heater because that piece is in the way. any tips???????? thanks.

 

i only took off 3 screws 2 on the bottom and one on the upper side away from the console. if that helps at all, are there anymore that i need to get? because i cant see sh*t.

 

well i finally got the new heater in, and it sort of smells funny still, not too much coolant anymore just sort of sour, is that because its new??

 

That could be the paint on the new heater core.