I have been slowly losing coolant for several years. Only recently I can smell coolant when fan runs. Does a heater core have typical trouble spots? What are the basic procedures for RR an intake manifold gasket and a heater core? It is a 2003 Silverado base with 4.3 liter V-6 and automatic trans. Thanks

Unsure as to why no evidence and should have had some. New one could be defective or broken while installed. It's really the only item to make the odor in interior.

Are you consuming antifreeze? Pressure test system for leaks, If you paid for this job it's theirs to take care of!

Antifreeze liquid will very slowly evaporate and the heater box if with A/C should have a drain so no volume of antifreeze should be held there but some could.

Odor should go away in time. If heating run it hot and open windows if needed should speed it up. Products like Lysol down where incoming air comes in from near where wipers attach could help.

Hey - know that engine antifreeze is a poison so if any sign of an ill effect get this fixed, u cant allways find a coolant leak by looking at it. it only takes a tiny pinhole leak to squirt it out when the system is warm and under pressure. the core would need to be pressure tested to know for sure if its leaking. one weak spot on lots of heater cores is where the tubes come in thru the firewall and attach to the core body. sometimes that joint can get a tiny stress crack and start leaking.

as for why the smell is worse now, it could be that when he took the old core out, coolant from inside it spilled out of the core into the core case. or its even possible that the new core is defective, again most likely where the tubes join the core body. either way, a puddle of coolant in the case can cause the film on the windshield in defrost mode.

Most likely there is a coolant leak in the heater core or one of the connections. The smell and fog coming from the AC vents points to coolant inside the AC/Heater blower compartment. Look for the AC drain hose under the truck and see if the coolant is coming from that. If so, that a sure sign of a leak inside the AC/Heater. Probably the core. There is no other source of coolant in that area. Hard to think a year old core is leaking but something there is. Could be the connections to the core.

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Gaker

Its the heater core you smell it on the inside because the fan is blowing it into the vehicle antifreeze is unuswal stuff it forms a mist and becomes air borne even a small leak you will smell with the fan running look for wet spots on the carpet under the core but the mist may be so fine and you wonn;t feel it but this your problem

LEAK COULD BE COMING FROM RADIATOR.WHEN YOU FIRST START VECHICLE UP IN MORNING LET ENGINE IDLE TO GET UNTIL THERMOSTAT OPEN AND COOLANT PRESSURE BUILD UP. TURN ENGINE.OFF. RAISE HOOD YOU WILL SEE LEAK. THE COOLANT PRESSURE WILL PUSH OUT ANTIFREEZE.LOOK FOR LEAKS AROUND TOP RADIATOR HOSE AND LOWER RADIATOR HOSE.LOOK ON SIDES RADIATOR AND LOOK BELOW RADIATOR AREA WHERE COOLANTS FANS LOCATED RADIATOR CORES WILL LEAK AND LOOK AROUND WATER PUMP + BYPASS HOSE + CHECK HEATER HOSES TO HEATER CORE THAT GOES THROUGH BACK LOWER FIRE WALL.

Hi yu heater smelling sweet is not a good thing. There is an engine coolant leak probably in the heater core and the smell your noticing is aspirated ainti-freeze. Check your engine coolant. It should be slowly lowering. The only fix is to have the heater core replaced. You can for the moment bypass the heater core by looing the hoses together with a nipple on the engine side of the firewall but you will have no heat or heated defrosting abilities until you replace the heater core.

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Kelly

your heater core is definitley leaking and your blower is pushing the vapor into the cabin. It will only get worse. You can minimize the smell by not running your heater or defroster, but you wont prevent the coolant from leaking and potentially getting worse. Sorry to say, the core will need pulled and repaired or replaced. Sometimes stop leak additives will solve the problem if its not too severe. I have never been a fan of them, its only a band aid in my view. also if u got pets afoid leeting they smell the antifreeze very toxic can kill pets easily. hope this helps. rate above 4* cheers

Likely you are in the beginning stage of a heater core leak. at this point, you may be able to temporarily solve the problem by using a good system sealer (I'm partial to the kind that comes as a silver powder) Since we don't actually know the condition of the core, temporary may mean a week or several years, but replacement is expensive and time consuming so I'd definitely give it a try.

Check to see if the temp door is changing to heat,If that is fine,Then make sure the thermostat is good,maybe just replace it,and refill the radiator,and reservoir with coolant.The heater hoses going into the heater core need to be checked,while the engine is real hot,to make sure the heater hose going in the heater core,and out of the heater core are both to warm to hold by the naked hand.If only one of them is hot,and the other one is warm,to cold to the touch,then remove the heater hoses from the heater core,and use a water hose to flush the heater core out.Put the water hose in one side and flush the heater core out with the force of the water hose pressure.Then do the other heater core pipe the same way.Then replace the heater hoses back on the heater core,and refill the radiator.Make sure to get enough coolant back in the radiator.If there is not enough,the coolant will not flow threw the heater core and put out heat.I hope this is helpful,and you can do the work yourself.You may want to check those heater hose first thing.And change the thermostat anyway,sense you will have some coolant lose from flushing the heater core.If this helps,please let us know,thank you.

Hi

This is caused by a leak in either the heater core itself or the hoses connecting to the heater core.

Rust and corrosion can clog the tiny passages in your heater core. Sometimes the block becomes so severe that pressure builds up in the heater core causing it to spring a leak of coolant - enough to give off the smell you describe.

You can find examples of the heater core at this link
http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/shop_parts/heater_core/dodge/ram_50.html

Solution: Replace heater core or hoses depending on what you find.

Hope this helps. Please do rate this answer. Many Thanks.

the heater core is leaking.