Heater core odor

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Bailey B - 14 Dec 2007 20:55 GMT

I had a Lincoln dealer replace the heater core on my 87 Town Car.
Sometimes I think I get a slight smell of antifreeze. If there was a
sizeable heater core leak before the repair, could there be some
lingering odor still there? Could some of the old antifreeze still be
in the heater core area causing the smell?

Do you think the new heater core or hose connections might have a slight
leak? Its covered by their 12 mo warranty. The windows don't fog up
when i run the heater or defroster after the repair.

Since the heater core cant visually be checked for leak without sliding
back the dash, how do u tell it has a slight leak? What about using a
humidistat to measure moisture in the air?

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clifto - 15 Dec 2007 05:32 GMT

> I had a Lincoln dealer replace the heater core on my 87 Town Car.
> Sometimes I think I get a slight smell of antifreeze. If there was a
> sizeable heater core leak before the repair, could there be some
> lingering odor still there? Could some of the old antifreeze still be
> in the heater core area causing the smell?

I had to clean the plenum in my '89 Grand Marquis thoroughly when I replaced
the heater core. Yes, it's possible. If a lot of steamy antifreeze steamed
up your windows etc. before you got the core replaced, it's possible for
little bits of antifreeze to remain in other parts of the system for a
while as well.

> Since the heater core cant visually be checked for leak without sliding
> back the dash, how do u tell it has a slight leak?

Check fastidiously for loss of coolant in the radiator and overflow bottle.

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Scott Dorsey - 15 Dec 2007 14:40 GMT

>I had a Lincoln dealer replace the heater core on my 87 Town Car.
>Sometimes I think I get a slight smell of antifreeze. If there was a
>sizeable heater core leak before the repair, could there be some
>lingering odor still there? Could some of the old antifreeze still be
>in the heater core area causing the smell?

Yes, could happen. How long ago was it?

>Do you think the new heater core or hose connections might have a slight
>leak? Its covered by their 12 mo warranty. The windows don't fog up
>when i run the heater or defroster after the repair.

Could be the case. Is the fluid level in the radiator dropping, even
slightly?

>Since the heater core cant visually be checked for leak without sliding
>back the dash, how do u tell it has a slight leak? What about using a
>humidistat to measure moisture in the air?

You pull the dash. It's ugly.
--scott

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Paul < - 15 Dec 2007 18:33 GMT

Yes.

> Could some of the old antifreeze still be
> in the heater core area causing the smell?

Yes. Very possible.

> Do you think the new heater core or hose connections might have a slight
> leak?

It is possible.

> Its covered by their 12 mo warranty. The windows don't fog up
> when i run the heater or defroster after the repair.
>
> Since the heater core cant visually be checked for leak without sliding
> back the dash, how do u tell it has a slight leak?

Use a cooling system pressure tester.

> What about using a
> humidistat to measure moisture in the air?

No.

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