Heater Core Needed?

[Svenska]

I'm baffled about this one. Re: my 1995 850 with manual climate control. There was no odor at all with the heat on in May, I then changed the timing belt which of course necessitated changing the coolant. Since then, the instant the dials are moved into the red, there is an odor of coolant through the vents - but only for two or three-seconds and then it vanishes. If you turn the temperature control up a little more (to hotter), it smells again of coolant but only for a few seconds then goes away. The carpets are dry and there is no fog inside the windows anywhere. This even happens with the AC on, if you want to make it less cool and more warm, you turn the dials and you then smell coolant for a few seconds. I don't get it.

[HtownTurboBrick]

small leak in the heater core? you getting the smell thru the vent is pretty indicative of heatcore failure. maybe you're just not making it hot enough to actually start fogging and being a constant odor.

[Guest Guest_svenska_*]

Interesting, I'll see what happens. I've never seen a heater core fail like that.

[bigric]

That's exactly how mine acted when it failed. It was a very small leak but still needed attention. It's an easy job.

[xtc]

My heater core leak started with small symptoms, some smell that went away if you left the heater on, no fog, no wet carpet. Eventually I got a smell that stayed when you left the heat on & I got the fog on the windows which I thought was just dirt to start with but my mats were never wet.

[Svenska]

Thanks. It must be the heater core then. What else carries coolant into the passenger compartment. I've just never seen one fail so slowly as this one is. I'll replace it next week.