Why do I smell antifreeze when I turn my heater on?
If your car smells like antifreeze, it could mean that the vehicle’s heater core is leaking. The heater core is responsible for circulating warm air in the car’s passenger cabin. When the heater core develops a leak, it begins circulating air with an antifreeze odor and eventually fails altogether.
What are the signs of a bad heater coil?
Five Signs Your Car’s Heater Core Is Going Bad
- Fog Inside Your Car. Two things could be going on if you have fog inside your car.
- Sweet Smells in the Car. The sweet smell in your car might not be your perfume or the donuts you’re taking to work.
- Constant Engine Coolant Loss.
- Cold Air in the Cabin.
- Cold Cabin/Hot Engine.
What is wrong if you smell antifreeze?
THE CULPRIT: Coolant containing sweet-smelling (but toxic) ethylene glycol is leaking from somewhere. It might be coming from a leaky radiator cap or the radiator itself, especially if you smell it outside the car. A strong odor inside the passenger compartment probably means a bad heater core.
Why does my car heater smell bad when I turn it on?
If the smell is coming from inside the car only when the heater is turned on, the problem is either with the heater core or the heater hose. If you only notice the smell outside the car, the leak is in the coolant compartment. Reach near the floor on the driver’s side and pull the hood release.
Where does the antifreeze smell come from in a car?
Turn the car on and then turn the heater on high to determine if the antifreeze smell is coming from inside or outside the car. If the smell is coming from inside the car only when the heater is turned on, the problem is either with the heater core or the heater hose.
Is it bad to smell a leak in a heater?
It’s going to be a small leak in the heater core. I doubt you’d be able to smell anything if it was the radiator. As long as you keep proper radiator levels there shouldn’t be any harm. The problem is it is leaking and it may get worse. You need to get this fixed. There are some stop-leak products that actually work very well.
Is it safe to run the heat with antifreeze on?
Don’t breathe the fumes very long as they are very toxic especially to small children. I would avoid running the heat for this reason. I filled up the antifreeze and it dropped maybe one-half inch. There is NO residue on the windshield or windows, and no leaking antifreeze through the floor heating vents.
What do you do when you smell antifreeze?
If the smell of antifreeze is more prominent on the inside than outside, it’s likely that the source of the leak comes from inside the engine. The easiest problems to fix will involve the hose and its clamps. An experienced car owner familiar with basic mechanics may be able to tighten a lax clamp or replace a torn hose.
What would cause a smell when home heater is on?
- Smells Toasty! We’ve talked about “Florida cold ” in the past.
- Clogged Air Filter. The dust and dirt on a clogged air filter might cause a burning smell from the heat passing through it.
- Proximity. Anything near your heating unit or vents can cause a burning smell when the heat is on.
- Types of Smells.
Why do I Smell coolant when the heater is on?
There are several potential reasons for the odor. They all stem from a leak in the cooling system under the hood. The most probable cause for the smell is a leak in the heater core, which is a device mounted behind the dashboard that is responsible for heating the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
Why do I Smell antifreeze?
Antifreeze is not the only thing that can cause an antifreeze odor. Another culprit may be the refrigerant in your system. While refrigerant is more often used in air conditioners, if you use a heat pump for heating, a refrigerant leak is a possibility.