Jim Grant's Tech Tips
'89 Ford Bronco, Fragrance of Anti-freeze
Q:
My
co-worker has an '89 Ford Bronco that has just had the heads replaced
due to anti freeze in the oil. He now has a constant odor of antifreeze
coming from his vents. He is extremely sensitive to the smell... The garage
where he had the work done says they cannot find anything wrong? What's
your guess?
-
Nick
A:
If
there is a distinct aroma of anti-freeze inside the vehicle, but no leaks
are being found, it is likely that the heater core is leaking. It only
takes but a few drops of coolant to really push out a strong anti-freeze
aroma inside a vehicle. This leak can be so small that a pressure test
will not prove a thing. In our shop we have found that one of the best
tools for nailing a heater related problem is the ladies. When we can't
smell a problem the call goes to Linda or Phyllis at the front desk. As
a rule women have better senses of smell than men. We guys have our smellers
all contaminated within the first hours work in the shop and we're not
worth much in that arena anyhow. It takes the ladies only a moment to
nail down offensive odors. If they smell anti-freeze, it's anti-freeze.
Your friend may very well be sniffing a heater core problem/leak.
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