A/C smells like coolant

[mgmsleeper]

i turn on the air conditioner and it smells like coolant, as i raise the temp the smell gets worse but goes away. im guessing its the heater core? ..but my carpet isn't damp or wet on the passenger side. am i right or is there something else?


any positive chimes will be appreciated. thanks

[fastblackmerc]

Heater core.

Nothing positive about it....needs to be changed.

[Shora]

One positive is that you will get a workout should you decide to change it yourself. A real pain in the butt.

Some, here in South FL who don't need a heater, just bypass it.

[96fleetwood]

Yep, sounds like the heater core!

[mgmsleeper]

One positive is that you will get a workout should you decide to change it yourself. A real pain in the butt.

Some, here in South FL who don't need a heater, just bypass it.

cant jus bypass it, i live in fl. miami i need ac rather then coolant gasses in my lungs

[mgmsleeper]

anyone had this issue b4? if so whats the labor goin to the shop vs pain in the a@# doin it myself

[fastblackmerc]

anyone had this issue b4? if so whats the labor goin to the shop vs pain in the a@# doin it myself

Buy a shop manual. They are usually 2 or 3 on eBay.

[Shora]

cant jus bypass it, i live in fl. miami i need ac rather then coolant gasses in my lungs

Never heard of that before. How does one get coolent gasses into the cabin if the hoses are bypassed in the engine bay? Where does the A/C system pick up the gases?

[Mike Poore]

88 Mustangs were famous fo their poor heater core, and eventually the subject of a feature article in Mustang Monthly. The heater core and the air conditioner condensor, or is it the evaporator(?), live in the same airbox flow and when the core/hose/pipe leaks the radiator coolant contaminates the box, thus the odor.
By bypassing, Shora gives an easy, cheap solution. Simply re-route the heater hose back into the return tube and plug the inlet/outlet to the heater core...after you've flushed it with clear water to get the stinkey coolant out, then blow some air to get most of the water out, and have the core replaced, or not, at a time of your choosing. Otherwise, your options are limited as it's gonna get worse, unless you get it fixed ....... not a simple nor inexpensive task.

good luck... been there...mike :)

[mgmsleeper]

Never heard of that before. How does one get coolent gasses into the cabin if the hoses are bypassed in the engine bay? Where does the A/C system pick up the gases?


rephrase: the odor that comes off it is the worse. i dont want to be breathing that

[mgmsleeper]

got a quote of about $800 for the job new heater core and evaporator with flushing and etc...

[Shora]

88 Mustangs were famous fo their poor heater core, and eventually the subject of a feature article in Mustang Monthly. The heater core and the air conditioner condensor, or is it the evaporator(?), live in the same airbox flow and when the core/hose/pipe leaks the radiator coolant contaminates the box, thus the odor.
By bypassing, Shora gives an easy, cheap solution. Simply re-route the heater hose back into the return tube and plug the inlet/outlet to the heater core...after you've flushed it with clear water to get the stinkey coolant out, then blow some air to get most of the water out, and have the core replaced, or not, at a time of your choosing. Otherwise, your options are limited as it's gonna get worse, unless you get it fixed ....... not a simple nor inexpensive task.

good luck... been there...mike :)

Tthanks for all the info!

[B.C. Bake]

got a quote of about $800 for the job new heater core and evaporator with flushing and etc...

Price sounds decent to me? And to avoid the headaches:rolleyes: