Smelly Heat

I have a 3 wk old new TDI Sport with 1200 miles on it. When I turn on the heat, there is a moderate to strong chemical smell. To me it smells like antifreeze. No smell with A/C or just venting air. Only when the heat is on.

The volkswagen mechanic and service manager both say they can smell it but it isn't that bad and is typical for new jettas. "Give it another couple of weeks" they said.

I told them I have had a Jetta previously (2001 model written off) and it never smelled like that.

Has anyone heard of this problem happening elsewhere? I'm not sure what to do next.

Thanks,

Daryl

Watch your coolant level closely... it's not unheard of to geta bad heater core, even on new cars.

I have the same problem with my two month old Jetta. When I turn on the heat it gives out a strange smell like something is burning. I went to the dealer and they took the dash apart and found a burnt piece of plastic in the heater core. But even after removing the plastic the smell didnt go away. I went to another dealer and they said that there may be some residual plastic which will eventually dissipate. So they suggested that I run the heater periodically. I feel like the smell is getting better.

Hope this helps.

It's most likely in the heater core. They fail from time to time, and like he said, it's not unheard of to get a bad one from the get-go. The problem could be as small as a pinhole leak in the heater core. If this is the problem, the system will pass all pressure tests but you'll still get a faint smell whenever the car warms up.

Go ahead and give it the extra two weeks (do watch your coolant level), unless you have a problem like an antifreeze allergy (it happens) and if it hasn't gone away tell em to pull the heater core and give you a new one. They should do it under warranty.