anti freeze smell

[davealex]

I have a 2000 blazer.recently I started smelling antifreeze coming out of the ducts with the AC on.once in a while i can see smoke or mist come out of the ducts,again with the antifreeze smell.there are no obvious leaks.any sugestions? Dave

[BlazerLT]

heater core is leaking. Time to check it out and check the hoses and then check the heater core for leaks.

[davealex]

thanks for the quick reply.I have sense discovered a spot of antifreeze under the vehicle leading to the core,no hoses appear to be leaking.is changing the core a major pain? Thanks... dave

[BlazerLT]

I would do a search for this here.

It isn't easy.

[Rick Norwood]

Originally Posted by BlazerLT

I would do a search for this here.

It isn't easy.

I second the NOT EASY part. If you don't have an extensive assortment of sockets, extensions, swivels, Torx tips, a good manual, and a lot of patience, I'd take it in to a garage.

If you want to try to bypass the heater core until you can get the core replaced, you should be able to buy a "jumper" fitting from your auto parts store that will allow you to connect the two different size of hoses together after you disconnect both hoses from the heater core at the fire wall.

[davealex]

it appears the leak is coming from the area where the blower fan is.atifreeze is leaking onto the exhaust manifold.This morning when I started it and drove a few miles I heard a gurgling sound and then the whole vehice filled with mist!Is there something else I should check first before I tear into the heater core?As far as tools,my father was a retired mechanic and when he passed I got every tool he owned,so needless to say I have more tools than I will ever need. Thanks for your informative replies..Dave

[BlazerLT]

Check all the hoses and check the heater core.

Stop running it like this.

[Jeremy Fitch]

Yes forsure do not run it unless you want orange or green drivers side carpet. At least jump the heater hoses over to bypass the heater core so you can drive it until you can get it repaired.

[Rick Norwood]

Originally Posted by davealex

it appears the leak is coming from the area where the blower fan is.atifreeze is leaking onto the exhaust manifold.This morning when I started it and drove a few miles I heard a gurgling sound and then the whole vehice filled with mist!Is there something else I should check first before I tear into the heater core?As far as tools,my father was a retired mechanic and when he passed I got every tool he owned,so needless to say I have more tools than I will ever need. Thanks for your informative replies..Dave

Absolutely stop driving it like this!

It sounds like you have a number of problems. The gurgling sound is air in your system, which means you need to flush your system and replace the radiator cap, especially if you still have the original AC Delco cap. There have been may threads about this on this forum.

I have also seen the heater hose connections leak right at the firewall and spray antifreeze into the fan box. If you have visible leaks dripping out of or around the fan box you need to pull the hoses off of the heater core fittings at the firewall immediately and jumper them together until repairs can be made or your gonna find yourself over heating real soon. And don't forget to top off your coolant in your radiator!

[davealex]

thanks to all who have replied,I am going to start repairs this weekend.this is the only vehicle I have to get me to and from work so I have to drive it,but I am monitoring antifreeze levels.thanks again.. I will post my progress after this weekend...Dave

[BlazerLT]

Originally Posted by davealex

thanks to all who have replied,I am going to start repairs this weekend.this is the only vehicle I have to get me to and from work so I have to drive it,but I am monitoring antifreeze levels.thanks again.. I will post my progress after this weekend...Dave

Get off your butt and get out there in the late afternoon and at least bypass it.

You aresn't the President so you life is not that busy to installa a temporary bypass instead of lazily leaking coolant all over your interior.

It is stuff like this you don't allow to keep on going for days on end.

[jsgold]

I replaced mine (93 S-10 Blazer) and yes, it is a pain in the butt, but probably not as hard as yours would be. I would drop it off somewhere and get it replaced so you don't have antifreeze to dispose of and a general mess. Expect to pay 100-200 bucks unless you are lucky. There is a place not too far from here that does it for 60-100 bucks(depends on vehicle, some are more), but, would highly recommend flush, new stat while you are at it, and would not hurt to check all hoses as well. The jumper is an easy thing to do, ran mine that way for 2-3 weeks as it was warm and did not need heater.

[davealex]

heater bypass has been done as well as a radiator flush with new cap,heater core will be here early next week so I will replace next weekend..Dave

[BlazerLT]

good going!

[Rick Norwood]

Originally Posted by davealex

heater bypass has been done as well as a radiator flush with new cap,heater core will be here early next week so I will replace next weekend..Dave

Rock on Dude! One of the key things about replacing the core is patience. Take your time, and use as much care as you can not to break anything.

I found it helps if you have someone there to help out. You might need a Bungi cord to help hold up pieces of the dash etc. as you get into the removal, as well as the wide assortment of tools that you spoke about.

Let us know how it goes.

How did you "Jumper" the hoses?