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Need mechanical advice/help

LaidbackDanLaidbackDan Member Posts: 13,142 ✭✭✭
edited January 2007 in General Discussion
I have a 96 Chevrolet V6 S10 pickup that has started to vent in a overheating radiator coolant type of smell when the heater is turned on. When the defroster is on it actually steams up the windshield instead of the opposite. The vehicle is not overheating at all (at least according to the gauge), I changed out the thermostat without any remedy (with my limited mechanical skills, this usually has fixed past problems). Can anyone give me a idea or a direction to go next?
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Comments

  • tomh.tomh. Member Posts: 3,848 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    heater core is leaking?
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  • TexasVetTexasVet Member Posts: 2,847 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    TomH is right, sounds like a heater core. Check the floor and see if there's coolant there.
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  • bigtirebigtire Member Posts: 24,800
    edited November -1
    Your heater core has sprung a leak. The car's heater takes some of the coolant and runs it through an exchanger like a mini radiator to produce heat for the cab. When this leaks you smell coolant, get high humidity, and eventually a puddle of coolant in the passenger footwell.

    More bad news. It's usually a pain in the butt to change one out. They are burried in the dash.
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  • KnifecollectorKnifecollector Member Posts: 3,267 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Everyone is correct. The heater core is leaking, it might be a small leak, but a leak nonetheless. Thats whats fogging up the windshield. I put one in a 96 Blazer one time and had to remove the whole dash assembly.
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  • LaidbackDanLaidbackDan Member Posts: 13,142 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    That's why I love this place! Thanks everyone, sure enough theres liquid dripping into the passenger well. Is this something I can drive with for a few days without further mechanical damage (other then driving a Mobile steam room that is)?
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  • dlrjjdlrjj Member Posts: 5,529 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yep, the heater core is the most likely culprit, and they are one of the worst repair jobs to do on any vehicle I've ever done one on. You will need to take a crash course in profanity just to get started removing the garbage in the way of doing the repair, but get it done before it soaks the carpet and then tries to rot the floorboards. You can do it, but you will likely be able to teach sailors some new words before you are done. It's not really very hard, just tough to get to and not much room to work in most vehicles.[:(]
    Tax evasion is illegal, tax avoidance is an art form.
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  • CubsloverCubslover Member Posts: 18,601 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by dlrjj
    Yep, the heater core is the most likely culprit, and they are one of the worst repair jobs to do on any vehicle I've ever done one on. You will need to take a crash course in profanity just to get started removing the garbage in the way of doing the repair, but get it done before it soaks the carpet and then tries to rot the floorboards. You can do it, but you will likely be able to teach sailors some new words before you are done. It's not really very hard, just tough to get to and not much room to work in most vehicles.[:(]
    [:D]
    Half of the lives they tell about me aren't true.
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  • dcon12dcon12 Member Posts: 32,040 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by dlrjj
    Yep, the heater core is the most likely culprit, and they are one of the worst repair jobs to do on any vehicle I've ever done one on. You will need to take a crash course in profanity just to get started removing the garbage in the way of doing the repair, but get it done before it soaks the carpet and then tries to rot the floorboards. You can do it, but you will likely be able to teach sailors some new words before you are done. It's not really very hard, just tough to get to and not much room to work in most vehicles.[:(]


    You got it right. Also I need to add that you must change it by standing on your head. Easier to just plug off the heater hoses and wear insulated coveralls to drive. Don
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  • n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427 ✭
    edited November -1
    If the leak is small enuff you can try some stop leak to seal it for a little while.

    Just make sure you add it to a warm motor and have the heater turned on full blast and let it run for about an hour.

    Some times this works some times it don't.
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  • select-fireselect-fire Member Posts: 69,527 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You can bypass the heater by connecting the heater hoses under the hood. Of course NO heat inside the truck.
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  • WinM70WinM70 Member Posts: 1,667 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by tomh.
    heater core is leaking?


    Ditto.
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  • catpealer111catpealer111 Member Posts: 10,695
    edited November -1
    Heater core. Get it replaced before it blows-up, seriously.
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  • TopkickTopkick Member Posts: 4,452 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    They actually set the heater core on a table at the factory and then build the truck around it.
    So I've heard.....

    Yup, heater core.
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  • dlrjjdlrjj Member Posts: 5,529 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by LaidbackDan
    That's why I love this place! Thanks everyone, sure enough theres liquid dripping into the passenger well. Is this something I can drive with for a few days without further mechanical damage (other then driving a Mobile steam room that is)?
    You can drive it with no problems other than soaking the carpet, which can be a long range problem with rust on the floor pan. You could likely pull the hoses off from the engine side of the firewall, put a short piece of pipe of the correct size (5/8 ID is often the hose size, but I don't know the S10) in the ends, and a couple clamps to tighten it up, and drive it the rest of your life - just zero heat now. What the heck, in a couple of months it will be warm![;)]
    Tax evasion is illegal, tax avoidance is an art form.
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  • 11b6r11b6r Member Posts: 16,584 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Try a bottle of BARS-LEAKS (Hey, if it works for nuclear subs, why not?) At worst, it won't work. DO run heater wide open for 15 minutes or so after adding it. I would rather take a whipping than change a heater core. Worth paying local garage to do that. I mean, it really SUCKS!
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  • gun_runnergun_runner Member Posts: 8,999
    edited November -1
    Replace it. Mine blew up when I was in Chicago and it was not a good situation. It took me 5 hours to put a new one in my truck and it was freezing and dark and I had a friend that was helping me that was legally blind.


    Good times for sure,
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  • LaidbackDanLaidbackDan Member Posts: 13,142 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Once again thanks everybody, looks like I'm going to be driving my 10mpg ranch truck for awhile.[:(]
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  • dclocodcloco Member Posts: 2,967
    edited November -1
    Actually, your vehicle has more problems than that.

    Your ENTIRE cooling system is bad. This is TYPICAL of this GM product. GM has a bulletin on this - the heater core & radiator need replaced. The soft plugs in the block need to be removed and the internal cooling of the block needs cleaned.

    Might check with the local dealer, they sometimes do ALL of the work for free.

    The heater core in these, if equipped with A/C...is a PAIN to change.
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