v6 possible heater core?
06-18-2009, 10:03 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
v6 possible heater core?
Hi Everyone,
Having a problem with my truck lately. Have been getting an intermittent coolant smell in the cabin but it normally goes away after a while. I know this usually indicates a bad heater core. Tonight I parked my truck at walmart and when I came back it was leaking coolant from underneath the truck. I couldn't pinpoint the source of the leak as it was getting dark but it was dripping off the transmission housing (I don't think that's where it originated from obviously). Also - it wasn't pouring out or anything just a drip drip drip sorta thing. Driving back the windshield fogged up from coolant I suppose. I also noticed that the upper rad hose is hot while the bottom rad hose is not and I can't feel definitive pressure on either by pinching the hoses. Observing the coolant it looks rusty and smells like rotting rubber hoses. I don't think the previous owner(s) have ever changed the coolant on this truck at 127k+ miles so I'm sure that's why the trouble has arisen. The dipstick shows no traces of coolant in it if anybody is wondering. Can someone confirm that this sounds like a bad heater core before I go to all the trouble of ripping my dash out to get the sucker?
Having a problem with my truck lately. Have been getting an intermittent coolant smell in the cabin but it normally goes away after a while. I know this usually indicates a bad heater core. Tonight I parked my truck at walmart and when I came back it was leaking coolant from underneath the truck. I couldn't pinpoint the source of the leak as it was getting dark but it was dripping off the transmission housing (I don't think that's where it originated from obviously). Also - it wasn't pouring out or anything just a drip drip drip sorta thing. Driving back the windshield fogged up from coolant I suppose. I also noticed that the upper rad hose is hot while the bottom rad hose is not and I can't feel definitive pressure on either by pinching the hoses. Observing the coolant it looks rusty and smells like rotting rubber hoses. I don't think the previous owner(s) have ever changed the coolant on this truck at 127k+ miles so I'm sure that's why the trouble has arisen. The dipstick shows no traces of coolant in it if anybody is wondering. Can someone confirm that this sounds like a bad heater core before I go to all the trouble of ripping my dash out to get the sucker?
06-19-2009, 03:12 PM
#2
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I think that there are a couple other possibilities so I wouldn't buy any parts yet. could just be a cracked hose, the heater core its self could be fine. Tearing apart the dash is probably unavoidable though so go for it!
06-19-2009, 04:28 PM
#3
Redneck engineerin'
Sounds like a heater core, but would check hoses first to make sure you dont have a broken one first. With fogging of the windsheild it does sure sound like it though.
08-31-2009, 06:37 PM
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Bump, friends 2001 V6 F150 is leaking as well. Common heater core symptoms like wet floor mats, smells bad in cabin, loss of coolant. To bypass it, can I just cut the hose and attach it to the other hose?