DocRoche

2001 Ford F150 5.4. Recently I've noticed a strong antifreeze smell around my truck. Ive mostly noticed it outside the truck, but can find no leak. Today I noticed the smell in the truck. My buddy suggested letting the heat run for a bit then shutting it off. When I turned the truck on and ran the heat the smell went away. Once I shut the heat off the smell came back in the cab on the passenger side. Someone said this may be a heater core. But I always figured with a heater core I'd see a leak. It does smell under the dash on the passenger side. But no internal leak. Truck has 145,000 miles on it and living in PA the heat is on almost always in the winter months. Does this sound like a heater core? What else could it be? Thank you in advance.

JCR 56

Definitely sounds like a heater core.

digitaltrucker

Turn the defrost on!

DocRoche

I think the defrost was on when we ran the heat. Is it normal for the smell to not be present as the heater runs but to return when its off?

digitaltrucker

I would think a smell would be there, as long as leaking antifreeze was present. BTW, if you intend to keep this truck, while the dash is pulled, I would also replace the ac evap core.

white89gt

When you ran defrost, did your windshield get fogged over? Any wetness on the windshield?

DocRoche

No wetness that I noticed just starting it up or driving on defrost. With the heat on its very very faint. But very prominent once turned off

jethat

Probably a small hole in the heater core. It will get worse.

white89gt

More than likely a pinhole leak in the core that has just not developed enough to form puddles on the ground, or your carpet. I would check the hoses going to the core really well though.... those seals can sometimes develop a slight leak that can make its way into the cab, Seen that happen a lot on newer Explorers. This would explain why you can smell it more outside of the truck. (Using an extended mirror is great here)

techrep

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