328 Heater-smells like coolant! | FerrariChat
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328 Heater-smells like coolant!

Discussion in 'Technical Q&A' started by jimpo1, Nov 30, 2007.

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  1. jimpo1

    jimpo1 Two Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Jul 30, 2001
    25,026
    Dallas, TX
    Full Name:
    Jim E
    #1 jimpo1, Nov 30, 2007
    The few times I've used the heater in my 328 (I don't drive it when it's cold), the hot air that blows into the cabin smells like coolant. I know that both of my heater cores are fine, anybody have any other ideas?
     
  2. DMOORE

    DMOORE Formula 3

    Aug 23, 2005
    1,720
    San Diego
    Full Name:
    Darrell
    #2 DMOORE, Nov 30, 2007
    Are you 100% sure you do not have a pin hole? The only time I've smelled coolent is when there was a leak.




    Darrell.
     
  3. Glassman

    Glassman F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Apr 23, 2002
    15,247
    Montana, Oregon, Hawaii
    #3 Glassman, Nov 30, 2007
    You have a coolant leak somewhere. Either a pin hole in the cores or a loose or leaking hose attachment.
     
  4. pippo

    pippo Formula 3

    Sep 25, 2005
    1,913
    FL
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    pippopotemus
    #4 pippo, Dec 1, 2007
    Can you touch underneath the area, on carpet, use the back of your hand, and push down, as sometimes it can feel dry, but fluid is low in the carpet pile, and may not be apparent unless one presses firmly on the carpet. THEN you will be able to confirm if some coolant has dripped in the area, and go from there.

    Had it happen to one of my cars once. It was a mess.
     
  5. Stew

    Stew Formula Junior

    Apr 16, 2006
    547
    Los Angeles
    #5 Stew, Dec 7, 2007
    +1

    I've been through this before. If you take off the black cover pieces inside the front bonnet, you can expose most all of what you need to see. A few well placed paper towels will let you know where the leak is. There are a couple types of heater core. One type is a standard soldered core and the other uses an epoxy cement. DO NOT try to repair the epoxy type. They are a major PITA !!. On mine the epoxy had a silver look to it. Good luck


    Regards,

    Stew
     
    Saabguy likes this.
  6. pippo

    pippo Formula 3

    Sep 25, 2005
    1,913
    FL
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    pippopotemus
    #6 pippo, Dec 7, 2007
    Ok, Jimpo...we are waiting for the suspensful update, now. Didja check the leak or not?

    C'mon, this is Friday night, ya gotta do this for us...LOL!
     
  7. Mark 328

    Mark 328 Formula Junior

    Nov 6, 2003
    510
    Orange, Ca
    Full Name:
    Mark Foley
    #7 Mark 328, Dec 8, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Mine leaked; a pressure test revealed that the leak path was in the epoxy joints around the tubes.
    The barbed end of the inlet & outlet tubes was corroded too.
    I "dug" out the epoxy with a small die grinder with a pointed bit. The epoxy looked just like JB Weld so I used that to re-epoxy.
    The JB weld seems thick, but eventually it will flow and looks just like the original epoxy..
    I made inlet and outlet tubes out of a fiberglass material that I bought from McMaster Carr.

    Everything survived a pressure test up to the cap pressure, but I have not put it back into the car yet. The cabin of my black on black car is just too hot to have the heater cores putting more heat into the equation.

    Mark
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