Radiator Fluid Smell

[Crammed Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Crammed]

Good morning all.. So today I hopped in for my daily commute, and immediately after starting the engine I smelled that sweet savory smell of radiator fluid inside the cabin.

I cannot find any leaks under the bonnet, I suspect heater core, but the funny thing is that the smell only comes from the rear passenger vents. I have read around and from what I can tell is that the rear passenger zone does not have a separate heat exchanger?? There is absolutely no smell coming from the front top vents.

I don't find any leaks or wet carpet in the passenger footwell, but the smell is there. I guess I was hoping to narrow down where I should start tearing stuff apart.

Thanks in advance!! I have a 2010 gxl diesel.

[leethal1 Member Find all posts View Profile Close leethal1]

Rear definatly has a heater core, they run coolant from the front to back. Heater pipes are just inder the trim.

[Crammed Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Crammed]

Ok, thanks!! I am not able to have much of a look until Sunday, but perhaps I will look rearward instead of forward to start with.

Cheers!!

[LeighW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LeighW]

When I purchased my second hand KIA Sportage I found the radiator had plain water
in it, I replaced it with coolant and immediately there was the smell of coolant in the
car when the air conditioning was turned on bummer I thought leaking heater core
and they removed the coolant so buyer wouldn't know. I checked fluid levels over
a couple of weeks but they didn't change which I found surprising.

Decide to change the core, mongrel job, had to take out the dash, replaced core
put everything back together, same result!

Couldn't find any signs of leaks anywhere with old core except some slight deposits
around the "O" rings, in the KIA the core has plastic headers, the alloy core is inserted
into these and the is an "O" rings sealing each tube.

Still has the coolant smell when you first turn the heater on after several years which is
annoying, doesn't loose any coolant, can only assume the smell seeps past the "O" rings.
If your lucky yours might be the same, check the coolant and see if your loosing any.

Also you haven't changed your coolant recently by ant chance, replacing coolant with a different
type and not neutralizing the cooling can cause heater cores to quickly corrode.

[topic97 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close topic97]

Depends on the coolant and the severity of the leak.
If its a tiny leak, the red organic coolants seem to weep & crystalise whereas the older stuff doesnt and tends to run.
That's often why you will get the coolant smell but no leakage with the organic stuff.

[Crammed Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Crammed]

Thanks for the replies all!!

It is bucketing down with rain here at the moment, so I am not pulling anything apart. Interesting information about changing out the radiator fluid and not neutralizing the cores, but no I have not changed out the radiator fluid recently and my coolant levels are stable. It does have the pink coolant in it if that makes any difference, but for now I have just turned the rear zone off. It is nice and warm up here so it is not calling for heat, so right now there is no smell.

When the weather fines up and I can get out there I will do some more investigation.

Cheers