Strange antifreeze type smell in cab

[gpacheco]

My '94 3.0 Ranger has had a slight antifreeze smell under the hood for about a month now. I never noticed any leaking. I recently found a trace of a small leak around the top of the water pump. Ok so I need to replace the water pump. Well yesterday I was on the way home and I started getting a strong antifreeze type smell when the AC was on. It smells like antifreeze with crap mixed in. It's nausiating. When I shut off the AC but leave the vent open, it still smells. If I shut the vent systom OFF then there is just a faint smell.
The first thing that comes to mind is the heater core. I opened it up and NO leaks. WTH? Anyone else ever have this happen? Any ideas?

 

[SixFoFalcon]

Heater core comes to mind first for me as well, but it looks like you've got that covered. Could still be the underhood leak that's just traveling up into the cowl inlet and coming into the cabin through the HVAC.

FWIW, I don't think water pumps are very expensive for these motors, and it's not a difficult job either. In other words, there's no sense putting it off.

 

[gpacheco]

Thanks for the reply.
I will check out the cowl a little closer tonight.

I have replaced the water pump on a '93 ranger I had. It's not a tough job.
I have been busier than a one legged man in an a$$ kicking contest and the water pump job just keeps getting bumped on down the line. I think the time is here....

 

[SixFoFalcon]

Yeah, I just wanted to mention that it's not too tough nor expensive, because many moons ago I had a '92 Taurus with a weeping water pump and I kept putting it off because I didn't have much time or money. Then after avoiding the job for a few months I found out the water pump was only like $25 brand new, and it only took me about an hour to swap them, so I felt like a dumbass for putting it off that long.

Let me clarify my comment about the cowl... I wasn't suggesting the coolant was actually leaking into the cowl--that would be a long shot to say the least. Rather, the smell of the coolant could be strong enough that it's finding its way around the edges of the hood and getting drawn in with the air into the cowl.

 

[gpacheco]

I'm doing the water pump job tonight. Hopefully that's the whole problem.
I have put it off long enough.

 

[Rearanger]

Well yesterday I was on the way home and I started getting a strong antifreeze type smell when the AC was on. It smells like antifreeze with crap mixed in. It's nausiating.

Don't discount an A/C leak at the evaporator. Not sure if the 94 is R134a or R12 but if there's a leak you may be smelling A/C oil. Keep track of your A/C operation.

 

[gpacheco]

Well I replaced the water pump.
The smell is gone for the most part.
Now I just barely smell antifreeze occasionally.
It seems to be coming from the loose inlet to the radiator overflow tank.
I can live with it for now.

SixFoFalcon was right. When I turned on the air the smell was coming through the cowling.

Later I will address the puke tank inlet.

thanks guys....

 

[AllanD]

Don't entirely trust a visual inspection of the heater cor... particularly if you don't completely remove it from the vehicle.

the tiniest pinhole can make the interior REEK of antifreeze...

BTW, the first symptom I start noticing of a leaky heatercore is I get a headache...

I start getting headaches L O N G before I can actually smell the antifreeze

 

[cargs]

Don't entirely trust a visual inspection of the heater cor... particularly if you don't completely remove it from the vehicle.

the tiniest pinhole can make the interior REEK of antifreeze...

BTW, the first symptom I start noticing of a leaky heatercore is I get a headache...

I start getting headaches L O N G before I can actually smell the antifreeze

+1

same thing happened to me, pinhole leak in heater core caused the antifreeze smell in cab. it wasn't large enough to fog up the windows or anything. changed it out and smell disappeared. it only takes about 10-15 mins to do the whole job, plus these heater cores are cheap.

good luck.