Elara

I doubt anyone here will have any ideas for me, but just in case, I'm going to post it anyway...

My inlaws gave us an elderly volvo station wagon until my husband decides what kind of car he wants. When we were driving it on friday, it started fogging up all the windows inside, and there was a weird smell of antifreeze. In looking more closely, there was a fog coming OUT of the a/c vents, and the fog (which smelled like antifreeze) was glopping itself on the windows- so we opened all the windows and froze on the way home to get rid of the fumes, and then he had to clean the windows with Windex to get rid of the film left behind. We know we have to get this fixed, but niether of us has ever seen anything like it before.

Does anyone here have any idea what this might be?

If it's something signalling the death of the car, we're just going to give it back to my inlaws for now and deal with one car for a while. But if it's not a major problem, we'll pay to fix it for now. The car's only worth about $1k, so we don't want to spend TOO much on it.

playdoh43

just a guess...
sounds like its a leak... probably due to the old ancient rubber tubbing or plastic housing deteriorating/eroding resulting in the leak. if my intuition is correct it shouldnt cost much to repair it.

zoom44

heater core is shot- need a replacement

Tigster

yup heater core. you can replace the heater core or just by pass it by cutting the hoses and attaching them back together. You just no longer have heat oviously if you bypass it.

Elara

you guys are great! thanks a bunch!

dannobre

iTrader: (3)

It is an expensive fix unless you do it yourself...usually need to pull the dash apart

It's not difficult just takes time.

Elara

yeah, expensive to the tune of $750. However, we are getting it fixed (the inlaws insisted, and gave us $300 towards it) as my darling husband can't make up his mind what he wants still, and wants to save up more money for a down payment.

I have another question- can anyone explain to me how the heater core works? I know it's part of the engine cooling system (right?). Am I correct in assuming that coolant must be flowing through it (since it was misting out of the vent) and that it's also part of the actual climate control of the car (since the misting was occuring when the heat was turned on, I assume that is where the heat for the cc comes from)?

StealthTL

iTrader: (1)

You're right, it looks like a small square intercooler. Fan blows thru hot tubing. Leaks can be stopped, sometimes for years, with a can of "Bar's Leaks". It is heat activated coating that works inside the core to plug tiny "misting" leaks like yours.

Mechanics don't like it because it coats the whole cooling system, making it a little more inefficient, but it's an old beater, so worth a try. I would use it in your case, no question.

One can, $4, no more problem!

S

dannobre

iTrader: (3)

^^ Like a small radiator It circulates the hot engine coolant into the interior when a bypass valve is open...and puts engine heat into the interior. I would try the stop leak as well....if its a small leak it might work....good enough for a beater

QBallz

Here is what a heater core looks like: http://www.overclockers.com/tips1022/

And they work pretty good if you water cool your computer

Elara

That's a rather unique use for it...

Thanks again guys, I'm trying to become a little more mechanically inclined- mabe someday I'll be able to do something other than change the oil!

dannobre

iTrader: (3)

Hell....you can do that You're heads above most others of the female persuasion

( no offense meant...my wife can't check the oil )

Butch Brown

If you want to go without heat you can bypass the heater core and run one heater hose from the inlet to outlet on the engine block. Another possibility is to use a radiator stop leak product ( no guarantees ) but Barrs Leaks is a product I used before on an old car and it worked for me.

Elara

Unfortunately, that wasn't an option since it's the main car we haul our 4 month old around in atm. Can't freeze the baby! I'm going to find out what they did, exactly, when I pick the car up this afternoon. As I said, maybe someday I'll be a bit more mechnically inclined- need to go get myself some old piece of crap car I can take apart and attempt to put back together again, I guess.

Tigster

You could have bypassed the heater for the car then bought a "portable" car heater like this one.

http://www.quadratec.com/cgi-bin/sgi...06011812344862

StealthTL

iTrader: (1)

I still recommend the Bars Leaks fix, it either works, or it doesn't, no harm either way.

Did you know that the vast majority of USA assembled cars have "Bars" added on the production line, to seal any small weeping leaks in the brand new vehicle?


Bars....

S

jtimbck2

Hey, *changing* the oil is heads above what most males can/will do!