Bad smell from heater following cold weather

[jackhjharding]

Hi guys

I hadn't driven my Trophy since Friday and went out this morning to fire her up prior to the morning commute. I turned the heaters onto full and set to the windscreen to clear the ice that had built up and went back indoors. I returned to my car after a few minutes and whilst there was nothing unusual going on outside the car, once I stepped inside I was greeted with a horrible smell, almost like fish/burning!

My initial thought was that the coolant had frozen and the car was overheating but this was not the case. Also, the temperatue gauge on the dash was not reading any higher than usual. I turned the heaters off and drove for a few minutes with the windows down and the smell started to clear. I then turned the heaters back on to see if it would return and it did!

Any ideas as to what this could be? I don't have air-con so could it just be that snow or something has got into the heater area and is just burning off?

Cheers

 

[marrow]

coolant leak? from memory it smells fishy? check level/signs of leak?

 

[jackhjharding]

coolant leak? from memory it smells fishy? check level/signs of leak?

Thanks Marrow - the coolant level looks fine and no signs of leakage. I'm hoping a bit has just leaked following the freezing conditions (although not sure how this would have happened!) and the smell will not return when everything thaws out!

 

[Wheaty]

I also had a bad smell coming from the heater after i struggled home the other day in the snow. I haven't driven it since to see if it still smells.

 

[jackhjharding]

I think it may have sorted itself! Had the heater on full blast this morning and there's no smell coming from the vents. I can still smell it slightly in the car but this is just where it hasn't 100% cleared from yesterday.

I'm hoping it was just a temporary problem, possibly down to the freezing temperatures? Possibly that the coolant tank expanded and caused some of the fluid to escape the tank and get into the heating system?

 

[marrow]

I think it may have sorted itself! Had the heater on full blast this morning and there's no smell coming from the vents. I can still smell it slightly in the car but this is just where it hasn't 100% cleared from yesterday.

I'm hoping it was just a temporary problem, possibly down to the freezing temperatures? Possibly that the coolant tank expanded and caused some of the fluid to escape the tank and get into the heating system?

sounds logical

 

[jackhjharding]

Hope so! The coolant level hasn't dropped at all so I've ruled out a leak!