so.... when I turn on my fan, either a/c or heater, I get a funky smell, it smells like coolant, or curry

my coolant level is in spec if that matters

truck does have 175k miles on it, and who knows what it was subjected to before I got it.

 

I would remove the heater core and use a coil cleaner to clean it.

 

Sounds like you may have a small leak in your heater core if you are smelling coolant. Coolant will basically smell like pancake syrup, a sweet smell. This is unfortunate because to replace it is a very time consuming process, basically the whole dash has to come out. There a few different way out there to remove a heater core, but none of them are really simple. A shop will usually charge you around $1k in labor to replace the core. Hopefully you have some Curry chicken stuck in there and its not a heater core Good luck.

 

If the OP does have a leak, then replacing it is the only way.

 

it isn't leaking into the car..... and it doesn't do it when the a/c is on, I just confirmed that this weekend

 

Still sounds like a small leak in the heater core, even with this additional info. There is a electronically controlled blend door that opens or blocks flow of air across the heater core depending on whether your climate **** is on cold or hot. If you have the AC on, the flow across the heater core is blocked. That is why you won't smell it when the AC is on. Second, if it is a small leak it will evaporate before it can pool enough in the box behind the dash and leak into the car. Usually a heater core develops a pinhole leak at first and will grow over time.

 

where would it dump fluid on the floor if it was doing it?

is there a way to jsut straight bypass the heater core? I remember on old fords, a 2 foot section of garden hose under hte hood was good to go.

What is a good brand of replacement to go with?

also, I have a cabin air filter? that should get changed first or?

I also want to do a drain and fill of the cooling system... I have new OEM fluid for it, jsut haven't gotten around to it yet....

 

See above.

 

well, it is getting worse, now I smell it even when I don't have the heater on, like if I have the a/c on, or when I first start driving and am at speed for a little bit.....

went to rockauto, the oem is a little over $100, and the replacements are like $25 ---- I will be getting an OEM

if I can figure out what size and options I need to get for a radiator, I might get one of those as well, and just change everything. I already have new coolant and an upper radiator hose, so I would just need the lower as well...

I won't get an OEM radiator though, that is like $450!

 

The smell getting worse sounds right, a pinhole leak will only get worse over time. Well prepare for a $800-$1200 labor bill from a mechanic to replace it or a full weekend if you are handy enough for a heater core replacement. I know several people who junked their F150 because the core went. I would leave the rad. As the saying goes, if it ain't broke don't fix it.

 

I will do it myself. I work on a car assembly line this is also not my primary vehicle, so if I can't do it all in a weekend, it can sit until I can get to it

My radiator is probably due for a replacement.... hmmmm.... I did break off the upper nipple on it, and made a fix for it.... but yeah. I do want to change out the coolant, and I already have an upper hose, might as well swap the lower out as well, and a new, possibly more heavy duty radiator, if I can figure out what to get....

 

Been parked a couple days, now notice a puddle underneath right about the passenger firewall area.

Will look at the hoses and such tomorrow. Carpet inside is dry at the passenger foot area.

at this point, do you guys think it is for sure the hc, or something else?

as for the cabin air filter, I was seeing there is a jit that need to be added to make it replaceable?

might as well do this right. Any good tutorials on the hc replacement? Don't want to take out too much, haha

 

ok, before I order a heater core, and start tearing my truck apart, does this look like it is for sure the heater core? and not like a bad hose or something?

this fluid is for sure coolant.

 

more pics

 

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