My mechanic/friend borrowed my 240D the other day and commentd that he smelled coolant thru the ac vents for a brief period.

I told him I never experienced that and dismissed it as some exterior funk seeping in and goinng away.

A few days later, I was using it and parked for a few minutes on a slight incline. My son was in the car so I left it running with the AC on.

Upon entering the car I smelled coolant coming thru the ac vents and the ac was freezing.

I drove away with the windows open and after a minute the smell was gone.

It hasn't happened since and the radiator is full and the car never ever goes past 80 degrees on the thermo.

Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks

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could be a small leak in the heater core. doesnt take much to smell i would think.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I'm not sure I could say what coolant smells like, except a sticky sweet like a nectar, but one idea I would offer is that your radiator is high/slightly overfilled. In my 82 240d if you overfill coolant, it is pushed out the overflow tube down towards the ground. I imagine that in some instances that might give off an order that would be picked up into your air intake?
That's only my hypothesis...and I don't know whether you've smelled AC or radiator coolant. good luck

My 240D has a small leak in the heater core as well. I get the coolant smell you're getting. It doesn't really bother me.

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1980 500SE/AMG Euro
1981 500SEL Euro
1982 380SEL
1983 300TD
1983 500SEC/AMG Euro
1984 500SEC
1984 300TD Euro
1986 190E 2.3-16
1986 190E 2.3
1987 300D
1997 C36 AMG
2003 C320T 4matic

past: 1969 280SE 4.5 | 1978 240D | 1978 300D | 1981 300SD | 1981 300SD | 1982 300CD | 1983 300CD | 1983 300SD | 1983 380SEC | 1984 300D | 1984 300D | 1984 300TD | 1984 500SEL | 1984 300SD | 1985 300D | 1986 300E | 1986 560SEL | 1986 560SEL/Carat | 1987 560SEC | 1991 300D 2.5 | 2006 R350

The heater core is leaking and should be fixed.

Good luck,

btw on a car with no catch tank if you fill the rad to the top it will always push out coolant when filled. my dad taught me that youshould just be able to touch it from the filler. this leaves space for expansion.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Thanks for the responses guys.

Is a heater core difficult to replace?

On another note, lately, there seems to be a littel bit of warm air coming in around the dashboard, on the drivers side near the area where you release the emergency brake.

Could that be related to the heater core?

My indy suggested that there is a rubber gasket/seal behind the odometer that leads into the firewal that may be broken.

?????????

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Enough about me, how are you doing?