I've been smelling antifreeze in the cab of the truck for the past few days and figured it was the heater core. I was getting the same smell and cloudy windows inside the truck. So today I raised the hood and let it get warm. Then I noticed this little drain on the firewall that was leaking antifreeze down onto the O2 sensor. It's getting hot and vaporizing on the exhaust and the smell is coming into the truck. Does this still mean the heater core needs to be replaced or is it something else?

 

sounds to me the heater core is shot is your carpet wet on the pass side?

 

That's what's weird. The carpet never got wet. I don't see any signs of leakage inside. I only see this drip coming out of that drain in the firewall...or what I figure is a drain. I also figure it's the heater core but before I waste a full day taking the dash out to get to it, I was hoping someone would tell me it wasn't that. Heh!

 

Your core is shot, that drain is to prevent a heater core from exploding inside the cab like in the olden days.

 

Crap. I wondered as much. I'll start pulling the dash apart in my spare time so I can still drive it and not waste an entire day on it. WHY would they make it so you have to pull the entire ####### dash apart to get to a serviceable part?! ARGH! Thanks for the help, gang.

 

you can also bypass the heater core to get you by for a while. Just find the 2 hoses under your hood that run to your heater core and hook them together. Then when you get the time and money you can rip into your dash.

 

thats your flux capacitor

 

I won't ever have the time. I'll just have to half-*** it. :)

 

i hope your anti freeze isnt that color if it is get it flushed now

 

It is. It has some rust in it. I'll flush it and change the hoses when I replace the heater core. It'll all happen this coming weekend. (sigh)

 

No, that drain is for condensation coming off the AC evaporator, but the heater core is in the same box.

 

While your at it, replace your thermostat.