For a while I had a slow coolant loss. Then I started to get smell and fumes in the car. The smell was like boiling dirty water. Although I would have expected a smell more like ethylene glycol, I suspected a corroded heater core, which also happened to be the shop's opinion. I got a new heater core Thursday.
Despite the new heater core, the problem with smell and fumes persists, even though I have driven the car for 50 miles over the two days since I got it back. The smell is not as bad as it used to be, but I have to keep my windows down, and I can feel the fumes in my throat. I was wondering if I still have a heater core leak, but the smell is obvious even when I cold start the engine, so I am wondering if there might be a reservoir of leaked coolant, or some other explanation. Did anybody else change their heater core and continue to have problems for a while? The car is a 1991 164. Cheers, Sonny -- to be removed from alfa, see http://www.digest.net/bin/digest-subs.cgi or email "unsubscribe alfa" to [email protected]
