The other day I turned on my heater for the first time in a while and i noticed a funny smell comming from the vents. Bad heater core? Also the other day i saw what seemed like to be smoke comming from the vents when the vents were off. When I turned the vents on the smoke went away...In the summer time an evap code came up a few times but hasn't come up since...would these be related? 2001 Dodge ram 1500 318 4x4...I plow with this truck, my heater currently works but windows are fogging up, is my heat just going to stop? Thanks Chris

 

Yep, bad heater core. Hit up the DIY thread on how to change it out.

 

Ive read on previous post that there;s been leakage on the passenger floor but i cant find any...also my rad fluid has only gone down to below min. in a little over 600-700km...Any specific way of checking to see if its the heater core without going threw the whole dash?

 

Trust me, your heater core is leaking. Mine was riddled with pinholes. You won't see leaking in the passenger compartment because it's draining out of the A/C evaporator drain hole. There won't be a great loss of coolant in the event there are pinholes. The smell and fogging of the windows are the telltale signs that it's the heater core. Sorry, but those are the facts.

 

i agree man...what would happen if i dont replace it right away? I'm away from home and dont have access to all my tools...i just dont want to get up some morning go to get in the truck and go plowing and have no heat

 

The worst that could happen is it would bust up completely and dump all your coolant in the floor board.

 

You have plenty of time to replace it (it was about a year until I could replace mine). I would advise that you get the original brass style that comes with the foam wrapping. The A/C evaporator does NOT have to be removed, it just makes the job a bit more cumbersome. Plan on spending 3 hours of a Saturday removing it. It's all based on the learning curve when it's your first time performing the task. It took about an hour to button everything up. Study all of the pics in the DIY before starting.

 

On a cold morning, with a leaking core, you will have heat, but you won't be able to see. The leaking core will vent the steam inside the cab and it will fog up BAD on cold windows. The only real option to work around a leaking core is to bypass the core and go without any heat. If you plan on using it soon, fix it fast.

At least that has been my experience.

 

I'm facing the task of replacing my heater core (fogging windows, smoke, sweet smell) as well. I'm a novice, but quite capable. I'm looking through the DIY formums and I don't see many threads at all, i've done searches, but this elusive picture guide keeps...well...eluding me. Can anyone link the thread, sorry, i'm a goofball and can't find it on my own. My g/f is even looking for it also, lol!

 

DIY Thread

#30 Heater Core/Evaporator