Question when heater is turned out get a strangle sweet smell coming through the vents but did not get that when AC was turned on during the summer just asking for ideas i would have throught bad heater core but floor is not wet like it would be on a ford that i am use to working on. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

 

I have the same issue. No film on the window, no wet floor, not coolant loss.

 

I noticed the same thing after I did a recharge on freon this summer. Went away in a few days. I just assumed it was due to my less than clean work with the ac gauge..

 

It could still be a clogged up heater core, or on it's way to being "clogged" up. You might also just go ahead and look at it just for the simple fact that mildew and other crap will grow in those things making for some interesting smells. I've been out of my ram for a week now and got in it yesterday to store it and that sweet/musty feel assaulted me. Never noticed it before hand either.

 

any smell is either mildew or leaking antifreeze.

for mildew (and dust), just open the doors and turn the heater on wide open and cook it off for about 15 minutes and get it over with.

if you can find some nice smelling lysol (maybe fresh linen), you can spray it down the cowl on a regular basis while the heat/defrost is running.

 

The heater core might a very tiny pin hole.I've had bad smells in my 98 at the beginning of heat season,and they sure were not a sweet smell.

 

I've got the same smell going on.... It comes and goes during the seasons I run my heat... over the winter usually goes away but returns the first warm spring day... I figure it's mild dew... I also have poor heat... next weekend I'm going to back flush heater core with CLR and try to clean the outside of the heater core if possible? Can it be cleaned by removing the blower motor? or can it be sprayed from the outside through the vents? I was thinking of spraying it with something to kill the mild dew and clean the grime off it... any ideas?

 

Antifreeze has a kind of sweet smell - is it like that?

If it is mildew or mold, try Kilma Cleaner. It comes with a long flexible tube you feed down the center vents to get as close as possible to the core. It foams up, coats it, and kills all the nasty stuff. Worked great on mine.

http://www.amazon.com/1Z-einszett-Kl.../dp/B0002Z2MKO

PS - the vent covers pop out if you give them a gentle tug (on my '99). Makes it a little easier to feed the tubing down into the duct work but you can still do this without removing it.