My daughter said this is going on with her car. Any idea what might be wrong?
"Today as I was driving back from the grocery store at night...I didn't have anything on (no heat or air or anything) and there was a weird grinding sound coming from the dashboard/vent area....then all of a sudden smoke started pouring from my vents!! Then my windshield fogged up...and the de-frost wouldn't work- so I couldn't see anything! But thankfully, I was turning into the parking lot and could turn off my car. Once I turned off the car the smoke cleared out...but it sure smelled awful! What is going on????"
2007-03-27 00:33:55 · 12 answers · asked by Lighthearted 3 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Heater core is leaking causing shorts under the dash. Take it to the shop. Check coolant level before you do. For safety sake you might want to hire a wrecker to take it to the shop for you.
2007-03-27 00:39:16 · answer #1 · answered by bill a 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like a heater problem
Possibly a hose onder the dash has split.
That would account fot the steam, smell etc.
however that would leave water on the floor.
did the car get hot?
the other grinding noise could be a fan motor in the vent system
That would give electrical smoke and stop the vent fan from working thus stopong the defrost from working.
Probably better if it was the vent fan
2007-03-27 00:44:51 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Easy. Probably her little heater radiator core broke. That is from the hot water and the smell is from the anti freeze.
Just need some pliers, a screwdriver and a philips to fix and change the radiator core. Go outside, under the hood, and there are two hoses, on the left side, going into the passenger side fire wall. These two hoses are the heater hoses and you take off the clamps off the two hoses. Do hose inspection. If they are hard and brittle time to replace them. Anyway, take the clamps off and put the hoses to the side. Go inside, take ALL the stuff you need to get to the heater core. Then replace. On newer cars it is a little rough to replace but can be done. Or else take it to the mechanic.
Now as a quick fix, tell her to trace the two hoses going into the passenger firewall. Then of the two hoses going back into the motor to take the TOP hose off from the engine, then take the end of the OTHER hose and put it into the hose outlet that you take the other hose off from. You are circulating water BACK to the engine. NO HEATER NOW. But then nothing harmed either. That way, if she or bf or husband or whatever, does not know how to replace the core, she can wait till she gets the money for a mechanic.
BUT IF SHE DRIVES IT. CHECK THE WATER LEVEL in radiator after it cools.
2007-03-27 00:41:53 · answer #3 · answered by Big C 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Sounds like a fan motor has burned up. Cars have the fan on low speed all of the time for aiding the venting of the car interior. Apparently, the motor shorted out and has burned the windings up slowly. The fuse should have prevented this. Remove the fan motor and connect it to power to confirm that it is the problem, then replace it.
2007-03-27 04:08:33 · answer #4 · answered by Doug R 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First of all, there is no such thing as an electric heater element in the heating system that can possibly short like some philosopher had suggested...
Coolant leak from the hose or the core is a possibility, and even though it does have a specific smell, it looks like your description refers to something more substantial.
My guess is that you had fan on low, and thought that it was off. Apparently, the motor (or resistor) burned out.
2007-03-27 00:48:55 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Sounds like the heater core has sprung a leak or you have a major short in the wiring. Possibly the heater fan. Was it smoke or was it steam? If it was smoke and you did not have the heat on, I'm not sure, but if it was steam and heat was off, I would say it was the heater core. Good luck.
2007-03-27 00:40:27 · answer #6 · answered by golden rider 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Is it a GM product, There is a resistor on the fan motor and a connector on the wiring under the dash that are known to burn up?
And even if you thought the fan was off, most cars now have the blower fan running all the time.
2007-03-27 00:40:36 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
sounds like the heater core busted or hose broke . check to see if your carpet is wet with antifreeze and have a proffessional look at it asap. do not run the car. im sure it was steam because it fogged the windows. the grinding sound more than likely was from the pressure relieving from the cooling system.
2007-03-27 00:38:54 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
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2016-10-20 13:02:20 · answer #9 · answered by seelye 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like a short in the heating element of the car's heating system. If the fan wasn't on, but the heating element was, that would be the cause of the smoke and smell (burning plastic).
2007-03-27 00:39:44 · answer #10 · answered by auditor4u2007 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋