The Ders

Curious, what would cause a slight smell of antifreeze when the heats running? Goes away after a minute or so. No coolant lost in the past year. Help me with your expert wisdom

IJM

Probably just a small weep in the heater core. I have this as well.

DFlintstone

People are rightfully down on stop leak. Gumming up your system with tons of crap, instead of just fixing the problem makes no sense.

That said a number of times in different vehicles, (a Tempo, a Volvo, A "K" car, and two or three of my Jeeps, that I remember.) I have used Alumaseal (and only Alumaseal brand), for pinhole leaks in the heater core. It's a fine powder. I've seen it sparkling in sunlight in coolant after a year, "on the job", meaning it hadn't settled and is still there waiting for another pin-hole to plug up. I use just the little tube, about 3-1/2 inches long and the diameter of a quarter. I start with just 1/2 of that mixed in a cup or two of water first, then a long drive. It might take quite a while, and sometimes I'll add the other 1/2. Has always worked for me with no problems. If it WERE to cause a problem it might be restriction in the heater core, (with smaller tubes), which is what you would change to fix the leak in the first place. There are other "looks the same" tubes out there. I tried one and it seemed it gummed into clumps, the last thing I want.

If you guys do try that, please do post up with your result. Do give it a week or more for it to find the hole and plug it up though. I'm positively sure it works. (we don't use that kind of lingo often here on the forum!)

BlueRidgeMark

What he said. I used it to get me from Las Vegas to southern California (your neck of the woods, DF. Orange.) in the summer when I developed a leak in my water pump on a 65 Mustang. It was more than a pinhole, but two tubes of Alumaseal got me there. Never did cause a problem.

There is a Copperseal, too, from the same company. Also good.

DFlintstone

I did spend a couple of years at an excellent school in Orange county, (Thurston intermediate, in Laguna Beach), I'm like, 16 Hrs North of there now.

Yes, sometimes just a little dab in the right spot does the trick. As a young dummie I dumped tube after tube of Almniseal In a 65 Rambler with an issue.
(not that different then our 4.0's Btw). When I pulled the head I found a mountain of it had settled in the water jacket back around #6 where flow must have been low. Further exam, ring ridge on #6 waz "corkscrew", that AFTER having the head made bulletproof. Still have all that here.

BlueRidgeMark

Oh, yeah, Nor-Cal, not Norco! My bad.

65 Rambler? Was that the famous slant six? Supposed to be pretty bullet-proof, according to old-timers. No powerhouse, but unbreakable.

Denise Tyler

inhave a 2015 Cherokee and have the same smell. Just dropped it off at the dealer and they found a small leak in the water pump. If you have fixed already def check that.

DFlintstone

Hi Denise. Welcome to the forum! Usually we differentiate between something under the hood, from something blowing out the vents in the cab. Also Cherokee ended in 2001. Maybe yours is in the Grand Cherokee section

Mark, IIRC, the slant waz just dodge. My rambler (unfortunately) doesn't have the slant 6.

wizardpc

I hate to be the one to tell you, but they started making another vehicle named Cherokee in 2014....

DFlintstone

Just found it on page 1. So now besides Cherokee and Grand Cherokee, there is KL Cherokee. I suppose the name must be a money maker! https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f87/

BlueRidgeMark

Nah, you don't hate it. You're enjoying rubbing it in!