Why do i smell antifreeze when AC running

Often times your engine , once overheated, will take time to return to normal....the high temps of your engine,will cause burnt odors due to old oil residues, anti freeze overflow etc..sometimes a simple engine cleansing will help to eliminate these odors..take care not to spill any liquids such as oil, antifreeze, power steering , brake or transmission fluids onto your engine....good luck

Leaking heater core, maybe . Do you smell anti-freeze inside the vehicle ? All of the windows or mainly the front windshield ?

replace the heater core after having a pressure test done on the cooling system to determine if core or hose problems.

not the catalytic converter. you have a fuel line leaking somewhere. check lines on top of motor at fuel rails.and line leading from tank to filter-filter to motor.

it sounds like the heater core. look for a wet floor board on passenger side. in the meantime, keep your overflow bottle full & climate controls off when driving van in this condition untill fix.

It is very possible that your heater CORE is bad. You will smell a sweet odor of antifreeze inside your vehicle if it is leaking, and possibly feel for a wet spot on the floor boards. Need to replace heater core.

Forget the radiator tank. Your AC 'Condensate drain' hose is plugged up. This is a common problem. If you know where the hose comes out under the car you can ( carefully ) push a wire up it. If you're lucky it's plugged near the end by a mud-dauber wasp. If not, take it to your dealer and see if you can persuade the write-up guy to show you where the drain outlet is as a gesture of good faith. If they insist on charging you money, consider that when you buy your next car...

Do u detect the sweet smell or antifreeze? It could be a leaking heater core which will cause windows to fog up. If the smell of antifreeze is present, that's definitely your problem. If no antifreeze odor, let me know.

from he Popular Mechanics site if the smell in your car is like maple syrup:


(1) SMELLS LIKE: MAPLE SYRUP
WHEN: After the engine has warmed or possibly even after it's shut off for a few minutes.
THE CULPRIT: Coolant containing sweet-smelling (but toxic) ethylene glycol is leaking from somewhere. It could be coming from a radiator or heater hose, a failed intake manifold gasket or cylinder head. It might be coming from a leaky radiator cap or the radiator itself, especially if you smell it outside the car. A strong odor inside the passenger compartment probably means a bad heater core.