DOES ANYBODY'S ------ STINK LIKE MINE???

[Fast79Chief]

Now that I got your attention ... lol ... I have a question for you guys. Does anybody's heater STINK when you switch it on? My Chief spent 40 years in Arizona and I doubt the heater got much use. I did replace the flexible lines behind the dash that were crumbling like mummy skin, and cleaned out the lower A/C and heater plastic louvers and boxes. I'm thinking the 'stink' is in the actual core? I put a small clear plastic line on the end of my shopvac hose and cleaned out the defroster vents and where I could fit the line. It's not a dead animal smell, but more like a musty, old shoe smell.

I'm kinda old and believe that at one time there was a product that was marketed for auto heating and A/C systems that 'Freshened' things up? Anyone remember this, or is there a simple solution for 'Stink Box' ?

Thanks,
Stinker in PA

[GrandW]

Have you tried to just blasting on full heat and full volume for 10 minutes or so? Just thinking if it hasn't been used it might to just need to be dried out and purged. Taking the dash off is a pain, so will hope for the best!

[candymancan]

Mine doesnt stink but i do get exhaust smell in the cabin when i use the hester.. i hate it... I dont know why... I did find out the heaterbox isnt sealed well.. I can put my fingers between the box and blower in the engine bay and feel air sucking in.. So its sucking in air from the engine bay.. I put spray fosm around the whole thing and it still smells like exhaust. I hate it.

Doesnt smell with the a.c on in the summer just the heater.. So the heater box.blower motor in the engine bay must have another leak im not finding...


As for getting smells out.. On the wagoneers its easy to clean.. you can remove the heater box and clean it out.. on modern cars youre kinda screwed as its all inside the dash.. So what i do to the ZJs when it smells like rotten cheese or something.. I take some lysol air spray and spray it directly into the outside air vent the cowel by the windsheild where the blowers get there fresh air and it sucks it into the dash and kills all the bacteria and mold and its usually smelling fresh all year long

[SJTD]

The heater box is difficult to remove in that you have to get behind the AC to remove two nuts but you can remove the blower to clean it out. All the leaves that don't make it down to the vents under the dash go into the heater.

[Stuka]

I don't recall the metal heater box being difficult to change. I had to replace the heater cores on both my 75 and 81 (both the metal box, not the plastic one).

You could have some old mildew in there, or a small leak. Its worth opening up to check.

[timwiller]

dead mice

[rocklaurence]

Fabreeze air freshener