My 2000 Ranger (3.0/5spd) started blowing the smell of colant through the vents and is fogging up the inside windows. Could this be a bad heater core or????? Any ideas??? If anyone knows of a thread that already discussed this please try to send it to me...Thanks!!!!!

 

Most definetely sounds like a bad heater core. I have replaced several of these for the same concern. You will more than likely see coolant dripping from the drain tube located in the plenum part of the heater case that is mounted to the firewall if the leak is bad enough. Doing a heater core in your truck will require removal of the dash and the heater plenum in the engine compartment.

 

Great........doesn't sound like very much fun...oh well!! Thanks for the input!

 

They arent to bad if you have some good mechanical knowledge, patience, and the right tools. I've done a few and have it down to about 2-3hours.
Good Luck

 

Yep, most definitaly at heater core. Oftenly you will see it drip on the passengers side floor mat.

Never changed one on a ranger, but my old ford pickup id done in about an hour. Imagine things are a bit tougher on these trucks though.

 

Be glad the heater core isn't in a dodge dokota.

 

Don't go bragging about this! You'll soon see a pile of older Rangers and their owners in front of your place looking for you!

 

Be thankful you live where it's warm. I had a complete sudden failure at around zero, the warm moisture froze on the windows instantly. Good luck, been lucky here and never changed on on a Ranger (yet).
DAve

 

my 2004 4.0 ranger kinda has a burning rubber smell when i start it up now in the winter here in MN. The smell is in the cab and kinda even outside of the truck.
cant off the top of my head remember what the smell of antifreeze smells like.
thanks guys

 

LOL. I'll do those heater cores all day long. Not sure that its worth the drive to Michigan though. LOL

 

Coolant usually has more of a sweet smell to it. I dont think it would really be associated with any kind of burnt rubber smell.

 

ok thanks.....
no it really doesnt have a sweet smell to it. What else could it be?
thanks guys

 

Confirming the posts above, it's likely your heater core. I had a Buick Skyhawk back in college that would break the passengerside motormount. When the engine torqued, it would tug on the hoses to the heater core causing the stems going into the core to snap at the weld. Sticky windshield film, smell of antifreeze, and a puddle on the passengerside floormat. I broke mounts and heater cores with regularity - got pretty good at doing things by feel (motor mounts) and on the fly with the heatercore. Like my fellow colleagues above, things seem to break on the coldest day of the winter! You might be able to grit it out for a few days to line up the time you need to do the job yourself. Keep a short handled scraper for the inside of the windshield and if you can, connect the input hose to the output hose to bypass the heater core althogether (I would use the broken stem for the bypass slipping it into the return hose and clamping off). Either find a buddy's garage you can borrow if you don't have your own, or contemplate a cold trip to see duhkrafties in Michigan. Good Luck!!

 

D-mon,

Does it smell electrical, like burning insulation? It could be you have a short in a wire/wire harness, so exercise caution. Where are you detecting the odor?

Rackster

 

Experience is always a time saver. Realistically, for a first-timer, it will take longer than that.

The heater core is inside the plenum. THIS post provides good info on how to gain access to the plenum.