"jim beam" <spamvortex (AT) bad (DOT) example.net> wrote:
I can smell the coolant in the car, though it's not a strong smell.
However the feel of that condensation on the window definitely feels
slick, just like the feel of the coolant. If I turn on the heater and
direct it to the windshield it's usually not strong enough to dry that
condensation.

JP

On Sun, 21 Jan 2007 17:19:35 -0700, motsco_ wrote:

I never use recirculated air except with A/C on. But then in the
Seattle area you seldom need A/C.

JP

On Mon, 22 Jan 2007 06:32:25 -0800, jim beam wrote:

As I wrote in my very first post on the subject, I don't notice any
appreciable loss in coolant since I refilled the radiator. So perhaps
it's a pretty small leak.

Been there, done that. It definitely smells and feels like antifreeze.
I also thought about distill but then I also know that the main
ingrediant in antifreeze is a type of alcohol which will be present in
evaporation as any moonshiner can testify to it. ;-)

Well, I just got a call from my mechanic, informing me of what I was
afraid of: the core is leaking and needs to be replaced. Huge bill,
mostly labor and need to leave the car in the garage for two days
instead of just one. I just wish car makers would not bury those
heater components in such hard to reach places!

JP

"John Paul" <jp_invalid (AT) freemail (DOT) hu> wrote

However, the residue left behind is oily and sticky. I had a partially
flattened copper tube leading into the heater core on a Jeep. The rubber
heater hose from the block was leaking into the housing around the core
itself. The result was vaporised coolant mixture blown through the defrost
system onto the windshield. The film obscured the windshield, smelled like
coolant, was oily and sticky, and very difficult to remove. As I remember, I
used heated club soda, followed by Windex to get it off.

condensor vice a good quality copper worm.

DaveD

On Mon, 22 Jan 2007 22:38:13 -0900, "Dave and Trudy" wrote:

This is exactly what I've had.

I just had the heater core replaced and things look good right away. I
saw the old core and indeed it was leaking.

JP

On Sun, 21 Jan 2007 09:44:38 -0700, motsco_ wrote:


Is it? I also have the official Honda Service Manual and I only see a
strong recommendation for using Honda's own coolant (that is to be
expected, right?) but nothing specific against tap water unless I
missed it. Besides, not all tap water is loaded with minerals. Some
are quite soft.

JP

On Thu, 25 Jan 2007 22:03:56 -0800, jim beam wrote:

You are probably right technically speaking. What I meant with "soft"
was a general low level of all minerals, not just calcium.

Be as it may, I just doscovered that something happened to the rear
window defogger switch on the instrument panel while it was in the
shop. Its indicator light is not working, thus I don't know when it's
on and when it's off. The defogger itself seems to work though as I
notice the drying along the heating wires in the rear window when I
press it and the window has condensation, so perhaps its the bulbs in
the switch. The two fuses are OK in the left kick panel. I popped out
the defogger switch from the instrument panel to check on the bulbs
but it has such a short wiring harness that makes it hard to pull out
the switch far enough to even separate it from the connector. Perhaps
some wire got pulled out from the connector while the mechanic was
pulling it out for attaching it to the switch. That would be pretty
bad! I don't know why Honda makes these wiring harnesses such a tight
fit. I might have to remove some of the instrument panel to get to the
back of that darn defogger switch. I know, it's the mechanic's job to
fix it but I don't want to leave the car there for another day if I
can help it.

JP