Water gurgling noise in dash...

[StoneX]

Hey,

My 6 cyl VT Berlina has been making a water gurgling noise in the dash very occasionally when it's first started. But on thursday I started to smell radiator fluid/water smell (like off water / cat piss smell) just faintly, but on Friday I started to get visible steam coming out of my vents with climate control on... It would come and go and be more visible stopped at lights. Now after some testing, I've found that the smell is really bad when heating (climate control) and seems to fade away when cooling.

I spoke to my mechanic and he said the AC overflow or something in the heater box might be full or something but there was nothing. Then he thought the heater core might have a minor leak and it's evaporating (and smelling) before it drips anywhere. So I went and got a product called Seal Up which is meant to seal up and minor leaks just to see if the smell would go away but it hasn't.

Has anyone seen this issue before? Or have any idea of what it could be?

[accentstencil]

It could well be the heater core leaking. The gurgling sound means there is air in the system and it should be bled.

[Tree cutter]

It will be a leaking heater core causing the steam to come out the demister vents. I had the same thing happen with an old HQ i had years ago.

[StoneX]

Thanks for the replies... Not too keen of having that fixed since I have a new car on the way and the VT is worth nothing

[wrx884]

Its not as hard as it sounds 2 fix really just time consuming but u can save urself a packed as it will only cost round $170 2 fix urself that includes heater core and new coolent. Theres a nice thread about replacing 1 with pics ect.... I managed 2 get mine done in over a couple days but in total i did mine in 7 hours. Good sign if it is ur heater core leaking also, wen uve got ur demisters on heating 2 the front window do they fog up or go misty? if so definatly heater core.

[jakstas]

As if you even need the heater, Just disconnect your lines and be done with it :P

[schrinky]

LOL my heater core has been on the way out for about 5 years, it leaks a little and you get watery eyes when you crank the demist but nothing leaks onto the floor and i cbf pulling half dash apart just to replace it!

[vr1uz-fe]

i had a nice vt stato come in to work making the sound #### it was funy sounded like a waterfall in the car lol

[StoneX]

...Good sign if it is ur heater core leaking also, wen uve got ur demisters on heating 2 the front window do they fog up or go misty? if so definatly heater core.

Thanks for the reply... Yeah, with demist the screen fogs up. Had to drive home from work on Friday with the windows down and freezing because the windscreen would fog up no matter what I did with the windows up. I've worked out now I can put the temp of climate control to minimum (C) so no heater is operating, it will defog for me but it's still freezing.

LOL my heater core has been on the way out for about 5 years, it leaks a little and you get watery eyes when you crank the demist but nothing leaks onto the floor and i cbf pulling half dash apart just to replace it!

Watery eyes from the nasty toxic like fumes that come out? My nose was burning when testing the heater out on Sat after trying to seal the heater core.

i had a nice vt stato come in to work making the sound #### it was funy sounded like a waterfall in the car lol

Haha. Mine isn't quite a waterfall... More like someone taking a piss

[wrx884]

LOL my heater core has been on the way out for about 5 years, it leaks a little and you get watery eyes when you crank the demist but nothing leaks onto the floor and i cbf pulling half dash apart just to replace it!

urs is prob leaking out of the drain pipe like mine did hense no water on the floor but seriously 2 get some else 2 do it is around the $900 mark and 4 u StoneX pulling the dash appart should b a walk in the park lol

[blueV8vl]

yeah i did one in a wh stato very fun job not the whole dash had to come out. shit of a job u will need patience

[StoneX]

Well the radiator blew yesterday... Had to chuck a new radiator in while at work. The smell SEEMS to be fading from the heater, so I assume the Seal Up liquid sealed the heater core... Will have to wait and see during the week.