At 06:45 AM 3/4/97 EDT, you wrote:
snip> When I had it in for the initial brake
> work I complained of a coolant smell coming from the vents and heat
> ducts and told the service guy it was probably the heater core. When
> I picked up the truck they said they couldn't find anything. The
> smell remained. I took it in again and found that they had only
> looked at hoses for visible leaks. This time they put it on a 10lb.
> pressure test for 45 minutes. No pressure drop. This would indicate
> no leaks. They sprayed a citrus cleaner through the ventilation
> system to help remove the smell. I thought this would be it thinking
> that some residual coolant must have gotton onto the outside of the
> core. Well, the *&#!ing smell is still there!! I'm reading to just
> fix this damn thing myself. Anyone had any problems with warranty
> work in the past. Does sreamin' yer head off in the dealership get
> anything done? I'm ready to go down there and have a fit if that's
> what it takes. If I didn't love the truck so much I'd tell 'em where
> they could stick it. Any suggestions?
>
> sean
> '97 318/5spd/3.55SG/antifreeze air freshener and no ABS
> sean_p_meldrum@auto.ittind.com
>
Sean:
I noticed what I thought was a 'coolant smell' from the heater on my 97 as
well, but only once in a while ... but, one day on startup, my passenger
opened his door to get it and the smell got much worse. What I think is
happening, under the right wind conditions, exhaust gases are getting
sucked into the air intakes and smell kinda like anti-freeze. I'd get a
similar situation from my previous Dodge truck (in the same place ... my
driveway), only it was the smell of propane as it is propane powered.
I only notice this upon startup and it goes away as soon as I start moving
forward. I have noticed the same/similar odour when following other cars up
hills, but never when theres no-one in front of me.
Keep us informed of progress with your dealer. As far as yelling at the
dealer, I believe you can have more success by 'walking quietly and carring
a big stick'. You can always take your complaint to Chrylser.
At least in Canada, the dealers are very concerned about Chrysler's view of
their performance (perceived or real) when it comes to customer satisfaction.
Good luck.
Rob Agnew
ragnew@islandnet.com
Victoria, British Columbia
Canada
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