Heater Core Issue

green_rt10

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Hey, all!

So, I think I might have a heater core leak. Not seeing any coolant leaks anywhere, but I'm smelling coolant when the A/C or heater is engaged. I noticed this a few days ago and haven't had time to dig into the engine bay at all. How long do you think I have before I have a serious coolant leak problem? Are heater core leaks typically just drips, or can they dump all of the car's coolant? And, if the leak is serious, where does the coolant go? Out the bottom, onto the ground, or into the car somewhere? With the caveat that I haven't gotten into the box that actually holds the heater core, everything seems dry: the ground below the car is dry, the surrounding engine bay surfaces are dry, and the passenger's footwell is dry.

Also, it looks like Gen 1 heater cores are a bit rare. Can an off-the-shelf autoparts store unit work? Heater cores seem to be rather simple devices.

Thanks!
 
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