Update: Help me! AC smelled like coolant yesterday, today gurgling sound...
Update 2/09/06:
My car was towed to the dealer last Thursday and the dealer "gladly" diagnosed the problem (coolant smell in cabin probably meant $$$$ for dealer). After waiting about half an hour my service advisor took me to look at my car while it was being diagnosed and see what the technician had found. He had not found anything yet, but had a hunch the heater core was leaking.
After waiting another half hour I was told it was the heater core for sure that was leaking. Cost to replace it: around $1,050. I had no option and authorized the repair. I got my car the next day (extremely dirty ofcourse).
Upon getting my car back I noticed the following problems: ashtray cover wasn't working properly, one dash vent light wasn't working, a metal clatter behind the dashboard, and something rolling left to right behind the dashboard when making turns, and ofcourse some scratches and scuffs here and there. I'm going back to the dealer today to have them fix these problems.
On the bright side, I called VWoA and asked for assistence and they approved and are going to pay 75% of the bill (I did not threaten or anything, just a casual conversation about my problem). I am extremely impressed with VWoA, as my car has been out of waranty for around 2 1/2 years.
Original post:
OK, so yesterday I was driving home and noticed that the AC smelled like coolant. The smell didn't go away after 5 minutes, so I ran the fan instead and the smell disappeared. I ran the AC again about 20 minutes later (right before entering my driveway) and the coolant smell returned. I have a climatronic if that helps.
Now today, driving out of my garage I hear this loud gurgling/boiling sound when accelerating from a stop or very low speeds. The sound is loud and seems to be directly behind the dashboard. I didn't drive that far since I knew something wasn't right. I also didn't turn on the AC to see if it smelled like coolant.
I've had this smell before, but I thought it was battery acid that leaked from my battery. I also checked my coolant level (5 hours after parking the car) and it seems that there is more than enough coolant, actually more than the max level. Is the coolant supposed to be brownish/muddy/diarrhea like? I inspected the car and I didn't see any damage or punctures. There are no puddles or dried up puddles.
What could be wrong? Any advice on what to do or look for? Can I drive the car to the dealer?
BTW, I have a 2001.5 GLX Tiptronic if that helps.
Thanks.
Update 2/09/06:
My car was towed to the dealer last Thursday and the dealer "gladly" diagnosed the problem (coolant smell in cabin probably meant $$$$ for dealer). After waiting about half an hour my service advisor took me to look at my car while it was being diagnosed and see what the technician had found. He had not found anything yet, but had a hunch the heater core was leaking.
After waiting another half hour I was told it was the heater core for sure that was leaking. Cost to replace it: around $1,050. I had no option and authorized the repair. I got my car the next day (extremely dirty ofcourse).
Upon getting my car back I noticed the following problems: ashtray cover wasn't working properly, one dash vent light wasn't working, a metal clatter behind the dashboard, and something rolling left to right behind the dashboard when making turns, and ofcourse some scratches and scuffs here and there. I'm going back to the dealer today to have them fix these problems.
On the bright side, I called VWoA and asked for assistence and they approved and are going to pay 75% of the bill (I did not threaten or anything, just a casual conversation about my problem). I am extremely impressed with VWoA, as my car has been out of waranty for around 2 1/2 years.
Original post:
OK, so yesterday I was driving home and noticed that the AC smelled like coolant. The smell didn't go away after 5 minutes, so I ran the fan instead and the smell disappeared. I ran the AC again about 20 minutes later (right before entering my driveway) and the coolant smell returned. I have a climatronic if that helps.
Now today, driving out of my garage I hear this loud gurgling/boiling sound when accelerating from a stop or very low speeds. The sound is loud and seems to be directly behind the dashboard. I didn't drive that far since I knew something wasn't right. I also didn't turn on the AC to see if it smelled like coolant.
I've had this smell before, but I thought it was battery acid that leaked from my battery. I also checked my coolant level (5 hours after parking the car) and it seems that there is more than enough coolant, actually more than the max level. Is the coolant supposed to be brownish/muddy/diarrhea like? I inspected the car and I didn't see any damage or punctures. There are no puddles or dried up puddles.
What could be wrong? Any advice on what to do or look for? Can I drive the car to the dealer?
BTW, I have a 2001.5 GLX Tiptronic if that helps.
Thanks.
