If I have a leaky core, where will the coolant look like it is coming from? I had a puddle near the front of the drivers door, coming from somewhere around there under the car. I'm pretty sure it is the core, as I can also smell coolant from the heater, just wondering where the heater core drain goes.

 

Well, if your heater core is indeed leaking, I'd almost expect you to have coolant inside the car in the footwell area too. Check to see if it's there. As for the puddle on the ground, check the hoses into the firewall that feed the heater core, although I believe they're closer to the passenger side rather than the driver side.

 

Coolant from a leaking heater matrix ends up running down the outside of the transmission tunnel before being absorbed into the carpet.

One day you will hop into your vehicle and your shoe will be engulfed in a viscous green liquid causing you to exclaim "What the *$&@%# is that!"

'That' will be the coolant from a faulty heater matrix which cannot go anywhere except drain into a footwell (usually passenger) in the cabin as Volvo made no provision to channel or drain the messy coolant leaking from the heater matrix in a convenient way to the outside the vehicle.

 

Either have the cooling system pressure-tested or drive the car until the normal operating temp has reached (coolant temp gauge pointing at 3 O'clock) and park the car, keep it idling and look for coolant seepage.


JPN