Just recently acquired a '99 V70 non turbo 5 speed man (245 K mi) and am doing some work on it. So far replaced the brakes, serpentine belt, battery, alternator upper engine control arm bushings and pcv system. Sounds like I have a vacuum leak around the injectors, so I'll be getting new seals/o-rings for that.

The big question is why does it stink when the heat is turned on. I thought it might be from a plugged pcv, but after the replacement it still stinks. Also heat comes on quickly and is very hot.

Thanks to all who contribute, it has made working on my 2 Volvos (940 and V70) much easier.

 

What does it smell like?????? There are more than one reason for a smelly heating sys. how about your ac ?? does that also smell weird??

 

Apologies for not getting back on right away. Too many things to do.

I guess it smells like hot coolant. AC is not cold, but it does not smell. After replacing the PCV, smell was better, but not gone. It was the worst when sitting at idle.

 

Where do you smell the coolant? If it's in the cabin, the heater core is leaking. It's a $130 part and 1 hour job. Search the forum for specific procedure.

 

Yes, the smell is in the cabin coming right out of the heater vents.

Any particulars to be concerned about with replacing the heater core? (Special tools, things to look out for, upgrades, etc).

I have to believe someone has You Tube'd a video on this.

 

The heater core is an easy job. Remove both driver and passenger side panels under the dashboard. The passenger side has fasteners hidden. You must remove the glovebox to access them.

Pull the carpeting back on both sides of the center console. Remove the plastic panels. Remove the rubber drain hose on the bottom of the center console.

Put a plastic bag under the heater core to capture the coolant inside the car. Just make sure it's a new bag with no holes - kitchen garbage bags work well.

Loosen the heater core feed/return line junction fastener. Coolant will begin to seep. Remove 2 screws on each side to remove the heater core. The heater core drops down, but you must rotate it to get it out.

 

Thanks, heater core is on the back burner for now. Are there any special fittings on the core to hoses?

 

The hoses are aluminum, held into the core with a torx screw, and sealed with o-rings (get new ones). Eeuroparts has an exploded diagram that shows you what you're facing.

 

Hey CPO,

With summer coming to an end that heater core may need to move up to the front burner! When you are ready please feel free to give customer service a call at eEuroparts. com and we would be happy to help you with that project. We offer a kit (part number 9144221K) that contains the seals, core and gasket all ready to install. Let me know if we help.

Customer Service
eEuroparts.com