[MCV73]

Heater Core.

Is it normal to have the windshield fogged up after driving in cold weather? With heat on windshield defrost all the way to max I drove it for 10 miles and still was fogged up in right about the pollen filter grill area. It also has coolant smell when fan is blowing air trough the air vents.
Any ideeas? Water leak? Temp gauge seems fine, levels all checked by FMS recently and were normal.
Thank you.

 

[Maserati Blue]

What do you think this is? an AUDI?

Its an italian car, things "slightly" work or "kinda" work at best

to tell you the truth, what you explained is just about right for most 3200/4200 coupes i've driven, on heavy rain the windscreen always has some minor fogging.

whenever you use the wipers with the windscreen cleaner, then you always get that smell in the car, through the intake vents (which also happens when cornering really fast and hard, the liquid overspills from the cap, which has a hole to breathe).

in other words, all is normal

 

[Capt. Bluestreak]

Is it normal to have the windshield fogged up after driving in cold weather? With heat on windshield defrost all the way to max I drove it for 10 miles and still was fogged up in right about the pollen filter grill area. It also has coolant smell when fan is blowing air trough the air vents.
Any ideeas?

My guess: You have a coollant leak in your heater core, causing both the antifreeze smell and the condensation on the inside of your windshield. It is not normal and not acceptable, even in a Maserati.

 

[davidsalfa]

See if you can discern the smell Coolant or Windshield Washer Fluid?

If you really have a coolant smell it is possible that you have a bad hose connection at the core or a leaky heater core.


BTW: I had a brand new Audi with a leaky heater core....It took the dealer 6 months to fix it! That was after I told him about the problem at the first 3K mile oil change.

 

[Maserati Blue]

I'd be interested to know how this plays out, since most coupes i've driven have washer fluid smell come through the vents, especially when driven hard at corners.

 

[MCV73]

I'd be interested to know how this plays out, since most coupes i've driven have washer fluid smell come through the vents, especially when driven hard at corners.

What I'm going to do is putting some white paper underneath the engine to find out if there is anything leaking. It doesn't smell like washer, it's coolant. I've owned a '92 bmw years ago and I ended up getting rid of the damn thing because of an overheating issue so I can tell is coolant and not washer fluid.
I'll get back to you guys in a couple of days and I hope MB is right...I drive agressive and it might be leaking out of the retention tank. All this didn't happen while I was driving, ussualy does it once the car is stopped for a few minutes after driving it.

 

[Maserati Blue]

then it might be a different issue from the one i'm describing...

i do remember an older thread from someone who had a leak inside the car, somewhere underneath the passenger footrest, maybe thats related.

 

[mille162]

it took over a year of complaining everytime I went in for service (and about 30k miles), but the dealer finally diagnosed my exact same complaints.

1. A/C system sucks. Besides just plain sucking, it needs recharging once a year. Don't know why it leaks, don't think it's acceptable on a new car, and feel it should be covered under warranty. It does, MNA doesn't car and it isn't, so just put it on the list of yearly service items when unwinterizing your car (summerizing?) and live with the mild cool air the system can pump out.

2. I had the smell for a while. My old 850 had a leaking heater core behind the dash and it was the exact same smell: slighlty sweet and almost metalic when vents first started blowing air. No leaks inside that we could find, no wetness, no underhood leaks, no change in coolant level. I eventually noticed a small puddle (2 tablespoons at the most) under the car at inconsistent intervals. Seemed no common variable (outside temp, time running the car, type of driving, time since service, etc). Could not replicate it at the shop on a lift (even laid fresh white paper down under it and let it sit overnight). Sure enough, I've got several dozen phone photo's of the mysterious puddle under my car though. A tech eventually found a very small bit of coolant coming out from around the water pump. Seems it's not a perfect seal and from time to time it'll leak a little. Not sure how this odor ended up in the cabin as I can't really picture the full engine layout and where those drops might have been hitting while driving, but they flushed someform of "recommended sealer" through the system to avoid removing the entire waterpump (which they told me was not going to be covered by warranty) and it did the trick. I would think a thick syrup that was designed to coat the walls and seal leaks is the last thing you'd want to pour into your engine and very thin radiator walls, but the dealer recommended it and it worked as promised. If your dealer doesn't know what it is, I can dig up an old receipt and find the service & part # codes for you.

Good luck, I now how frustrating this process can be!

 

[Dolle Dolf]

Sounds like a leaking heater core to me.

 

[Kent Woodworth]

Good job by all who are guessing heater core. Huz, I hate to break it to you, but the dashboard, the WHOLE thing has to come out to get access to your leaking heater core, I have replaced 4 of these for this. It is a bear of a job, and very delicate at the same time. It only takes trace amounts of coolant to give this symptom. If your dealer "can't find the problem", they are lazy and shun difficult work. You can check yourself by removing the underdash black panels and looking/ feeling the bottom of the black evaporator case for evidence of coolant or wetness, I would bet some of it is leaking out. If you opt to not have the dealer do the repair, PM me and I will send you instructions on how to remove and replace.
Ron, YOUR air conditioning sucks because there is an issue with it. ALL A/C systems are closed (SEALED) systems, if yours doesn't operate to spec and the charge is low, it is leaking, period. Remove the passenger side under dash panel and locate the expansion valve coming out of the firewall and remove the black foam cover and see if the valve is covered in oil, if it is your o-rings are leaking, replace the valve and o-rings. And putting ANY kind of sealer in the cooling systems is a pitifull band aid, non-proffesional and a down right JOKE.
Huz let us know how you make out.

 

[mille162]

And putting ANY kind of sealer in the cooling systems is a pitifull band aid, non-proffesional and a down right JOKE.
Huz let us know how you make out.

totally agree and understand all of the reasons why it's a bad idea and why it shouldn't work...however the dealer claimed it was in the service manual, they stood behind their work if it did any damage, and since it wasn't covered under warranty, it actually worked and saved me a potential bill where the engine would have to have been removed.

 

[MCV73]

Today

I washed my car and engine today and guess what?
I did check the overflow hose coming out of the cooland tank cap and yes this is where the leak of coolant occures and in my opinion because of the high heat in the engine compartment this little amount of coolant is blown by the radiator fans into the heating vents and as a result condensation is produced where else but on the whindshield surface due to difference in temperature between the inside and outside of it.
This is just a tought so do not take it for granted, check leaks as instructed by Kent Woodworth but before spending the real money on something physics can do I suggest listen to your car, smell it's aroma, feel it's beat and think a little and if it makes sense make a decission and use judgement and mechanical practicability.
If the symptoms are clear to indicate a faulty part or a malfunction don't hesitate and make an appointment with your preffered mechanic.

 

[Dolle Dolf]

... ..the overflow hose coming out of the cooland tank cap ....is where the leak of coolant occures .... this little amount of coolant is blown by the radiator fans into the heating vents and as a result condensation is produced where else but on the whindshield surface due to difference in temperature between the inside and outside of it.
This is just a tought ....

Interesting thought, and an occurrence to remember. However, as you describe in your previous message that you notice it in the cold weather, which is when you turn your heater on, and therefore allow hot coolant to circulate through your heater core, my money would still be on the heater core as the culprit. I have had exactly the same thing happen to me on old bangers that I usually drive. Of course the coolant hose is a much simpler and quicker fix so by all means go there first but I would not be too disappointed if that turns out to be a false hope. But let us know because it is an interesting case study.

 

[MCV73]

Is it normal to have the windshield fogged up after driving in cold weather? With heat on windshield defrost all the way to max I drove it for 10 miles and still was fogged up in right about the pollen filter grill area. It also has coolant smell when fan is blowing air trough the air vents.
Any ideeas? Water leak? Temp gauge seems fine, levels all checked by FMS recently and were normal.
Thank you.

I did the unthinkable, today I dropped the car of at FoS to have the fogged windshield issue addressed.
I'm just sick of thinking something might go wrong just because of this thing.
It might be some other stuff being done to it once i'll talk to them next week after a through inspection and a service background check. I'll try to keep you guys updated.
Kent Woodworth was supposed to get back to me with detailed instructions on how to DIY but he never did so I have to go the "official" route to have this fixed.

 

[Maserati Blue]

Doesn't your windshield have a heater core right in the middle, coming from the top (just behind the rear mirror) going downwards nearly 2/3rds of the height of the windshield?

Mine has it, and when i hit the heater button, both rear and front windows are cleaned from fog.

 

[MCV73]

Doesn't your windshield have a heater core right in the middle, coming from the top (just behind the rear mirror) going downwards nearly 2/3rds of the height of the windshield?

Mine has it, and when i hit the heater button, both rear and front windows are cleaned from fog.

That's where the heater core is located but to get the fog off the windshield it takes quite some time and the coolant smell will not go away, it's irritating at some point. I might not understand the question but a heater core is a radiator located in the dash, is part of the heating sistem and does not have anything to do with the rear window whatsoever.
I also need a part number for the heather core in case I have to buy my own.
Thank you all.

 

[Maserati Blue]

I'm sorry, i wasn't clear and kinda messed it up.

What i mean is, my windshield has a brown line, its vertical and located in the middle of the windshield. Its the same like the lines in the back window which are horizontal in that case.

When i press the "heat" button, located next to the handbrake, those lines "heat up" and the fog goes a way, in both front and back windows.

Either you don't have one like that, or yours isn't working properly.

PS:
i use the windshield line as a cornering mark

 

[MCV73]

I'm sorry, i wasn't clear and kinda messed it up.

What i mean is, my windshield has a brown line, its vertical and located in the middle of the windshield. Its the same like the lines in the back window which are horizontal in that case.

When i press the "heat" button, located next to the handbrake, those lines "heat up" and the fog goes a way, in both front and back windows.

Either you don't have one like that, or yours isn't working properly.

PS:
i use the windshield line as a cornering mark

I do not have a window heater for the windshield, good for you but still I want mine to be fixed and have the coolant smell being gone 4ever.
I used to own a 1992 BMW 735I and had several issues with the cooling sistem, it was a nightmare in broad daylight and since that adventure I just hate cooling sistems altogether, I will let the pros do their job.

 

[Maserati Blue]

hmm just noticed your signature "2002 Maserati Coupe", maybe this was an issue back then and was fixed later on, since my GS is from 2006.

 

[MCV73]

Here we go.

The complete deal comes up to replacing the evaporator unit, heater core etc with a total cost of $4473 at the dealer from which half is just the part itself, airbag ECU and the rest is labor and testing.