Another problem...you tell me what this is?

[amigo]

I recently discovered another problem that I am not sure of what it is. Here's the symptom's, someone please be the doctor! I was sitting at the gas station waiting to get gas. I noticed white smoke coming out of the heater vents. The heat is turned off as well as the fan. At first I thought maybe some wires under the dash had gotten hot. After a few seconds I noticed it was starting to smell like antifreeze. The temp guage wasn't showing the truck was hot and no steam coming from under the hood. I hurried up and got home, popped the hood and found no steam or anything signs under the hood. After I came in the house I looked back out the window and noticed something leaking from underneath. It was coming from the passenger side at the back of the engine compartment. Wherever it is coming from you can't see it from up top with the hood open, you have to get underneath and look up to see it. I am assuming from what little mechanical knowledge I have and some of the post here, that it appears to me that the heater core may be leaking or plugged. if anyone knows what it is or has had this problem please fill me in. Also if it is the heater core, how hard and expensive of a fix is it? Last time I had a coolant problem cost me a new radiator, hoses, thermostat and 2 new heads.


Thanks!
Amigo

I swear if I didn't love my X i'd blow her (_I_) up!

 

[Jason_25]

It is your heater core. Atleast you weren't driving when it went. My '88 Bronco II fogged me out while I was driving down the highway. Needless to say, it was interesting.

 

[MrShorty]

My '92 did this same thing to me while driving across southern Idaho on our way home from a camping trip. The heater core isn't that hard to replace: remove the heater hoses, uncover the heater core under the dash, pull the old one out and put the new one in.
Someone suggested to me, and I'd suggest it to you, to test or replace your radiator cap. If it's not opening to the overflow container at the right pressure (13 or 15 psi; I don't remember) then you could have too much pressure in the cooling system causing parts to fail.

 

[amigo]

well now that you mention that I did just recenlty have to replace the thermostat and radiator as well as the heads.