Chemical smell from heater vents

[Ozymandias]

New car smell.

 

[Wiredawg]

It is likely new smell cuz the truck is relatively new.

It sounds to me you need to use the heat more. Heat is particularly noted for making any smell stronger. It's a good idea to use every system on the truck as often as you can to keep everything working, and work the smells out of the HVAC.

Mine still smells new on hot days just turning on AC and will smell when I fire up the heater this week.

Bottom line. use the heater often, and no worries.

Cheers, Ron

 

[Signal73]

If it’s only for the first few minutes of operation on a cold motor I’m going with it’s stink from the supplemental heater. Electric heater inline (similar to grid heaters) fire up until coolant temps are met. If you don’t use them often there’s probably some fuzz etc. burning off the grids.

 

[R.Taylor]

If it’s only for the first few minutes of operation on a cold motor I’m going with it’s stink from the supplemental heater. Electric heater inline (similar to grid heaters) fire up until coolant temps are met. If you don’t use them often there’s probably some fuzz etc. burning off the grids.

I think you nailed it!! It was cold out when I left my shop... 38. Truck was parked outside for 7 hours when I left. Turned on heat and was blown out... Bad chemical like smell. It has not been back since but then the temps have been a little higher. I'm betting it's the first time the supplemental heater has kicked in, Burning off any oils from manufacturing and dust/crud stuck to that oil. Next cold morning/evening when the truck is cold I'll go out and fire the heater off right after starting the engine... If it smells again I'll just leave it parked with with windows down and heat on high to clean it off. Makes sense... Forgot about the sup heater. Ford touts it as some added special thing in the HVAC system as I remember it mentioned my F250 window sticker.... Ram most likely mentions it somewhere in the small type on a online owners manual.

I'll report in after my cold start n' heat test.

 

[R.Taylor]

OK you piqued my interest....not many people know what Toluene is.

I used to use Toluene and Xylene years ago when I'd mix my race gas... as an octane booster. It's hard on rubber stuff but those bits are always dealt with seasonally (lines/float needle tips/a few gaskets). Now you can go the the Sunoco station and get 112 and 114 at the pump but it's about $10g.

 

[R.Taylor]

Smell is gone...It was light the first test and now after the 3rd cold test it is gone, Must have been the first time it ever fired off.