'new' 91 Previa Coolant Leak ?

[jhhprevia]

Greetings !! I'm new to Toyota and to this forum.

I recently purchased a 91 Previa 2WD, 180k miles, US model. New tires and Battery. Worth the $500 price i paid.

The unit is tight and have found only 'sway bar links' that need replacement.

The previous owner decided to 'donate' the car to charity due to a $3,800 estimate for replacement of a defective driveshaft.

I've had an opportunity to get the unit on a lift and am happy with what i saw from below. Small problem with a rusted rear bumper attachment though.

I'm not convinced of the SADS problem yet. Car in drive with brake and a loaded alternator and A/C on didn't indicate any noticeable vibration etc. ! I have yet to get it on the highway for a high speed run. Maybe today.

My concern is that there is an odor coming from the heat/cool vent system. The odor is NOT musty. It smells more like coolant, however I'm not familiar with the 'Toyota RED' coolant smell. Removing the reservoir cap and smelling, it does NOT smell like the interior smell. Maybe close though !

The odor seems more prevalent when using fresh as opposed to re-circulate.

This may however be my imagination !

I have marked the reservoir to determine loss, which i will need some time to determine.

I have not seen any evidence of overheat, coolant leaks etc.

I have not yet gone under to check the AC condensate drain-line for evidence of coolant.

So, my question, is there a history of 'heater core' going bad on these ?

I haven't seen any discussions in the forums.

Any suggestions ?

thanks,

jack

[propnut]

Yes the heater matrix's do corrode but if you aren't losing coolant than this is probably not your issue. The actual air flow through them does get horribly blocked though and this will cause all sorts of smells. You can access it (with a fair degree of work) from under the bonnet. Clean out all the leaves and junk in there which should improve the airflow and hopefully the odor.