New to forum, my wife's got a03 LX and this would be the first problem to come out of it t 45k: When you first start the car, and during regular driving while the heat is on, there is a strong antifreeze smell (maybe burning smell?) coming through the air vents into the car. It had happened all the sudden while driving on expressway and now will not go away. I checked for leaks all over fluid is just above MIN line.........I don't know if the cold temps would have anything to do with it either but about the time it started we have been getting 10-30 degree temps?....Any suggestions will help! Thanks in advance!

 

This might sound stupid if I am wrong, but I am thinking that my civic heater is run by the coolant through the engine? I noticed a cable comming through the firewall the other day that appears to be connected to my heater control, the other end runs to a hose, that appears to be a engine coolant flow hose, and there is a valve connected to the cable that moves to and fro *is fro a word?*

Anyway, if this is not a totaly stupid observation, I am thinking maybe the coolant, once warm, runs through some sort of a coil system that is connected to the output fan which blows warm air into the car. If this is true, there could be a leak in that system, and perhaps you are smelling some of the coolant thats leaking from that system of coils?

Not really sure on that though, if anyone else knows something about the heating system on civics, please update me, because thats one area I don't have alot of experience.

 

Yea, this is most probably shot heater core...