| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
mastertech
Advanced Member
274 Posts |
 Posted - 11/13/2010 : 1:47:16 PM
|
| Due to the overwhelming complaints from students and the driver we had to do something about the intense smell coming from the heating system. The coolant had a vomit smell to it and when the heaters got hot they also smelled the same. We replaced the heater hoses which by the way were goodyears date code 2006 ( I dont remember ever seeing goodyear hoses on navistar busses), flushed to cooling system and refilled with fresh coolant . The heat shield covers over the hoses had a kind of tacky oily substance on them as well which we also cleaned off. Something was definatly wrong with the hoses as wherever they made any kind of a bend they had cracking in the rubber outer cover. Anybody else experience this issue? |
|
|
Bassman
Top Member
USA
558 Posts |
Posted - 11/15/2010 : 04:07:47 AM
|
On my 2008 IC buses (special needs buses with rear heaters), the holes around where the heater hoses go down through and come back up through the floors were much larger than the hoses and the holes weren't plugged. The buses were drawing in exhaust fumes through the holes badly (you could see the evidence clearly).
I now have one 2011 bus (brand new) that is really fighting me. Sometimes, when the bus is closed up and the heaters are being used, the bus develops fumes and "smoke" inside. It actually looks like dust when you open up the bus. I have spent much time looking at the bus and just found that #1 there is an open 2 inch hole behind the RF heater and #2 they shot undercoating all over the back of the exhaust manifold where the new downstream doser is. I believe that when the bus goes into regen, it is generating fumes off that manifold and is being drawn in through the 2 inch hole behind the RF heater by the heater motor. This is the only bus having this problem and is the only one that has the undercoating sprayed on the manifold. It is only a theory so far. Today, we will be pulling those parts off to clean them and then waste a lot of time on the road to verify the solution.
I also hear there is a bulletin out for certain models for a cosmoline coating on heater cores.
Another county told me to check for diesel fuel getting into the antifreeze through the injector system. Supposedly, if diesel gets into the coolant, it creates a horrible smell and breaks down the heater hoses and causes you to have to change them all. Remove your anitfreeze cap and smell inside for diesel smell. |
Edited by - Bassman on 11/15/2010 04:10:35 AM |
 |
|
|
bus7
New Member
2 Posts |
Posted - 11/16/2010 : 6:50:07 PM
|
quote:
Originally posted by mastertech
Due to the overwhelming complaints from students and the driver we had to do something about the intense smell coming from the heating system. The coolant had a vomit smell to it and when the heaters got hot they also smelled the same. We replaced the heater hoses which by the way were goodyears date code 2006 ( I dont remember ever seeing goodyear hoses on navistar busses), flushed to cooling system and refilled with fresh coolant . The heat shield covers over the hoses had a kind of tacky oily substance on them as well which we also cleaned off. Something was definatly wrong with the hoses as wherever they made any kind of a bend they had cracking in the rubber outer cover. Anybody else experience this issue?
|
|
|
|
bus7
New Member
2 Posts |
Posted - 11/16/2010 : 7:05:04 PM
|
[]Originally posted by mastertech
Due to the overwhelming complaints from students and the driver we had to do something about the intense smell coming from the heating system. The coolant had a vomit smell to it and when the heaters got hot they also smelled the same. We replaced the heater hoses which by the way were goodyears date code 2006 ( I dont remember ever seeing goodyear hoses on navistar busses), flushed to cooling system and refilled with fresh coolant . The heat shield covers over the hoses had a kind of tacky oily substance on them as well which we also cleaned off. Something was definatly wrong with the hoses as wherever they made any kind of a bend they had cracking in the rubber outer cover. Anybody else experience this issue?
[/quote] YES I had a BUS that the smell was so bad it burned my eyes throat i was so sick. the coolant system was flushed with detergate HA HA as if this is was a fix it was put out of service again and they did the same thing again and sent the bus back to use. the problem was not fixed and it was carbon monoxide coming threw the coolant system. i am still effected from the exposer. i cant tell you how many times i thought about sending the bus off a cliff any thing to get reed of that bus. this was before i new what was wrong with it.
|
|
|
|
Dvorak
Senior Member
United States
95 Posts |
Posted - 11/17/2010 : 03:40:40 AM
|
| We don't have any newer buses with this issue, but I do have a similar problem with an 04 IC with a non-EGR 466. Ever since this bus was new the interior has had a strong coolant smell when the bus starts to warm up. About 20 minutes after the bus warms up, it goes away and may or may not return the rest of the trip. I've taken apart every piece of tin on that bus trying to find a leak and I have found nothing. We have flushed the coolant in this bus (not as a result of this issue however) and still have the same troubles. Do you think changing interior heater hoses would help this problem? Any other ideas? |
|
|
|
kslboyd
New Member
6 Posts |
Posted - 11/17/2010 : 07:19:07 AM
|
bought 6 2008 bbirds had real bad smell turned out to be contaminated coolant replaced smell gonequote:
Originally posted by mastertech
Due to the overwhelming complaints from students and the driver we had to do something about the intense smell coming from the heating system. The coolant had a vomit smell to it and when the heaters got hot they also smelled the same. We replaced the heater hoses which by the way were goodyears date code 2006 ( I dont remember ever seeing goodyear hoses on navistar busses), flushed to cooling system and refilled with fresh coolant . The heat shield covers over the hoses had a kind of tacky oily substance on them as well which we also cleaned off. Something was definatly wrong with the hoses as wherever they made any kind of a bend they had cracking in the rubber outer cover. Anybody else experience this issue?
|
|
|
|
mastertech
Advanced Member
274 Posts |
Posted - 11/17/2010 : 8:19:45 PM
|
Interesting. We took the worst one to the dealer and they changed and flushed the coolant but made no difference. The smell we have smells pretty much exactly like someone barfed inside the bus and it was never cleaned up. After running the heaters it becomes wretched. If you pop the coolant cap off the coolant smells the same. So if flushing it out and changing it didnt get rid of it. I can only assume the there is something in the hoses that is reacting with the coolant causing hose deteriation or maybe it is getting exhaust gasses in the coolant contaminating it. The thing is its only the goodyear hoses that have the smell coming from them . The radiator hoses dont smell or are cracking.
I just checked the bus today and its still fine after a week with the new hoses.
|
|
|
|
Bassman
Top Member
USA
558 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2010 : 04:03:50 AM
|
| I think we have narrowed it down to the rear heater (wall mount) that throws off the dust/fumes when it gets hot and the blower is used. There is an iKnow article from a couple years ago that talked of a preservative on new heater cores. Basically, the solution is to get the bus hot and allow the stuff to burn off. We are going to try a marathon session of that today. If it doesn't work, the next best answer will be to pull the core and have it cleaned. I also discovered yesterday, that a second bus of this batch is doing the same thing. |
|
|
|
mastertech
Advanced Member
274 Posts |
Posted - 11/22/2010 : 3:51:59 PM
|
| I remember a while back maybe a TSB on that but ours were all clean and dry . . Unfortunatly for us its the goodyear hoses and removal of all that shielding to get to them. Not fun . |
|
|
|
sambrutay
Advanced Member
United States
271 Posts |
Posted - 11/29/2010 : 05:37:43 AM
|
| I remember someone having trouble with the OAT antifreeze and the Goodyear Hi-Miler hoses. Seems to me that they were having a problem with the smell of the antifreeze coming thru the hoses. You may want to call IC on it. RED antifreeze *****! and it stinks to!!! |
Bruce |
|
|
|
mastertech
Advanced Member
274 Posts |
Posted - 11/29/2010 : 9:02:32 PM
|
| Thats exactly what I was thinking. We had reps from the local dealer come check it out . Its really hard to convey just how bad these smell once they get heated up . And pulling a shield off for the first time can almost knock you over. The hoses do have a yellow powder substance on them under the conduit . |
|
|
|
Bassman
Top Member
USA
558 Posts |
Posted - 11/30/2010 : 04:09:30 AM
|
| On a side note, the problem that I had with the rear wall mount heater on my 2011 IC Bus putting off smoke/dust and a powdery smell/taste seems to be cured after a thorough "burning" off of the protective material applied to the heater core. |
|
|
|
baoklahomabusman
New Member
3 Posts |
Posted - 01/26/2011 : 5:01:25 PM
|
| This has been helpful for me here at Broken Arrow Schools, however, I was wondering if there is something else that can be done besides actually replacing the full set of hoses, we have 5 77 passengers with this smell and pulling them in for the hose replacement is time consuming. I wonder if the tacky substance is the culprate? I do know that we have to get these things fixed soon, the wierd thing is that they all started smelling at different times. |
|
|
|
blk822
Active Member
13 Posts |
Posted - 01/26/2011 : 5:26:43 PM
|
| We had some 2010 RE's that had the smell. It's from the coolant. We flushed the coolant several times with fresh water then filled with fresh water and added Tide laundry detergent HE to it and ran them for a day or 2. Then you have to flush all the soap out and fill with the proper coolant. The drivers and kids liked the laundry smell, but it works. |
|
|
|
IBTMech
Top Member
USA
973 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2011 : 5:58:51 PM
|
| 5 IC 300s. No odor issues ................yet. |
If it doesn't fit, FORCE it.
If it breaks, well, it needed replacing anyway.
Pullin' wrenches for 45 years. |
Edited by - IBTMech on 01/27/2011 5:59:27 PM |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
2009 CE heating system smell ?
