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Hello all.

A few days ago I entered my vehicle (2002 Chevy Cavalier), and as soon as I sat down the strong smell of rubbing alcohol of some sort overcame me, it was almost sickening. I don't think it is the heater core only because in my last car the heater core went and antifreeze smelled like something totally different. More of a sweet chemical smell than anything like alcohol. I read somewhere it may be the A/C Evaporator Core, but I can't tell for sure. Any thoughts?

Just so you all know, it was NOT rubbing alcohol spilled somewhere, nor was it any alcoholic drink. The only thing inside of my car that is liquid is dashboard cleaner, and it doesn't have any alcohol in it nor does it smell like alcohol at all.  

first...


open the hood... check the coolant level in the radiator or the coolant tank...

different coolants have slightly different smells....



warning..  most unknown vapors should NOT be inhaled..

let the car air out first...

check the coolant lever before doing anything else...

if the coolant is low...  then you know you might have a coolant leak...  

well i dont think it's toxic cause i've inhaled it quite a bit for the past 2 to 3 weeks. but my car is tough to check coolant in because you can only access the overflow reservoir, not the actual radiator.  

that will have to be the place...

is it low... have you had to add coolant...

there are radiator pressure testers available at some parts stores for rent...  there are adaptors to test the screw in type of radiator caps they use...  in the loan a tool section also..

if you have had this smell for several weeks...   you really need a second opinion...   with a first hand nose...

stop in at a radiator shop... they can test your cooling system in minutes..

just because you have replaced the heater core recently.. does not mean its not leaking again...

i have had replaced heater cores need to be done a second time do to the heater hoses being a little short..  the motor mounts going bad so the engine rocks more than was designed for...    tugging on the heater core...  

haha i think you read that wrong, I havent replaced the Heater Core in this car ever. I bought it at 70k miles and its almost at 90k now. I replaced the Heater Core in my OLD car before i bought this one, and i was saying the smell did not smell anything like it smells in my car now. But as you said, different antifreezes smell different.  

Hi, Did you ever find out what this smell was? I have a 2007 Sentra SER Spec V and just started getting his Alcohol smell in my car. It's really bad when I first get in but goes away within minutes after taking off. At first I thought maybe I left something in the trunk, but after making sure nothing was in the trunk I cant figure it out. The car appears to be running smooth and it is not making a strange sounds or jumping of any kind.  

For your health and your engine's maintenance, best to go to a radiator shop to know what exactly is happening. It shouldn't be smelling alcohol in the first place. And that's not normal either.