Aircon taking all the water from my radiator causing it to overheat

[slide194]

Hi guys I've got a question hopefully I'll find out what is happening to my 99 VT holden commadore wagon

What's happening is everything I put the aircon on within 10 mins my car will overheat and when I check the radiator and overflow container it's dry even if I've only just filled it up its like I've got a leak but I've checked everywhere under Neath the car and even had a mechanic check (thinking I'm going blind) but not one leak not even when it's running and I've put straight coolant in as well thinking it might be cause I was running on water only but still the same problem

oh and everytime I turn the heater on I can smell something inside the car (my wife said it smells like maccas hotcakes syrup lol) from the vents I've been told it might be the coils and I've also been told it might not be

Any advice on what it can be for both be much appreciated thanks

 

[lout]

go to a radiator specialist and have them pressure test your cooling system
you have a big issue and will end up cooking your engine
your mechanic is a tool

 

[slide194]

go to a radiator specialist and have them pressure test your cooling system
you have a big issue and will end up cooking your engine
your mechanic is a tool

OK I'll go to someone else and I've only just regassed the aircon as well not even two weeks ago

 

[lout]

i suspect your heater core is leaking
but when using aircon heater is usually turned off

 

[slide194]

OK I'll go to someone else and I've only just regassed the aircon as well not even two weeks ago

Would that make a difference as well

 

[lout]

Would that make a difference as well

no
it has just added more demand on the system, which was the final straw

 

[slide194]

I only have one or the other on but at the moment if I have the thermo on cold but the aircon button not pushed its fine I don't smell anything and my car doesn't overheat and yes when the aircon is on both fans work it kicks in pretty quick and doesn't matter if it's on freeway or in city it just takes water like no tomorrow when the aircon on and ok thank god for that

 

[ephect]

Could be lower intake manifold gaskets which would mean your coolant is ending up in the cylinder being consumed. Quite common if they haven't been done and the car has a few kms on it.

 

[lout]

wife smells sweet smell in cabin is nearly always heater core
not to say it doesnt need lim gaskets as well

 

[slide194]

I've only just got new intake manifold put it as the last owner only just put a new engine in it when we bought it so we had to put new radiator and manifolds springs pretty much everything in between to get it road worthy and on the road it's just this that was driving us nuts as we couldn't work it out lol