Good evening everyone. I've very much enjoyed owning my Flying Spur over the last 6 years and haven't had any issues with it until recently. I've thoroughly enjoyed reading your posts. I love the willingness for everyone to help and desire to service our own vehicles is heartening. I recently experienced an issue with my car where I noticed a puff of steam coming from the bottom of the passenger side dash. I've been noticing moist heat in the car for some time but now I am starting to smell coolant coming from the vents. I'm curious, if anyone knows, is there are coolant line under the hood that is close to the passenger-side cabin filter housing that would have allowed the steam to get sucked into car? I'm thinking that the heater core has a small leak, but the car isn't overheating and there is no coolant pooling onto the passenger-side floor board. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. I do have to top off the coolant every 2 weeks though.

Thank You,

Mike

 

Greetings ,
To say the least I too experienced a heater core leak...yes a very slow leak. The interior of the car eventually smelled of glycol. However the car wasn't a Bentley. Your first though has some merit, especially the damp carpet.

One thougt is the engine bay gets quite hot...especially down south. After a good drive lift the hood and determine if ther is a strong coolant odor, pay attention if the odor is stronger in a certain area.

Hopefully others have a better idea also.

BTW, Maybe one of the duo values is leaking? Although I am not familiar with that particular issue causing the above concern

 

Hello @olkarz Mike,
As @1eapplebaum stated, I would check the hoses and the dual zone valve on the passenger side of the vehicle in the cowl area, as shown in my pictures below, be sure nothing in that area is leaking and seeping through the firewall area on the passenger side.

The HVAC suitcase has two separate heater cores, one for each of the passenger side and driver side, and one AC evaporator coil for both side, as a test to check the passenger side heater core, you could remove the supply and return hoses for that core at the valve in the cowl, then cap the two ports on the valve with rubber caps and clamps to secure against any leakage.

Just to note, if the heater cores need replacement, it's a hell of a job, the console and complete dashboard, along with all support framing needs to be removed to gain access for the suitcase removal, see my pictures.

Johnny

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The heater cores are illustrated as number "25" in the diagram.

Johnny
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Hi @Johnny Hotspur GT ! Sorry of the delay in replying to your post with your valuable pictures that you provided, but work and life never stops taking up time. Please tell me that there is an easier way to remove this dash, other than pulling it out with the steering wheel attached? I'm at an impasse. I either need to cut a 1/4" off of my 1/4" Allen wrench, in order to disconnect the steering wheel D-joint at the firewall, or I need to figure out how to remove the airbag in order to remove the steering wheel and lower cover so that I can remove the 2 bolts that keeps the steering wheel attached to the dash bracket. I see that you simply just pulled the steering wheel out at the slip joint. Was it difficult reinserting that shaft back into the back of the steering wheel?

 

@Johnny Hotspur GT Is the 6mm hex bolt at the front of the shifter the way to disconnect the shifter cable or do I need to disconnect it at the transmission?