Technical Antifreeze smell

[Jbyfo]

Hello,

My Fiat 500x has begun to have a strong smell of antifreeze inside the car when first opening the door in the morning for example. It does not smell when being driven. There are no obvious leaks / puddles under the car and the level on the chamber says between min & max.

Any ideas of what might be causing this? I saw something suggesting a blocked drain possibly?

Thanks in advance

 

[varesecrazy]

Hi

The cars Heater has engine Antifreeze running through it..
So potential of a leak there

Scuttle drains are well worth checking.. but are not normally associated with a 'chemical smell'

 

[Jbyfo]

Thank you for the reply.

Further investigation with family member assistance has determined that it is in fact the smell of the wiper fluid.

Furthermore the compartment in the boot where the spare tyre is stored was sodden wet and noticeably smelt of the fluid, however strangely the boot bottom shelf itself that you would assume any liquid might drip through was bone dry.

Seems very odd to me but keen to know what the cause of this could be? Any thoughts?!

Thank you

 

[Jbyfo]

I'm therefore guessing possibly the pipe to the rear wiper has split somewhere going up from the floor to the top of the back window??

Is that a known issue / relatively easy fix?

Many thanks

 

[porta]

500x has same issue as Jeep Renegade that the washer pipe splits, usually into rear footwell or into boot…the pipe, like many vehicles now, is not the old type poly tube but is hard corrugated black pipe, not dissimilar to that used for drainage and suuply (everyone will have seen that at any big construction and highway works) but much smaller yet much more useless

 

[Jbyfo]

500x has same issue as Jeep Renegade that the washer pipe splits, usually into rear footwell or into boot…the pipe, like many vehicles now, is not the old type poly tube but is hard corrugated black pipe, not dissimilar to that used for drainage and suuply (everyone will have seen that at any big construction and highway works) but much smaller yet much more useless

Many thanks for replying and confirmation

 

[s130]

If it is a fractured pipe then depending on where the split is you should be able to cut the pipe and sleeve it. Or replace a section.

Several options:

1. Stuff the ends into another piece of rubber tubing
2. Replace a longer section with rubber tubing
3. Heat shrink sleeve (probably less reliable especially on bends or abrasion areas

 

[porta]

If it is a fractured pipe then depending on where the split is you should be able to cut the pipe and sleeve it. Or replace a section.

Several options:

1. Stuff the ends into another piece of rubber tubing
2. Replace a longer section with rubber tubing
3. Heat shrink sleeve (probably less reliable especially on bends or abrasion areas

If it’s the hard corrugated then you can’t splice it, I’ve temporarily jammed a piece of brake pipe to bridge and bonded the outside edge…but really it wants completely removing and proper poly pipe putting in from front to rear. I’m putting it off as it’s a pig of a job!

 

[s130]

If it’s the hard corrugated then you can’t splice it, I’ve temporarily jammed a piece of brake pipe to bridge and bonded the outside edge…but really it wants completely removing and proper poly pipe putting in from front to rear. I’m putting it off as it’s a pig of a job!

If it is corrugated then yes this is a bit of a bummer fix. If it is smooth walled then not so bad.

 

[varesecrazy]

How about HEATSHRINK....

Trim off the damaged piece..slide over the Heatshrink tube

A turn of mastic..bath sealant across one or 2 corrucations either side
Butt it all together..apply heat

Heatsink binds it all together.. and sealant does its job

 

[porta]

How about HEATSHRINK....

Trim off the damaged piece..slide over the Heatshrink tube

A turn of mastic..bath sealant across one or 2 corrucations either side
Butt it all together..apply heat

Heatsink binds it all together.. and sealant does its job

Tried that, it didn’t work, this is really horrible stuff…I’ll take a picture tomorrow, it’s made out of something only Fiat could make…
Remember the ‘Car’ write up wehn Fiat brought out the croma? ‘Fiat have managed to make all the plastics feel like leather and, unfortunately, make all the leather feel like plastic’

 

[RDC42]

Hello,

My Fiat 500x has begun to have a strong smell of antifreeze inside the car when first opening the door in the morning for example. It does not smell when being driven. There are no obvious leaks / puddles under the car and the level on the chamber says between min & max.

Any ideas of what might be causing this? I saw something suggesting a blocked drain possibly?

Thanks in advance

This happens on my wife’s Tipo constantly. Happens after every service for her. Basically on the RHD passenger side, under the scuttle there is a pipe connecting to the rear washer that gets pulled loose. The washer fluid goes everywhere while the pipe is disconnected and the smell of washer fluid comes into the car.
It’s an easy fix on hers, pull out the 3 retaining plugs holding the scuttle, pull back the rubber seals and you should just have enough room to join the two pipes back together by hand. Put all the fasteners back on and job is done until the next service.
I actually put tie wraps on the pipe heading into the scuttle to stop the pipe being pulled but it still gets disconnected every time the car is serviced but it’s 5 minutes for me to connect it back up myself and I’ll put all the fasteners back on properly, not break them off and leave them off like a garage would do.