heater smells

<sbrittin RemoveThis @wans.net> wrote in message
news:1174245163.866375.21420@e1g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
>I have a 1993 accord se 2 door. When I turn on the heater, it smells
> like solvent/ gasoline for awhile. After awhile, it's OK.
> If I set the air to recirculate, it's OK. Only when I set it to the
> fresh air does it smell. It's been like this for at least a year.
> Where is the fresh air intake for the heater?
>
>
Most cars pick up outside air from under the windshield, behind the hood.

This is worrisome. If you are smelling gasoline on startup there may be a
gas leak under the hood. Start the car once, shut it down after maybe ten
seconds, and smell under the hood. If you smell gas, get it hunted down and
fixed - the sooner the better. I had an engine fire once from a leaking
injector. I don't recommend it

Mike
 >> Stay informed about: heater smells 

sbrittin RemoveThis @wans.net wrote:

> I have a 1993 accord se 2 door. When I turn on the heater, it smells
> like solvent/ gasoline for awhile. After awhile, it's OK.
> If I set the air to recirculate, it's OK. Only when I set it to the
> fresh air does it smell. It's been like this for at least a year.
> Where is the fresh air intake for the heater?

I had a similar issue with my '93 Accord LX last fall before I unloaded it.
In my case, a joint in the fuel line had become very corroded. There was no
fuel leaking onto the ground, so it was fuel vapors that were escaping.
 >> Stay informed about: heater smells 

I was having similar problem. It just got fixed. It had nothing to do with the heater. The catalytic converter was clogged and caused other issues. The back pressure created somehow cause "blow by gas smell" to enter the heater. When the cat. converter problem was fixed, no more gas/exaust/solvent smell in the heater. Go figure.

Incidentally, the problems caused by clogged cat converter, are more serious than a funny smell, so you may want to check this out pretty quickly, just in case.[/quote]
 >> Stay informed about: heater smells