Hi All,

I am new to the site and hope that someone can help me. I have 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. I am starting to go through coolant. Not a lot but when I am leaking toward the front of the Jeep. Also when I turn on my AC or heat I smell the coolant. In addition I only get heat and AC from my defrosters. Air is not blowing from the dash. I just had the AC condenser replace in November along with one of the main hoses for the AC. Any ideas.... this problem started about 2 yrs ago....Also a little more history....about 2 yrs ago during a snow storm I spun out, went up a small embankment and then into a telephone pole. I did not think there was any damage, but my front bumper has a crack in it by to the left of the right head light.

What should I be looking for? Help please...I do not want to get ripped off by a mechanic by not knowing what I am looking for or talking about.

I'm not an expert, but this almost sounds like multiple un-related issues.
1. If you have leak and you're driving with the heat on, your radiator fan could blow leaking coolant pretty much anywhere, including the firewall and cowl area where your jeep takes in air for the heating system...making it smell like coolant.
2. You could have a leaky heater core which is no fun to replace. It lives behind your glove box and requires dash disassembly. Cheap part, expensive labor.
3. If you park it after a drive and the puddle is up front near the grille, put a pan under it, take a flashlight, and watch for leaks around the upper and lower radiator hoses, the drain valve (lower driver's side of radiator facing driver), and your heater hoses, along with the water pump. It's got to be coming from somewhere. If it's none of those things and it's coming from up front, it's probably a cracked radiator. You'll need a good light and some patience looking around. If you can't a shop certainly can pressure test it and locate the leak.
Lastly...as for heat not coming from the dash vents, these GC's are known for blend door issues, where the doors inside the ductwork fail, blocking air flow. Google search and search here for "blend doors". You'll find TONS of info.

__________________
Tony-04 Limited HO, DkKhaki w/tan leather int. All LED lighting, 5000k Xtreme HID projs. (deambered)&fogs w/CCFL rings, tinted tails&3rd LED brake lt, fnt glass tinted to match, shawty antenna, 6 Polk speakers, K&N FIPK, FR 70mm TB, TCM#10 snip, Flashpaq'ed on 91 tune, Bilstien HD's, Addcos, polished 20" SRT reps, Hankook Ventus Evos (255-45), Weathertech mats, EBC USR rotors, EBC Greenstuff pads, Magnaflow muffler, RB1 Nav w/iPod kit, de-badged, roof rack delete.
09 Liberty KK Rocky Mountain Edition. Added Mopar Remote Start kit, Weathertech Mats, K&N drop-in.
PAST JEEPS : 99 TJ Sport, 98 XJ Sport, 06 WK Laredo

Welcome to the garage.
If you have a jeep with the manual temperature control, then the mode actuator is a vacuum controlled one. When any leak in the vacuum hose, the system will go to defrost mode only. The hose runs from the engine inlet to the actuator in the dash. Most of the times its a loose or chaved through line under the hood.
When you smell the coolant when using the airco system, its most probably your heater core. No wet floor (check under the carpet) on the passengers side?

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Frank




JEEP Grand Cherokee 4.7 Lmtd 2004
HID 8000K in low and fog / Quad Squad member
Monroe Reflex shocks /
Pirelli Scorpion ATR 245/65/17/
Transgo reprogramming shiftkit.