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2007 Prius

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by Al h, Mar 11, 2021.

  1. Al h

    Al h Junior Member

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    2007 Prius
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    2007 Prius-

    Hello,

    I have a 2007 Prius and when I turn on the heater, I smell fumes.
    Does anyone know why? Anyone has experienced it?

    Thx.
     
    #1 Al h, Mar 11, 2021
  2. cnc97

    cnc97 Senior Member

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    Location:
    Evansville, IN
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Three

    Your heater core has likely failed.
     
    #2 cnc97, Mar 11, 2021
  3. Al h

    Al h Junior Member

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    But the heater works fine.
     
    #3 Al h, Mar 11, 2021
    PriusCamper likes this.
  4. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I've heard air bubbles in the vehicles heating system can cause this problem but am not sure I'm clear on how that is.

    And as I always say, the first step in HVAC problems is installing a brand new carbon cabin filter. They're very inexpensive online: C35479 TOYOTA CHARCOAL CABIN AIR FILTER FOR TOYOTA PRIUS 2001 - 2009 | eBay and they do play a role at reducing the smell of fumes. Also a heavily clogged filter can decrease air speed, which can sometimes create problems with the vent system not working, such as the valve that switches between outside air and inside recirculation not being fully functional.
     
    #4 PriusCamper, Mar 11, 2021
  5. Al h

    Al h Junior Member

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    Cabin filter would definitely be a cheaper fix!
     
    #5 Al h, Mar 11, 2021
  6. Al h

    Al h Junior Member

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    Another side note-
    It feels as though when I put the air circulation only inside the car and not from the outside I don’t smell it.
     
    #6 Al h, Mar 11, 2021
  7. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Does it smell like coolant or like exhaust? Each of those has a completely different path for troubleshooting.
     
    #7 TMR-JWAP, Mar 11, 2021
  8. Al h

    Al h Junior Member

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    Definitely exhaust
     
    #8 Al h, Mar 11, 2021
  9. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Two
    First step is to thoroughly inspect under the hood for exhaust leak... It will smell like an old vintage car or truck exhaust because it hasn't gone through the catalytic converter to clean that smell yet.
     
    #9 PriusCamper, Mar 12, 2021
  10. Al h

    Al h Junior Member

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    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Thank you all for your suggestions! Still didn’t get a chance to look into it, but all your replies are appreciated! Hopefully I can find where the smell is coming from.
     
    #10 Al h, Mar 19, 2021
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