I did the Heater Core O ring fix - now WTH !
 

2002 Diamante
Heater core gaskets were leaking
did the DIY fix .... THANKS by the way
Am positive there is no coolant leaking past the new o rings. Totally dry.
I THINK I was very careful to not let coolant leak all over the place when I loosened up the brackets to take the old o-rings out.

Put it all back together and still get a blast of coolant smell when I turn the system on.


This is what I've done to try and fix it:
Took everything back apart to get to the heater core.
It's still dry.
I don't see any coolant on the core fins, which makes me think the core isn't leaking.
I figured there was coolant residue on the "other" side of the core....inside the duct work.
I covered the transmission computer module with plastic and towels.
Using a garden sprayer I sprayed hot water thru the core, all over the foam that hold it in place, etc...
My thought was there is coolant residue and maybe I can dilute and flush away.

Well that has not worked. Still get coolant smell.

Any ideas?

If any of you guys did the fix and still had a residual coolant smell, did it eventually go away?

PLEASE HELP....AAARRRRGGGGHHH!!!!!!!