2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission leaking heater core?

[Joseph Donnelly]

Has anyone smelled antifreeze when on heat mode? Probably is a slight leak in the heater core. The factory manual says to remove the entire dash and instrument panel, discharge the AC, and remove the entire HVAC unit. Has anyone tried a shortcut such as going behind the glove box (cutting an access hole)? Thanks

 

[illflem]

Joe I think it would take a rather large hole. Here's the thread on the repair http://216.235.147.117/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=54603

 

[Morphious]

I just replaced my on my 99, all I can say is that it was a real *****. I didn't follow the directions to the letter.



Here is what I did, I removed all the mounting screws and bolts for the dash, where it would rotate down and out, but I didn't remove it. I dropped the steering column down with the seat all the way back, then rotated the dash down and unhooked the passenger's side from the bottom bracket and set it on a jackstand. Then, after several beers and scratching my head as I didn't want to disconnect the airconditioning lines and have to have it serviced, I took a hacksaw to the old heatercore and removed the lines..... Next step, after removing the old leaking heater core, was to figure out howto wedge in the new one without destroying the lines. Solution: I took a saw to the heater box where the core sits, cut out a square section on one end down to the bottom half so that the new heater core could stick out the side as I worked it in. With some gentle cussing and another beer or two, I easily worked the new one into place without destroying anything. I hooked up the lines and tested it to make sure that I hadn't causes any leaks in the new core, it tested out fine, then took some 3M plastic glue and reinstalled the cutout section of the heater box, reinstalled the dash and steering column and you could never tell it had been hacked.





By the way... . the stealer want's around 1100 bucks to change a heatercore out.



Morph.

 

[JJW_ND]

Try some BarLeak....Nothing to lose!

Joe, I had the same thing happen to my 96 at about 140K. I never tried Barleak or any good stop leak but the heater core leak is probably a pretty small pinhole leak. Mine was. But a small leak makes for alot of stink. You might have good luck and get it to seal. Not alot of presure on it unlike headgasket coolant leaks.



I paid to have my heatcore replaced. Big job! You start chasing dash squeaks all over with the RnR that happens getting to the heater core.



Good luck!



jjw

ND

 

[vc]

Joe,

this past year I had to get my evaporator replaced - had a local guy reccomended by work do it. He came out to my house and had it all done in about 3 hours. He did not remove the entire dash. He took off the knee boards off the bottom, dropped the steering column. Then he unbolted all the top bolts up against the windshield and started to unhook and swing the whole dash so that the drivers side more or less stayed in place, swinging the passenger side out. He pulled it out enough to acces the goods and propped the dash with a broom stick he had. Then he started in on the rest.

vc

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

Thanks for the prompt, helpful responses. Originally I was thinking of cutting a hole behind the glove box, but then I'd have to make a mess of the heater box too. . . in looking at it again with fear and loathing today, it looks like I can do as some of you suggested. Hopefully I can remove top screws, lower steering column, and maybe remove the nuts in the engine compartment to loosen the heater box some. Maybe then I can wrestle the core out and not get too cut up or have too many squeaks (grrr). Whoever designed the heater box probably did it to get even with the guy who put the two back cylinders under the cowl :-{}

 

[Sean Flanagan]

You guys are scaring me. Mine has just started to make that smell :{

 

[drees1]

My Jetta diesel makes that smell, but it was a loose hose under the hood. A bad leak on the heater core may blow steam on the windshield in defrost mode. If you have good instructions on the R&I, it is just a matter of putting in the time to do it.

 

[JPS]

Heater core leak

If you have a small leak with no time to fix,dump a container or two of kitchen spice,ginger in radiator. I've used this several times and it works. I know,sounds crazy!!! Let it circulate good after dumping in. jps

 

[JohnE]

Re: Heater core leak

Originally posted by JPS

If you have a small leak with no time to fix,dump a container or two of kitchen spice,ginger in radiator. I've used this several times and it works. I know,sounds crazy!!! Let it circulate good after dumping in. jps

Black pepper is the prefered spice up here.

 

[illflem]

Bars-Leak is the preferred spice for me.

Had I guy run a tree branch though one of my JD radiators. JD wanted $800 for a new radiator. Five bucks for two containers of Bars-Leak and it hasn't leaked a drop in twenty years.