Coolant leak inside the car

[SoCal69GT]

I have my seats and carpet stripped and I notice some coolant on the flooring after I had painted the floor with Por15. I looked under the dash and there's coolant drips on the clip of the heater box. Where do I start? Would this heater box open without removing the dash?

 

[BB1966]

You could change it in the dash but its not that hard to get the whole box out. The four nuts in the engine bay around the blower motor and some cables and the water hoses and its out. Much better on the bench than on your side in the floor of the car!

 

[tos]

Your heater core is bad. You wont have to remove anything from the dash just your heater control cables from the box. The big plus is that your interior is out. Makes it alot easier to get the box in and out if you have room to manuver.

 

[geostang351]

You could change it in the dash but its not that hard to get the whole box out. The four nuts in the engine bay around the blower motor and some cables and the water hoses and its out. Much better on the bench than on your side in the floor of the car!

Yeah, take out the whole box and do it on your bench. While your at it changing the core, buy a new gasket kit and change out all that old decayed foam.

 

[thehueypilot]

Maybe it is just the heater hoses that are leaking because they are old and dry rotted?

 

[krash kendall]

Maybe it is just the heater hoses that are leaking because they are old and dry rotted?

Unfortunately, you have to pull the whole box out anyway if that is the case. For the cost of a new heater core, you might as well change it regardless. And just a heads up: The leak you have is the current weak spot in your pressurized system and once repaired will expose the next weakest. So, be prepared for a potential rad leak if your rad is questionable.

 

[SoCal69GT]

Unfortunately, you have to pull the whole box out anyway if that is the case. For the cost of a new heater core, you might as well change it regardless. And just a heads up: The leak you have is the current weak spot in your pressurized system and once repaired will expose the next weakest. So, be prepared for a potential rad leak if your rad is questionable.

I guess my weak spot before has been fixed. I have a new radiator . I'll be replacing the heater hoses too I guess.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[krash kendall]

Don't feel bad. I had to do the rad and and heater core in my truck two weeks ago. Would have cost close to two grand at the dealer. If you haven't seen the pics, here they are:

Steering column and dash had to come out

All in all it was a 7 1/2 hour job to do both. If you are ambitious you should be able to do the heater core in about 45 minutes.

 

[t_chelle16]

Heater core is one of those things where if you can see it, you should probably go ahead and replace it.

Don't feel bad. I had to do the rad and and heater core in my truck two weeks ago. Would have cost close to two grand at the dealer. If you haven't seen the pics, here they are:

Steering column and dash had to come out

My dad used to work at a Nissan dealership and they absolutely refused to change the heater cores in the Nissan ZX's. The car was built around the heater core. It only paid 3 hours, but it took about 3 days to do. Dad talked with a guy who had done several of them and eventually got it down to 12 hours.

-Chelle

 

[bnickel]

aonether thing you need to consider is if the car has ac, you'll need to get the system evacuated first and the dash will need to come out in an AC car.

 

[SoCal69GT]

Good thing I don't have a/c.

 

[65ShelbyClone]

the dash will need to come out in an AC car.

Oh man, tell me you're kidding!

My dad used to work at a Nissan dealership and they absolutely refused to change the heater cores in the Nissan ZX's. The car was built around the heater core. It only paid 3 hours, but it took about 3 days to do. Dad talked with a guy who had done several of them and eventually got it down to 12 hours.

Wow, there's something worse than a Fox body after all! That reminds me, my SVO needs a core. Took me a weekend to do it in my '89 GT...

 

[Platonic Solid]

After you get the box out, be real careful not to damage the box where the clips are. If you pry the clips off by inserting a screwdriver under or behind the clip, it will damage the fiberglass lip and you won't be able to reinstall them. The spring clips must be spread open to be properly removed.

 

[RogerC62]

I spent 6 hours one Christmas day changing the heater core in my 84 Mercury Marquis. It started leaking during the trip home from where I was stationed. I had to pull the entire dash out to change it. I was deploying a couple of days later so I had to change it before driving back on the 26th. Had to do the same on my 79 mustang several years later though not on Christmas day. The easiest one I've done was my 89 E150 conversion van. Remove the hoses, 3 screws & the cover and slide it out.

 

[Tim65GT]

Quote by Krash:

Don't feel bad. I had to do the rad and and heater core in my truck two weeks ago. Would have cost close to two grand at the dealer. If you haven't seen the pics, here they are:

lol, yeah, I changed the one on my sons '98 F150. You can't help but get out the camera and take pics, when you get that far into it.
the dealer here only quoted $575 plus parts. I did it for $150. It wouldv've been less, but the PO cut both heater hoses to bypass it.