I have a 2000 ranger and since last winter every time I run the heat I can smell coolant and it blows warm but not hot air anymore. Ive never noticed a coolant leak as far as on the ground but I can always smell it after driving it w/ the heat on. Is this prob the heater core or could it be something more like a blown head gasket? If it is the heater core does anyone have an est on what it would cost to fix it?
Bad Heater core?
- Thread starter Venom351R
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ugg that's what I figured better then a HG though. Is it ok to run it like that as long as I keep the coolant tank topped off? It was empty the other day so I put some in it. Its not that bad I mean it gets cold as hell up here in the winter but it just takes a little longer to warm up but being that the cab is small its not a huge problem.
What about cost of getting it done? Its a non issue in the summer but Im just curious.
What about cost of getting it done? Its a non issue in the summer but Im just curious.
I have a '95 Ranger and I just had my heater core on my truck replaced. Lucky for us that was the first year Ford decided to ditch the access panel for a quick fix. So I tried to do it myself but it was just too much, maybe with a friend and more time I could have done it all. But the whole dash has to come out as well as the A/C unit to gain access to all the bolts that hold the blower unit in. It's a bit of a show. So after getting it back together I started to shop around because being winter I needed heat like now. First quote was $850 second quote was $700, that's what I said f it and tried myself. But luckily my wife had a cousin who was a mechanic who could help and did it for significantly less. But that's pretty much what you are looking at.
One thing you can do in the meantime which is what I did because coolant was puking into the cab was to run a bybass which was bascially disconnecting the input and outlet tubes from teh fire wall that go into the heater core then find an adapter at say homodepot to connect to lines to one another so the antifreeze will still keep flowing through the system, but you won't have heat. If it was warmer you could run it as long as you wanted basically. But I suppose you could try this if you didn't mind being cold and you didn't need defrost or **** like that to see if it really is the heater core or not.
Hope this helps, btw the part is only like 40 bucks or so what a show right?!
One thing you can do in the meantime which is what I did because coolant was puking into the cab was to run a bybass which was bascially disconnecting the input and outlet tubes from teh fire wall that go into the heater core then find an adapter at say homodepot to connect to lines to one another so the antifreeze will still keep flowing through the system, but you won't have heat. If it was warmer you could run it as long as you wanted basically. But I suppose you could try this if you didn't mind being cold and you didn't need defrost or **** like that to see if it really is the heater core or not.
Hope this helps, btw the part is only like 40 bucks or so what a show right?!
the thing is its not "That cold" in the truck even though its winter, it does take longer for the cab to warm up and it does not blow hot air per say anymore but Im not freezing to death by all means. I have not smelled any coolant in the cab its only been when I get out of the truck after its been driven and I can smell it in the area of the passengers side.
Even when mine was puking into the cab I still had warm air if you don't smell or see it in the cab it might not be the heater core. Hmmm, maybe check the fittings and hoses on the engine side that go into the heater core itself. Check to see if they're worn or cracked for maybe the clamp is foobared.
That's why I was questioning if it was the Heater Core that went bad or not. I'll take a look at the fittings and hoses the next time after Im done driving it
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