Cargirl Posted May 15, 2004 Share Posted May 15, 2004 One more question today....lately my car has been discharging steam from the defroster vents when the HVAC system is off. I assume this is a heater core that has corrosion and is beginning to leak. Does that sound like a correct prognosis? I am wondering, on a scale from 1-10 the difficulty of this job. I searched the FAQ's and history and did not find much info on heater cores. Any help would be appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelby Posted May 15, 2004 Share Posted May 15, 2004 It is a Royal pain to change. It might be easier to by pass the core and leave the car in Arizona. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spongebob Posted May 15, 2004 Share Posted May 15, 2004 cargirl..all heaters are a tough cookie..heres what the manual says:disconnect neg.battery cabledrain coolantremove console and instument paneldisconnect programmer and electical connectionsremove electrical connections from BCMremove BCM and mounting braketselectrical connections from ECMremove ECM and mounting bracketthen...the heater coreyou'll want to kill the guy that designed the system.theres a word i dont like to use..."barsleak" !! you didnt hear it from me.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Posted May 15, 2004 Share Posted May 15, 2004 A few years ago my heater core "went south" too. It leaked down all over the carpet. I was able to catch it in time to prevent major damage to the carpet and mat. The car's interior smelled like antifreeze for months. The shop I took it to, fixed it in about a day and $350 later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wally888 Posted May 15, 2004 Share Posted May 15, 2004 I've only encountered this problem once (a Lincoln). My carpet got very wet?If you turm heater on, highest setting, you may see same, however....... ( I see Howard has also mentioned!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ranger Posted May 15, 2004 Share Posted May 15, 2004 Just got mine out of storage, was told the passenger floor had somemoisture, I'd guess it's a core. In the past, I've used, withsuccess, ground black pepper. Simply buy a package in the grocery store, turn on the heat and when the engine warms up and the water is circulating, slowly pour the pepper in the radiator filler and let it work its way through the system, the grains will fill pinholes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest imported_jim13a Posted May 26, 2004 Share Posted May 26, 2004 I have had to replace my heater core twice on my 89.The first core was defective and lasted only a month. Don't purchase a core from any parts stores, OEM is always the best choice.I have done many heater core swaps over the years and the reatta is one of the easiest in my opinion. if interested, send me an e-mail and I will send you a brief description of what to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cargirl Posted May 26, 2004 Author Share Posted May 26, 2004 Hi Jim,I decided to bypass the heater core for now. Seemed the quickest and easiest for now seeing as summer is here. If you would like to send the info I will probably deal with the replacement in the fall. Thanks for the advise as well, If I do this thing I do not want to have to worry about it for another 14 years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ESTAVER Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 Jim, I tried to e=mail you at the listed address but wouldn't get through. I've done the full dash pull out on my '85 Mustang for a core change out, and if the time comes for my '89 Reatta... I would dearly love to not go through that kind of exercise again. I would much apprecieate the scoop on your method. estaver1@bellsouth.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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