Help! Heater core shot, coolant hoses cut?

[Dsun]

Ok so I noticed that i kept getting puddles of some kind of residue in my drivers side footwell. Upon close inspection it was greenish and looked like coolant, did a search and low and behold my heater core is probably shot.

I go and check the coolant hoses and i noticed this, looks like the coolant hoses are cut? Is this is a normal modification? Where is the cooland rerouted too?






What should be my next course of action? Replace heater core and hoses?

[sweet6e30]

your heater core was bypassed, i did this to mine when my heater core was fucked until i could replace the heater core then reconected the hoses


as of right now, you will have no heat, since there is no coolant circulating through the heater core, the small amount of residue u r finding is prob left over coolant from when the H core gave out or whatever is left in the core that is leaking . definetly the core bit the dust and or the heater valve as well. Do not worry about the bypass, it will not hurt your motor. the coolant you are finding is not a leak from your motor.

WHat u need to do:

remove under steering panel and center console to gain access to H core, 8mm socket on a 1/4inch ratchet and or racheting key , to remove the H core hose flange screws. unplug the Heater core valve, remove floor vent tube, it will pop out, slid out old heater core, and remove the hoses as well to inspect them and the valve. cleanup whilst your in there. and installation is the reverse, pay attention to how everything is assembled, and pay attention to the O RINGS that seat the hose flange to the core itself, you will see them, those r VERY important. put new ones
get a new heater core and new valve, maybe some new hoses as well, do not forget to get new O rings that seat the plastic or aluminum hose to the core itself.

inspect thoughly the H core hoses that run upto the firewall as well as the valve if u see coolant residue dries up crystalized around the valve , replace that.

once youve installed all the new shit reconnect the hoses from the motor to mate them to the H core hoses at the firewall at the engine side.there will prob be a bit of coolant mess, so make sure to have some new coolant handy to top off the system and definetly bleed the coolant system afterwards according to spec.
you might have a small airpocket at the heater core so follow the bentley procedures to bleed the coolant system properly , u may need to repeat bleeding a second time.

hope that helps

[Dsun]

Thank you for the explanation.

Well its another 4 months until winter lol, i guess i dont have to prioritize having heat right now.

If i take out my heater core and drain whatever is left, that should stop the leak?

I dont know how long this has occurred for, and i guess PO didnt address it at all, she just put some crappy $10 floor mat over the carpet which was nasty.

Would this pool of coolant lead to rust?

[sweet6e30]

i would clean up the wetness as much as possible, a few hot days in the summer will help also, maybe take a peak under the carpet, as locked in moisture between the carpet and floor often leads to the dredded rust. yeah remove the core, u dont have to put it back in after draining it either.

I would install the new core just before fall begins as mornings and or evenings can be chilli

good luck

[Dsun]

going to remove the heater core/valve tonight.

Do i need to drain my coolant? Im guessing not since it was bypassed right

[Eecen]

To remove the heater core, no.


But whenever you re-install the heater core and re-pipe the coolant hoses you'll need to bleed the system (should be self explanatory).

[sweet6e30]

hehehe, look at these fellow Canadians helping out south of the boarder eh!

[Dsun]

To remove the heater core, no.


But whenever you re-install the heater core and re-pipe the coolant hoses you'll need to bleed the system (should be self explanatory).

hehehe, look at these fellow Canadians helping out south of the boarder eh!

:up: