I definitely need help with this one. I've had four cores go in the last year since my '01Screw hit 90K and this last one which is leaking now lasted only two weeks and 800 miles from the last time my dealer (Person Ford in La Verne, CA) replaced it. Now they're telling me that they won't redo their job-for the fourth time and that I've paid over $700 for twice!) unless I pay for a new radiator and all of the hoses too because they claim that a Ford engineer says the electrolysis is somehow stuck in either the radiator (which I had replaced at 60K because of the wrong one beng delivered with my tow package) or the hoses. Please help me if you have more experience on this.

 

Well, I just got directed to this thread and am wondering if anybody else posts here still. I have been having the same problem for the past year and am now on heater core #7 and am getting the electrolysis speech. Has anybody had their problem fixed once and for all?

 

Four heater cores in one year?

Seven heater cores replaced?

I do not have an answer for these problems. However, I have to ask the fundamental question addressed by this post:

Did you replace the heater hoses with new, original equipment?

Good Luck,

Wilk

 

I've had the dealership take care of this every time. I talked to them yesterday and mentioned to them about making sure the hoses and clamps are exactly the same. They are still talking about electrolysis and static electricity coming though to the heater core due to it being the thinnest piece of aluminum. When the mechanic cut through the heater core, sure enough it was melted. They are still not sure of where the charge is being built up though to cause all of this. Not sure of what this means but he said that there was 1 volt running inside the heater core. I really hope that this can be solved. Does Dodge have any problems like this? I want to keep my truck for as long as possible but this is getting ridiculous.

 

Well I got the antifreeze smell this weekend. Monday I will be picking up my 4th or is it 5th core. This last one was copper. I suspect that the fan being wired the way it is casues the build up of static charge and it discharges through the core. The blower motor is in a plastic case and has a plastic fan. When it spins and we shut off the truck the static charge has to go somewhere. It cannot go through the fan casing to ground becasue the negative terminal, ground, is wired to resistors. So the best route for the charge to go is through the heater core through the atifreeze then the motor to ground. Ifyou ground the heater core you will provide an even better more direct route for the charge and destroy the core even faster.

JMC

 

You could try using oil to cool the engine. It won't carry the heat as well but if you rarely load the engine it might work out fine and no more erosion.

 

if they installed the siren above the core hoses, it sounds like they hit the core there is not much space there at all

i have replaced mine and it was a PITA and i had a tech who had done dozens of these in ambulances helping me

i also changed all the hoses and flushed the system while doing this job

yes the passanger side carpet was wet(soaked) and it will take a while for the smell to go away

i had found about 6 months later that the eng block grnd wire was corroded so voltage was looking for other paths back esp. while starting

 

I got the coolant smell and the mist coming from the vents, but I don't see any signs of a leak around the heater hoses going into the heater core from under the hood and I don't have any wet spots in the cab. Go figga! Could it still be a leaky hose?

 

I've been told you have to flush the system with compressed air, water, and cleaner to get the tiny metal shavings out that are present in higher mileage vehicles. Otherwise, you will keep replacing heater cores and radiators because the metal shavings will eat through the high pressure/high heat system like sand paper. I'm talking within a few months or less of installing the new parts...

 

Got the mist coming up through the vents today. I am hoping it is just the clamps. $930 for the dealership to get to it. $213 in parts for new hoses, which come with the clamps and new core. Is it really bad to do this or should I just suck it up and pay the dealer a grand to pull out the dash stuff. I used to have a 99 Cougar that needed a core and they had to remove the whole dash it it cost about the same. I am completely over Ford and the heater core issues. So Big job or just kind of tuff?

 

Can you replace the hoses without pulling the dash? From the engine compartment?

 

Ended up using stop leak. Works for now.

 

Robschaef,
I've got the same problem going on with my '99. Did you have coolant leaking below the passenger side as well?
Is the stop leak still solving the problem?
My Ford dealership here is quoting a $1600 cost to replace my heater core, so I'd be willing to try the stop leak!
Thanks in advance,
Jim

 

It was leaking there too. The stop leak only worked for a week.:-(
Find a good shop and take it there. My dealer wanted to charge $1000 just to pull out the dash. I found a shop, that normally works on MB and BMW's. They charged me $975 to replace the core, hoses and flush the coolant. Pretty happy to have heat today.

 

Okay so I have been reading some of these posts and a lot of yall have had the same issues I have seen on my 2001 f150. Before I had the problems of smelly antifreeze and a white cloudy fog coming from the heating vents. I had the truck serviced for a bad ignition coil and new spark plug on cylinder 3. the mechanic explained on the receipt that all spark plugs were removed and checked and tightened to specs.

My Question: Would that repair have anything to do with the heater core hoses in the engine compartment? Like would they be removed or bumped or bent...

Moreover, the heater worked great before all that and a few weeks later I noticed the smell and leakage from the passenger side undercarriage. No noticeable leaking in the cab though. So that led me to think it could have happened during the repair.

I plan to find and check the hoses and check for electrolysis over the next few days because its freaking 20 DEGREES!! brrrrrr and I really don't want to replace the heater core, it is sounding like a serious chore and time is something I don't have. if I don't do it myself and it is the culprit what would a sound mechanic charge for heater core replacement?

Thanks for the help in advance