I've got a problem and I think it's a bad heater core. I definitely have coolant smell coming through the vents.

I've also got coolant leaking on the ground. Inside the engine compartment on the firewall, underneathe the passenger side head there are 2 ports coming out of the firewall. The bottom one is where the coolant is coming from. Is this some type of heater core overflow deal for when the heater core leaks?

Or is it maybe a clogged heater core? I'm not sure why that bottom port is leaking coolant on my driveway. I'm thinking it's just an overflow but does anyone know?

 

your never supposed to leak coolant.. it sounds like either your heater core is bad or teh conenctions them selves are bad

 

coolant smell from the vents is the #1 sign of a failed heater core.

 

I agree. I had a bad heater core and I could smell coolant. As soon as i put a new core in the smell was gone.

 

Heater Core.

 

I'm gonna go out on a limb here....But I believe its your Heater Core.

 

Yeah it's definitely the heater core I guess those 2 ports in the firewall are just a drain for it but it's weird that there's one up higher than the bottom one. Maybe the top one is there so it don't get too full and start breakin **** if the leak gets real bad.

 

There's just one AC drain behind the head from the firewall. There should be a right angle hose plugged into the firewall that diverts flow/run off.

The upper core hose is what you bleed thru when refilling with coolant via the the T-Stat housing. Have you ever heard any gurgling action after shut down, in the past ?

 

does it spit it out of the vents or make smoke? if so its heater core and I just did a bypass but then I do live in FL.

 

I bypassed it yesterday and everything is fine now. Never heard any gurgling when I shut it down.

The dealer wanted $100 for the heater core and $100 for the two hoses. Rockauto.com has the hoses for $14/ea and the heater core for $30. I'm gonna take my receipt up there when they come in and tell the dealer to lick my *******.

Let this be a lesson keep your coolant changed! I knew mine was bad but I kept putting it off. Now I've got at least 5 hours worth of ripping the dashboard out ahead of me to change a $30 part that could have been avoided with a $30 coolant flush.

 

Cullen, the heater core hoses are a dealership item only, - IF you want OEM hoses. No one sells them, -or has last I looked.

Third party hoses, - that's all you get, the hoses, -No connector, No brass reducer and a lighter duty hose, - just so you know.

Now, you can do this and run without the reducer, I have without a problem. But you also need to get these from Rock Auto because you can't directly hose clamp the hoses onto the heater core stems, they'll blow off and you'll have a big mess lol.

You need these (about $6 @ Rock auto)



And expansion clamps ( Oriely's/Murrays)



These won't cut into the hoses and expand w/heat^^^

 

If you're talking about what I think you are with the "reducer", you'll want that too.

My 97 has a flow restrictor in the inlet hose, that's what keeps the heater core from blowing apart from too much flow.

I have literally blown apart heater cores in my Mustang and T-Bird from too much flow.

Unless you drive like a little old lady and never get the revs above idle, you're gonna eventually split the heater core without a flow restrictor.....

 

I haven't blown mine ...yet! Gates states that the restrictor SHOULD insert into "their hoses". I definitely agree with n3up, you should have one.
As said, it helps reduce the risk of your heater core failing during use due to decreasing the pressure that coolant flows into the heater core.

Just because I got away with it , -not running one, doesn't mean the next person will.

 

How to do a bypass on the heater core.........................

thanks

 

how do I go about bypassing the heater core...............

Thanks