Hello all, thanks to everyone that helped me out with a previous post on "How to replace your heater core" This might come in handy next winter . This post has not only "black and white" pictures, but actual digital pictures as well. This was a great help, made things very simple! Enjoy

http://nator.net/files/Heater Core Replacement.doc

 

thank you for the document, I just found out mine went out this weekend when I drove my truck and had the tell tell sign of antifreeze coming through the vents.

This will be very helpful I will start stripping my dash all week long after work so i don't have to spend all saturday doing this.

With these directions I should be able to get it done with out the BF's help

 

I just had heater core go out on my 2001 XLT Scab. Paid $1200 to have Perry Ford here in Santa Barbara replace it - I think it's fair to say I feel violated but didn't see that I had much of an option. One more repair like this and that F_150's a goner. It isn't worth more than a couple of thousand (if that).

I don't know that I would have tried to do it myself if I had this procedure but dang, $1200, that's absurd, even if the dash does have to come out.

Anybody have any ideas on how to get coolant out of the interior? I've blown a fan across it for days and it doesn't vaporize. What is a solvent for coolant? Detergent?

Menchar

 

Try Folex and an extractor such as a Bissell Little Green Machine.

 

Just replace the interior carpet, it's pretty cheap. Plus you'll have that new car smell back again.

 

$1200.... And they did that without a gun? You must be the only customer they had that week. I'd have bypassed the sucker and wear a little heavier clothes in the winter. It is SB for gosh sakes- it's not Bimegi (sp), Mn. That's worse than insane. What are they at, $180. an hr.? it should pay about 6 hrs. flat rate to do that.

As for the coolant, GLC had a pretty good suggestion. It is water soluable. Water and some shampoo should get rid of the inability to dry it. Make sure you get rid of the coolant under the carpet also. If it was me, I would use a hose and a good powerful W/D vacuum. Dilute it good a few times and vacuum all you can get out each time, then shampoo and the fan should dry it out easily. For what they stole from you they should send you own private detailer to your house, take the seats and carpet out and do it outside... that's probably not gonna happen though.
Make sure you check for electrolysis (galvanic action), so that you're not having to replace it again in 4 mo. to a year. Good Luck!

 

Well , if you use a machine - Rent a good one. It will ruin a cheap one.

New carpet kits are very nice and it's only $143 (free shipping) =

http://www.autoanything.com/floor-mats/20A50787A1.aspx

 

Thanks for the info.

The carpet is not wet on top except at the door sills. There was a lot of moisture trapped under the carpet, rubber seal kept it there. The coolant didn't "climb" to the elevated areas of the floor, just door sills / cable channel and under the area immediately in front of the seat. Think I'll pull the passenger seat out and lift up the carpet on that side to get at it.

Yup, $1248 it cost - everything here in SB is a ripoff, but these guys take the cake. Clayton Ford went out of business so Perry has a monopoly unless you want to drive 30 miles or more to another dealer. I figured it would get done properly (well, except that they wouldn't do anything about the coolant in the interior - didn't even tell me about it other than to leave the plastic kick plates off and I had to ask why). The service manager wouldn't look me in the eye after ripping me off this way - they are a Mazda dealer also, I see Mazda is running their own surveys on Perry for service experience so I suspect these guys are on the edge of getting dropped.

Looks like the seats come out with big Torx so time to go buy a tool.

Thanks again for the info / advice.

Menchar

 

What brand of heater core did you put back in it? Mine needs replacing and I'd like to put one in there that never needs replacing again. Is the 40 dollar one from Advance going to rot out in a few years or are they built good enough that it won't be a problem?

 

I went to the dealership and put a Ford heater core back in , my original one lasted 10 years and i had never changed my coolant until i put this new heater core in. I am in Ontario,Canada the heater core from Ford was $110.00 and the two hoses (inlet & outlet) came with the o-rings and quick connects all assembled on the hose , the hoses came out to $75.00 Canadian. The total was about $185.00 Canadian about $172.00 US. taxes are not included.