04 heater core replacement ?s
 

I have read a couple of write ups on here about it, looks like I'm
Going to have to drop the steering column to pull the dash, what happens with the passenger side air bag? Does it get completly removed or stay In place? Is it as simple and un hooking the battery to disengage the air bag system? Any other helpful hints? I plan on hooking the core up to make sure the new
One doesnt leak before putting it in the dash.

what i did was just disconnect battery, let it set 15 min. (just in case)
yes the dash mostly has to come out. p.i.t.a !!!
i left air bag in place, you have to disconnect some wire harnesses. just remember, or label them.
mine is a 99 and at the bottom of the heater core on the inside of the cab there are 3 bolts in a triangular configuration. two have the head in the cab and one had the head of the bolt facing the engine...so i drilled it out. no way i was gonna tear up wheel well and fender to get to it. not really a complicated job, just a total p.i.t.a

if you disconnect the battery first, buy th etime comes to disconnect any wire related to the air bags, more than 15 minutes will have passed.

that way you know you'll be safe for sure.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by warthogdriver (Post 402670)

not really a complicated job, just a total p.i.t.a

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i agree. not really lokking forward to tearing apart my dash in the Spring. need to fix my door actuator (no floor heat currently) and am seriously considering changing the heater core.

mind you, i have no issues with it. :icon_shrug:

and i hope it stays that way. :icon_couchhide:

thanks for the info, any more to come would be great, im quite surprised at a 5 year old car already needing this, the coolant has been changed every two years and only has 86 k miles on it. Not to start and wars but i am going to be switching away from dex-cool and running the prestone all makes and models. Hopefully i will get more then 5 years out of the new core.

did you try flushing it?

No point in flushing it from when it started leaking I lost most of
My coolant barley made it to the parts store to bypass it before overheating

So got the dash taken out today. It went ok took about six hours to tear down and get the new core in. I still have to put the dash in tommorow. I did not have to drop the steering coulum. Getting the bolts that hold the heater box to he firewall were a pita. Was able to get the one in the ac condenser with a swivel. I did take the passenger front wheel of and was able to get the lower ones off without taking the wheel liner of just lifted the flimsy part of it and got In that way. Getting the heater box back in was also a pain had to get it back on the lower air vents before it lined up. Will check back with more once it's all back together

got it all back together and everything still works. But i have a sweet smell coming out the vents again, im hoping with the new core being hot its just burning off what was left in the core box. I dont see any drips where it was dripping before. So ill post back, i really hope the new one doesnt leak.

that's why i always "wash" the inside of the heater box, and as much of the vents as possible. i know i left that out of my OP, and kinda sounds after-the-fact, but that's the problem when you get used to doing things without thinking.



i also shut off the blower as soon as i have one leak. even if it's in January or February.

yea we had shut the blower off and bypassed it. Drove it around 70 miles last night and the smell is still there but going away slowly, but defenatly nice to have heat again. I didnt rush my self to much didnt think of washing them though. Oh well. But im glad i got it all done yesterday because we got 12 inches of snow last night, but thanks for everyones help.