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Removing And Replacing Leaking Heater Core Without Removing Dash


WYTSKY
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Hey guys,

if this is happening to you: post-36975-0-95260700-1314502383_thumb.jpg

then you need to replace the little heater core at the back of your dash as it has started leaking. My signs were: strong smell of coolant in the cabin, front windscreen fogging up, loss of coolant in the reservoir and then at the end of it my passenger foot well started leaking coolant.

As I have already removed my aircon line because it split years ago, I didn't need to worry about disconnecting the aircon lines... if you do this, you will loose all the gas in your aircon.

Tools: phillips heads, flat heads, maybe pliers, spanner set, possibly socket set

Should be about an hour to get it out..

1. Remove Glove box - There are 4 screws at the top and 2 plastic tabs at the bottom of it where it hinges to remove.

post-36975-0-70939300-1314502605_thumb.jpg post-36975-0-64857800-1314502608_thumb.jpg

2. Remove plastic backing to glove box which hides aircon evaporator thingy - I think there is just 2 screws and then a decent tug should do.

post-36975-0-73577000-1314502706_thumb.jpg

3. This is what you should see, this is the aircon evaporator, we need to remove it.

post-36975-0-21777200-1314502767_thumb.jpg

There are 4 screws holding it in, plus 3 electrical plugs, plus the 2 aircon lines(mine was already removed)

post-36975-0-07964300-1314503118_thumb.jpg

post-36975-0-84180100-1314504173_thumb.jpg

4. Once all those are disconnected, give it a good smooth tug and this is what you should see:

post-36975-0-30403000-1314503278_thumb.jpg post-36975-0-05497000-1314503298_thumb.jpg

Now we need to get back here

post-36975-0-67719200-1314503335_thumb.jpg

5. But before you do, disconnect the lines going to the heater core or coolant will spill all over you

post-36975-0-52522600-1314503501_thumb.jpg

6. Now, back under the dash at the back there are 4 phillip head screws per line, undo the screws plus one screw for the plastic tab that holds the core in place.

post-36975-0-11170700-1314503667_thumb.jpg

7. Thats it! you should now see this

post-36975-0-72984600-1314503715_thumb.jpg post-36975-0-04787800-1314504012_thumb.jpg

Gently slide it out trying to point the holes up as much as possible so they don't spill

Yep... its leaking...

post-36975-0-19801400-1314503869_thumb.jpg post-36975-0-52807000-1314503795_thumb.jpg post-36975-0-72431900-1314503808_thumb.jpg

So this is what you will be left with...

post-36975-0-39667100-1314503965_thumb.jpg

Get a replacement ($60-100) and do the reverse, top up some coolant (check for air locks etc) and your back on the road

Adam

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  • 2 weeks later...

Mine done same thing. I decided on new core and removal of dash.

Done dash before so was eazy. And that way you dont need to regas aircon.

I ended up getting new core dont want to same thing to happen anytime soon.

Btw great writeup :)

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  • 3 months later...
  • 1 month later...

Update - I picked up a complete (whole plastic box + lines and heater core) in great condition for $70.

Awesome cheers heaps for that that'll make it alot easier now shouldn't take to long i hope but if it does oh well

thanks heaps man.

Cheers Toby

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Ok my gone now and have done the bypass as well but I have a question to the above tutorial as in ....

What if youu still have a valid working air conditioning unit and how dowes this change the procedure to change the heater core?

Dazza

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If you want to retain your aircon in a working state while doing this you have to literally remove the entire dash to get back there so you don't have to undo the aircon lines - as soon as you open them you will release the gas = no more aircon.

I'm going to put the aircon lines back in my car soon and get them regassed.

IMHO though, even if I had aircon at the time when this happened, I would still fix it the way I did above and just get the aircon regassed for ~$100 then to spent 4-6 hours just removing the dash instead of 1 hour.

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  • 8 years later...

Heads up on this useful guide. Just changed out my R33 core sourced from Kudos motorsport. I removed the passenger seat, was quite comfortable laying there on the carpet.

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