I Smell Antifreeze

[Genspec14]

I’m not unfamiliar with the smell of antifreeze inside the car due to past experiences with a half dozen muscle cars in my past. I was surely hoping however Not to smell it in my Genesis. Let’s just say my heater core is done, has anyone tackled this job on their own? I already anticipate a nightmare but I’m so used to them it won’t make much of a difference. I figure a dealership would go for a 5 hour job but that’s just a guess.

 

[joegr]

Sorry, I don't know about your car specifically. The last time I had to replace a heater core on a car, I was able to determine what the assembly line process was. They started by placing a heater core on the conveyor belt, and then part by part they built the car around that heater core. Long before that, I had a 73 Mercury. It had the heater core accessible under the hood by removing a panel on the engine side of the firewall held on by just a few bolts. That core never went bad in the twenty years that I had that car.

 

[mikec]

The 2009 factory service manual (FSM) steps basically are:
1: drain a/c system refrigerant... so you can unbolt the expansion valve from the evaporator core which appears to be in the same plastic box as the heater core. The valve is on the firewall, under the hood.
2: drain engine coolant. No surprise there.
3: disconnect coolant inlet/outlet hoses feeding the heater core (at firewall, under the hood)
4: Remove the "crash pad" panel on passenger side - the panel above the footwell.
5: Remove the cowl cross bar assembly.
6: Remove the heater + evaporator unit box and blower unit box - 3 mounting bolts. The FSM does not actually show where these bolts are however...
7: Separate blower unit from heater unit - 2 screws.
8: Remove heater core cover. This part loops around the inlet/outlet pipes.
9: Pull the core out.

Since the "heater core cover" part is between the plastic box assembly and the firewall, there does not appear to be a way to remove it without first removing the whole box assembly... which includes the a/c evaporator so the a/c refrigerant must be drained. If it were me, I'd first drain the engine coolant and undo the hoses feeding the heater core... then I'd find a way to rig up temporary hoses to the core and to an air compressor or a MitiVac style vacuum pump. Pressurize/vacuum the core and see if it looses pressure/vacuum to verify it really is leaking before doing all the other work. Is it possible to separate the blower unit from the heater + evaporator unit before removing the two units from the interior? I don't know but it would be great if it was possible - that'd save draining the a/c system!

Another thing I've seen done on other vehicles: if getting the heater core out is a nightmare of dash disassembly due to the pipes going to the firewall - but the pipes at the core are accessible - cut the stupid pipes. Leave the ends going to the firewall in the car. On the new core, make similar cuts. Plan on installing short lengths of rubber hose to make the connections using four good hose clamps.

mike c.

 

[Branton]

The 2009 factory service manual (FSM) steps basically are:
1: drain a/c system refrigerant... so you can unbolt the expansion valve from the evaporator core which appears to be in the same plastic box as the heater core. The valve is on the firewall, under the hood.
2: drain engine coolant. No surprise there.
3: disconnect coolant inlet/outlet hoses feeding the heater core (at firewall, under the hood)
4: Remove the "crash pad" panel on passenger side - the panel above the footwell.
5: Remove the cowl cross bar assembly.
6: Remove the heater + evaporator unit box and blower unit box - 3 mounting bolts. The FSM does not actually show where these bolts are however...
7: Separate blower unit from heater unit - 2 screws.
8: Remove heater core cover. This part loops around the inlet/outlet pipes.
9: Pull the core out.

Since the "heater core cover" part is between the plastic box assembly and the firewall, there does not appear to be a way to remove it without first removing the whole box assembly... which includes the a/c evaporator so the a/c refrigerant must be drained. If it were me, I'd first drain the engine coolant and undo the hoses feeding the heater core... then I'd find a way to rig up temporary hoses to the core and to an air compressor or a MitiVac style vacuum pump. Pressurize/vacuum the core and see if it looses pressure/vacuum to verify it really is leaking before doing all the other work. Is it possible to separate the blower unit from the heater + evaporator unit before removing the two units from the interior? I don't know but it would be great if it was possible - that'd save draining the a/c system!

Another thing I've seen done on other vehicles: if getting the heater core out is a nightmare of dash disassembly due to the pipes going to the firewall - but the pipes at the core are accessible - cut the stupid pipes. Leave the ends going to the firewall in the car. On the new core, make similar cuts. Plan on installing short lengths of rubber hose to make the connections using four good hose clamps.

mike c.

Hi Mike,

I am trying to disconnect the two but I am having a hard time. Would I be able to give you a call?