Oh crap, leaking coolant

[OonDeanisS]

so i noticed when i turned off my car today it poured a bunch of coolant on the ground below the heater core, and a little into the car under the dash, but none on the firewall, plenty being burned up coming from below the header. Its a 90 coupe with air conditioning, so all the coolant lines are hard metal, so i dont know what to do about this. I dont care about heat now, so i'd just disconnect it if i knew how. Can i bypass the heatercore somehow? I dont feel like taking off the dashboard.

 

[SVT32VDOHC]

Yes. Just simply take the two metal lines that come out of the firewall under the hood and block them off. Then loop the metal lines that are on the heater tube that run above the lower intake on the passenger side. Get yourself a rubber hose and two clamps. Saves the day until cooler weather!!! Then you will freeze your butt off!!

 

[OonDeanisS]

thanks, got a pic of the lines youre talking about/?

 

[OonDeanisS]

and otherwise theres no way to fix the leaking without removing the dash?

 

[Aryan15]

and otherwise theres no way to fix the leaking without removing the dash?

Correct, to replace the heater core.

 

[OonDeanisS]

When i disconnect the ac from the heatercore, can i drain the heatercore somehow so it doesnt leak the rest into the car?

Why would a heatercore start leaking anyway?

 

[Aryan15]

When i disconnect the ac from the heatercore, can i drain the heatercore somehow so it doesnt leak the rest into the car?

Most of it probably leaked out already.

Why would a heatercore start leaking anyway?

A combination of heat, pressure, and corrosion.

 

[bill302]

When i disconnect the ac from the heatercore, can i drain the heatercore somehow so it doesnt leak the rest into the car?

Why would a heatercore start leaking anyway?

the heater core is like a small radiator and after time they wear and leak....you do not disconnect the ac from the heater core as you stated above....in the picture below remove the hoses circled in white from the firewall the fluid will drain out of the heater core then connect these two hoses together with a small piece of 1/2 in. copper pipe and 2 hose clamps this fix will allow you to bypass the heater core until your able to replace it but i would reccommend to replace the heater core before winter because you will not have any heat and the defrost will not get hot either.....

 

[04sleeper]

You could always use an air hose to blow out the core from top to bottom of course.


When you take the case with the heater core out you have to unhook the A/C lines. It is all in the same case.

It would also be wise to make sure you put in heater core restricrictor's to reduce flow when replacing the heater core so it doesn't blow out again.

 

[OonDeanisS]

well im not going to remove the dash for heat, ill just reroute the coolant. here are some pics i just took. I was confused because my AC thing goes into the firewall too and i dindt see the heatercore hoses next to it. Is it possible its that and not the heatercore?

View attachment 387039

View attachment 387040

 

[Saleen0679]

Your heater core hoses are those two hoses about 4" to the right of the A/C line.

 

[OonDeanisS]

yea i know, but i wonder where those ac lines are headed once they pass the firewall and if that could be whats leaking.

 

[Aryan15]

The AC lines go into the evaporator and they contain refrigerent which vaporizes upon release. They have nothing to do with leaking coolant. Unless you have a swamp cooler in the dash

 

[OonDeanisS]

oh ok thanks