Help with a heater core leak

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

kbooneKJ

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2009
Messages
226
Reaction score
0
Location
Holland MI
Hey guys, long time no see. Well since the last time I've been on, I bought another liberty (04 Colombia) and sold it cause it was falling apart to say the least, and now I'm on to an 05 Rocky Mountain WK. I absolutely love this one (pics to come). I just recently started to hear fluid moving behind my dash and low and behold, coolant all over my floor. Then the other day it overheated and I knew that because the heater core was leaking that it let air into the system and caused the overheat. So today I changed out the t stat and filled it back up (with Prestone 50/50, I'm pretty sure that its not HOAT, so should I flush it out?). Now I'm getting heat again and the engine is not overheating, but after a few minutes I'm getting the fluid sound again even with the heat off. So I guess what I'm asking is: is it imperative I replace my heater core, or can I get by until its warmer out to replace it? If so, shouldn't it not leak with the heat off? And/or should I just be filling it constantly until I do replace it?
 

tjkj2002

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2006
Messages
10,612
Reaction score
39
Location
Somewhere between being sane and insane!
With the heater core still attached to the cooling system it wil always be leaking and you always will be loosing coolant.You have to either repalce the heater core or by-pass the heater all together to prevent further leaking of coolant.


Oh and yes any prestone coolant is the wrong coolant and should be flushed ASAP,prestone coolant is OAT coolant or more commonally known as Dexcool(GM's trademark name for OAT).
 

kbooneKJ

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2009
Messages
226
Reaction score
0
Location
Holland MI
how hard is it to bypass? and Im going away this weekend about an hour away and I wont be driving it again until next weekend after, so I should have maybe 3.5 engine hours with that dexcool crap running through it, will I be ok, or will it start ruining it that fast?

I plan on changing out the heater core the second week of march
 

tjkj2002

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2006
Messages
10,612
Reaction score
39
Location
Somewhere between being sane and insane!
Pull heater lines off heater core tubes in the engine bay and connect both heater hoses using a 5/8" double barbed coupler and hose clamp.


You will not have any heat what so ever,that means no defrost either.
 

Latest posts

Members online

Top