Heater Core - Do it yourself or Dealership?
 

Has anyone replaced one of these?

If so how much time did it take and does the entire dash need to be removed?

If done by the dealership what kind of cash am I looking at?


Any input would be helpful.

I haven't had to do it, but the instructions shows quite a bit of detail to the disassembly, and reassembly. The lower sections of the dash have to come out, as well as all the ductwork under the dash.

Average costs at the dealer shows about $170 for the heater core, and 2 hours of labor.

For what it's worth, 3 years ago we paid $270 to have the heater core replaced in our 99.

for what its worth, ive done a few heatercores in different cars, and if i had the money to spare, i would pay someone to do it, but if you have a basic set of intuition and basic mechanical knowledge - its not that bad usually

aren't these cars still too new to have the heater cores failing? That scares me.. Jeeze. My 88 LeSabre was still on its original heater core when it was 15 years old.. Makes me nervous that these are failing at only 6 years old!

this is the only instance that I myself have heard of, one failure means nothing.... when we see 5 or 10, then i will get a bit more nervous

My failure was not common, but had to be addressed becasue of the strong coolant smell inside the car. Sure enough, the heater core was oozing. The care was 4 years old and had only 77,000 miles.

I paid to have mine done because I didn't have the time to do it.

We've seen very few fail here, however.

I've decided to just take it to a mechanic and have them do it. The mechanic is my uncle, so I don't know how much it will cost me yet. It was odd, the coolant look as clean as can be, I don't think that it sould have gone out yet either.

The weird thing is it happend within one week of me changing my plugs & wires. I know that the back 3 plug wires were hard to get off and I had to do some wiggleing and reefing, but I can't imagine that causing my heater core to leak. I checked to see if there was a leak around the hoses going into the firewall, but it was clean and pretty secure. We'll see what the doctor says.

Thanks for the input.

Heater Core Replacement (W/O D55)

Tools Required
J 38185 Spring Hose Clamp Pliers

Removal Procedure
Drain the cooling system. Refer to Draining and Filling Cooling System in Engine Cooling.
Remove the fuel injector sight shield. Refer to Fuel Injector Sight Shield Replacement in Engine Mechanical.



Position the J 38185 in order to remove the heater hose clamps.
Remove the heater hoses from the heater core.
Remove the left side sound insulator. Refer to Closeout/Insulator Panel Replacement - Left in Instrument Panel, Gages and Console.
Remove the right side sound insulator. Refer to Closeout/Insulator Panel Replacement - Right in Instrument Panel, Gages and Console.
Remove the IP lower trim plate. Refer to Instrument Panel (I/P) Trim Panel Replacement - Lower in Instrument Panel, Gages and Console.



Remove the air distributor duct screws (1, 2). Due to the difficulty in the removal of the right side screw (2), it will not be necessary to install upon reassembly.
Remove the air distributor duct.



Remove the heater core heat shield screws.
Remove the heater core heat shield.
Remove the heater core cover screws (1).
Remove the heater core cover.
Remove the retaining screw and strap from the heater core.
Remove the heater core.
Installation Procedure
Notice: Use the correct fastener in the correct location. Replacement fasteners must be the correct part number for that application. Fasteners requiring replacement or fasteners requiring the use of thread locking compound or sealant are identified in the service procedure. Do not use paints, lubricants, or corrosion inhibitors on fasteners or fastener joint surfaces unless specified. These coatings affect fastener torque and joint clamping force and may damage the fastener. Use the correct tightening sequence and specifications when installing fasteners in order to avoid damage to parts and systems.

Install the heater core into the HVAC module using the attaching straps and screws.

Tighten
Tighten the screw to 1.4 N·m (12 lb in).

Install the heater core cover.
Ensuring the seals at the front of dash are in the proper positions, install the heater core cover screws.

Tighten
Tighten the screws to 1.4 N·m (12 lb in).





Install the heater core heat shield and screws (1).

Tighten
Tighten the screws to 1.4 N·m (12 lb in).





Install the air distributor duct and the left screw (1). Ensure the right tab is seated properly.

Tighten
Tighten the screw to 1.4 N·m (12 lb in).

Install the IP lower trim plate. Refer to Instrument Panel (I/P) Trim Panel Replacement - Lower in Instrument Panel, Gages and Console.
Install the left side sound insulator. Refer to Closeout/Insulator Panel Replacement - Left in Instrument Panel, Gages and Console.
Install the right side sound insulator. Refer to Closeout/Insulator Panel Replacement - Right in Instrument Panel, Gages and Console.



Install the heater hoses and clamps using the J 38185 .
Install the fuel injector sight shield. Refer to Fuel Injector Sight Shield Replacement in Engine Mechanical.
Fill the cooling system. Refer to Draining and Filling Cooling System in Engine Cooling.


Looks like a pretty easy one as far as heatercores go.