Royy
Member
- Joined
- September 27, 2016
- Messages
- 13
- Reaction score
- 2
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2003 Explorer XLT V8
2003 Explorer XLT 4.6L V8
I suspect I have a small pinhole leak in the heater core. The coolant level in the reservoir will drop from the max fill level to the minimum fill level in about 500-600 miles. No visible leaks, no serious fogging issues, but I do faintly smell a whiff of coolant inside the car once a week or so.
If I lived in a warmer place, I probably wouldn't even worry about it because it's so minor. However, Wyoming basically turns into Antarctica during the 8-month long winter. And I have to drive around 500 miles a week, so I'll be using the heater a lot.
Over the last couple of days I looked through all the videos and posts here on the forum about replacing heater cores. What I was dreading most is evacuating/recharging the A/C and removing the whole blower motor assembly. However, it then suddenly dawned on me that my engine compartment looks slightly different from what I've seen in all the videos and pictures. My blower motor assembly is on the driver's side instead of the passenger's side. On the passenger's side there's quite a bit of open space.
Before I get too excited about this, I just want to make sure I have a couple of things straight.
1) The only reason why you'd normally have to mess with the A/C system and remove the blower motor assembly, is to be able to access the bolts that hold the heater core to the firewall. Correct?
2) This is what that part of the engine compartment looks like on my car. The bolts indicated by the red arrows in the second picture, are those two of the bolts that hold the heater core to the firewall?
http://imageshack.com/a/img922/616/jNWMhH.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img923/6659/ATsJw3.jpg
If the answer to both of those questions is yes, then I should be able to get to the heater core without touching the A/C system and the whole blower motor assembly... Does anyone know if this is indeed the case?
Thanks!
I suspect I have a small pinhole leak in the heater core. The coolant level in the reservoir will drop from the max fill level to the minimum fill level in about 500-600 miles. No visible leaks, no serious fogging issues, but I do faintly smell a whiff of coolant inside the car once a week or so.
If I lived in a warmer place, I probably wouldn't even worry about it because it's so minor. However, Wyoming basically turns into Antarctica during the 8-month long winter. And I have to drive around 500 miles a week, so I'll be using the heater a lot.
Over the last couple of days I looked through all the videos and posts here on the forum about replacing heater cores. What I was dreading most is evacuating/recharging the A/C and removing the whole blower motor assembly. However, it then suddenly dawned on me that my engine compartment looks slightly different from what I've seen in all the videos and pictures. My blower motor assembly is on the driver's side instead of the passenger's side. On the passenger's side there's quite a bit of open space.
Before I get too excited about this, I just want to make sure I have a couple of things straight.
1) The only reason why you'd normally have to mess with the A/C system and remove the blower motor assembly, is to be able to access the bolts that hold the heater core to the firewall. Correct?
2) This is what that part of the engine compartment looks like on my car. The bolts indicated by the red arrows in the second picture, are those two of the bolts that hold the heater core to the firewall?
http://imageshack.com/a/img922/616/jNWMhH.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img923/6659/ATsJw3.jpg
If the answer to both of those questions is yes, then I should be able to get to the heater core without touching the A/C system and the whole blower motor assembly... Does anyone know if this is indeed the case?
Thanks!