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Getting the water leak at the heater airbox fixed

tacottle

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Arlington, VA
This is a followup to the water leak from around the heater airbox. It's not the heater/evap drain that's causing the problem. So, my choices now are to pay the dealer about $1000 to fix it (there goes the tax refund) or find someone else to do the work. Does anyone know a reliable, trustworthy garage in the Washington DC/NoVA area that can be trusted to do this correctly the first time? I checked AAA's certified garages web site and found the local Craven Tire Goodyear is rated for full service mechanical repair and they're essentially across the street from the Tyson's Jeep dealer. Good idea? Bad idea? They probably don't charge $90 an hour for labor, which is jacking up the Tyson's Jeep estimate.

Tim
 
If there is coolant in your heater box it is a loose or bad hose or a bad heater core. I paid $55 for a new core when mine was leaking, took about 4 hours all said and done and saved me about $500
 
my65289stang said:
If there is coolant in your heater box it is a loose or bad hose or a bad heater core. I paid $55 for a new core when mine was leaking, took about 4 hours all said and done and saved me about $500
Where did you find a new core for $55??

The core in my 00 XJ has started leaking, but the cheapest new core I've found is around $110. (or $190 from the dealer).
 
dizzymac said:
Think yours might be diff.year. I can get a new htr. core for my '90 for $38...but for his '00 its $168
Yeah, that's what I figured.

How hard is it to swap out the core? It seems on every car I've owned, regardless of the make/model, I'm always told the heater core is the one thing you don't want to have to replace. Although with Jeep charging 7hrs labor for the job, I don't want to have to pay $900 for them to do it either. :(

May end up just cutting and joining the two hoses to bypass the heater altogether; then replace the core in a couple weeks/months/whenever I have time.
blush.gif
 
is the water clear?
does it only happen when it rains/snows ect?

may be leaking around where the heater core and a/c evaporator tubes go through the firewall.

that is where mine is leaking and I have not had time to fix it yet.
 
ChipsXJ said:
is the water clear?
does it only happen when it rains/snows ect?

may be leaking around where the heater core and a/c evaporator tubes go through the firewall.

that is where mine is leaking and I have not had time to fix it yet.
I've had a VERY faint smell of coolant in the car for a couple months. But in the past week, I found some dark 'drippy' stains on the carpet running down the sides of the tranny hump near the firewall. The middle-bottom of the windshield has also been fogging up once the engine warms up on cold nights.
 
quick update: heading up to Tahoe on weds to go skiing, my pass side carpet was soaked about 10 mins out. Ended up turning around, went to the parts store, got a 'HELP!'-brand 90* heater hose elbow, cut off the hoses at the heater box (hoses had fused to the box) and connected them. :)

Seems to have worked.... except now I don't have a heater and this is the view from my motel room in Truckee: :confused1

truckee2006.jpg
 
Excellent detour to heater cores. But does anyone know a reliable, trustworthy garage in the Washington DC/NoVA area that can be trusted to replace the heater airbox gasket correctly the first time? I checked AAA's certified garages web site and found the local Craven Tire Goodyear is rated for full service mechanical repair and they're essentially across the street from the Tyson's Jeep dealer. Good idea? Bad idea? They probably don't charge $90 an hour for labor, which is jacking up the Tyson's Jeep estimate.

Tim
 
When the heater core goes, that is usually HOW it goes--a bit at a time, then more and more. I had the same thing happen with a 280Z. It startedvery little, then the windows would fog up on defrost, then it finally started gushing onto the floor.

Trust me--you DON'T wanna change one out of a little sports car like that, where everything in there is squeezed up close together with a hydraulic press like that.

You will also have to really wahs out your carpet, too. If it doesn't completely remove out, then [when you get home] pour water on the carpet, and use a wet-vac to suck it back out. Repeat a couple more times, then let it dry out with the doors open. Hopefully, that will get rid of the anti-freeze smell.
 
I changed the heater core in my '96. It took me about 5 hours over two days to do it. I could probably do it in three now. If you're mechanically inclined and have a place to do it you can save some $$.
 
Anyone have any advice on sourcing the heater core?

Autozone carries "Transpro"
Advance carries "Ready Aire"
Pep Boys carries "GDI"

Plus no doubt there are others available online.

Since this is such a painful or expensive task, I would think finding the longest lasting or best quality brand would be pretty useful.

'Course they probably all come from the same plant in China ...
 
lilredwagn said:
Anyone have any advice on sourcing the heater core?

Autozone carries "Transpro"
Advance carries "Ready Aire"
Pep Boys carries "GDI"

Plus no doubt there are others available online.

Since this is such a painful or expensive task, I would think finding the longest lasting or best quality brand would be pretty useful.

'Course they probably all come from the same plant in China ...
NAPA might carry Modine. That's a brand I would trust. Have you checked there yet?
 
AZ Jeff said:
NAPA might carry Modine. That's a brand I would trust. Have you checked there yet?
Well, the online store shows "NHC" ...

Transpro, Modine, and GDI are all under one roof now, and from apparent reports of recent Modine quality (IIRC someone even got a GDI stamped rad in a Modine box), this is not a good thing.

I suppose I'll have to go around to the stores tomorrow and see what they actually have sitting in the back.
 
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