Warning: Do not buy heater core from NAPA

Just posting this up here so it'll come up in searches.

This is for a '96 XJ, which was a bastard year, so this warning might only apply if you have a '96.

Also, different regions seem to have different suppliers, so YMMV. The heater core I bought was not branded, but the literature that came in the box is copyrighted "Proliance"

I was initially concerned about the big stamp on the box "Made In Mexico". Well, just about everything's made in Mexico these days, so that can slide.

The tubes are crimped down to oval (by design) where they enter the body. Well, it *is* an aftermarket part, and the XJ's got good heat anyway - not a big deal.

A couple tiny pieces (flash?flux?) rattling around on the far side. Well, there's only a couple ...

So, I mount it up in the heater box.

Try to anyway .. it doesn't fit properly into the foam surround. The new core is half an inch longer than stock.

Re-bend the mounting tab on the core so it lines up with the screw hole on the hvac box.

Still doesn't fit.

Trim some of the rubber surround off. Okay, now I can force it into place.

Try to assemble hvac box. Will not seat properly.

Trim more foam off the surround.

Now with a lot of elbow grease it can be forced closed far enough to screw the hvac box together, but it's not a nice fit and leaves some gaps.

I hope I can find the receipt.

To be honest with you , if it didnt match the original from the beginning you should have stopped and got another.

Now that you bent it and modified it, it might be promlematic returning it.

Anyway good luck
pete

Sounds like you got a non-AC core (they are longer) Make sure you have the correct year as well. I work for NAPA and see mistakes all the time (sometimes the parts guy is tired or mishears you, or you say something while thinking something else)
Then there is factory "misboxes" that are a PITA!

jeepsrock said:

To be honest with you , if it didnt match the original from the beginning you should have stopped and got another.

Click to expand...

That is quite true. I rationalized it as being normal variance in a non-OEM part, and was encouraged to continue this delusion, since no one around here carries these, and a replacement will have to be ordered.

That's probably the lesson for me here. Item by item, things just weren't working right, and I kept at it. Now I'll probably have to rig something up with some spare foam so that a "regular" heater core doesn't rattle around in there.

On the bright side, it was just a mounting tab I bent, and I believe it will bend back.

carnuck said:

Sounds like you got a non-AC core (they are longer)

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That may be a possibility, but the difference is literally half an inch. I can't imagine why DC would spec two different parts that similar, and the website doesn't prompt for A/C or offer 2 options. I took a look at PartsAmerica, and they spec the same part number for both w/ and w/o AC, but I'll post back what the people at the store say when I (try) to return it Monday.

Personally, when I get a replacment part I have the old part with me, I match it up right then and there, that way there is no doubt either for you or the parts person that it's NOT A GONNA FIT da way she supposed to.... and boy with that kind of teardown that the heater box entails that replacement part better be exact. Good luck on it's replacement....

Exactly, I work at a NAPA, sometimes its difficult to understand what the customer wants or the customer gives incorrect information about the vehicle. Sometimes the parts are misboxed at the factory or are returned by a customer in the wrong box. Some people also try to screw us and put the old part back in the box, tape it up and return it. I hate to say it but the catalogue also has errors. The best thing for customers to do is to open every box at the store and to bring the old part with them. I encourage people to do both and we will pick up parts from the commercial shops to correctly match them.

Alright alright! I apologize for bagging on NAPA. It doesn't look like it's a case of misunderstanding, though, just a plain bad part.

This would be a problem no matter where I purchased it. However, NAPA has always been a step above the other auto parts chains in terms of quality. While this may still hold for some parts, it's clear that this generalization is clearly not true across the board.

I would have edited to change the title, but I know that doesn't work on these forums. If one of you can talk a mod into changing the title to "Warning: Problem with Proliance heater core", that's fine with me. Until someone can find out why the part is okay and the problems are all installer error (and this is a possibility), I still think it's a good note to have available to anyone searching.

The part number is Proliance 398311.

Napa, Advance Auto/Kragen, and O'Reilly stock this part number, either under the Proliance or the Ready-Aire name. I do not know if the Ready-Aire is the exact same product or not.

All online parts catalogs list the same part number for a '96 XJ both with and without A/C

If anyone has installed this part without a problem, please post!

Here is a pic of the ends of the stock (on the left) v.s. the 398311 (right). You can see that the 398311 is a fair bit deeper. Since the rubber surround is molded to fit stock, this causes fitment issues right off the bat.


Here is a pic from the firewall side as installed. The misalignment at the top is an optical illusion caused by the difference in depth of the two cores.


Then I stood them both on end next to each other for a better idea of the total difference.


The 398311 is only 1/8" taller than the OEM's tallest point, so if the rubber surround were entirely removed, it should just fit the hvac box

U got the wrong core bro... swap it out, and take the original with you.
Good luck...

You can't be serious Man short of a lighted neon sign saying 'wrong part' I don't see how it could be more obvious :wow: The object of maintaining it yourself is not only to save money but frustration from being ripped off. If something comes out of the box and looks so totally different there is no comparison it should go right back... good luck..

Update 1: the guy at NAPA got out his tape measure, double checked his computer screen, scratched his chin, and said "Your jeep's a '97" :doh:

So tomorrow he'll have a '97 heater core ready for me to take a look at and then I can come back here and post how I'm an idiot for blaming NAPA or a radiator manufacturer for one of those bastard '96 problems.

Although it does intrigue me. If the heater core is from a '97, it would stand to reason the HVAC unit is also from '97. If it weren't for the gauges, I would be tempted to try swapping in an entire '97 dash.

While you have it apart and the heater box open it might be a good idea to do the evaporator too, they go bad quite often...usually as a slow leak that requires recharging the A/C yearly..

Rich, thanks for the advice - I think I actually asked that a couple weeks ago, and decided that the evaporator problem was '97 and up. That would be a concern if my heater core (and presumably evaporator) were from '97, but ....

Update 2: The '97 heater core came in. The actual core was thinner, but the outside dimensions were the same. Napa guy refunded my money and recommended I go ask the Jeep dealer whats up.

Jeep parts guy looks up a '96 core and a '97 core - two different parts with different prices. Then I give him my core #55035529 - and a third part, listed only as "core" comes up, with a different price than the 96 or the 97. In the other piece of software he's using, there's not even a record of that part #.

So I came home and tried out chrysler parts direct TradeMotion site with my part number, and it returns:

Hvac - Heater - Heater core
HEATER CORE, XJ, MJ Series, Gas Engine 1991

wth.

Took a look at the pictures at partsamerica of the '91 core, and the ends look more like the right fit.

I'm going to assume that's the issue and conclude NAPA has absolutely nothing to do with this problem, so I'm an ass and you should all buy your heater cores from NAPA.

If the '91 core doesn't work I'll be back, though

lilredwagn said:

Rich, thanks for the advice - I think I actually asked that a couple weeks ago, and decided that the evaporator problem was '97 and up. That would be a concern if my heater core (and presumably evaporator) were from '97, but ....

Update 2: The '97 heater core came in. The actual core was thinner, but the outside dimensions were the same. Napa guy refunded my money and recommended I go ask the Jeep dealer whats up.

Jeep parts guy looks up a '96 core and a '97 core - two different parts with different prices. Then I give him my core #55035529 - and a third part, listed only as "core" comes up, with a different price than the 96 or the 97. In the other piece of software he's using, there's not even a record of that part #.

So I came home and tried out chrysler parts direct TradeMotion site with my part number, and it returns:

Hvac - Heater - Heater core
HEATER CORE, XJ, MJ Series, Gas Engine 1991

wth.

Took a look at the pictures at partsamerica of the '91 core, and the ends look more like the right fit.

I'm going to assume that's the issue and conclude NAPA has absolutely nothing to do with this problem, so I'm an ass and you should all buy your heater cores from NAPA.

If the '91 core doesn't work I'll be back, though

Click to expand...

Geeze, what a PIA, why not just order one of every part number for every year then return the ones that you don't use....might save you some gas and running around...

Final update:

Despite TradeMotion listing my OEM part as from a '91, the Ready-Aire heater core for a '91 was wayyyy off. Like an inch too long.

Considering that I didn't want to pay $170 for a dealer part that would take a week to arrive, I decided there was one last possibility.

I ordered the Four Seasons brand heater core for the '96 XJ. CarQuest was able to get it locally.

The design is completely different (it's the same style as the Ready-Aire '91), and it's a lot heavier and thicker than OEM, but it looks very solid, the tubes are not crimped anywhere, it is made in the USA, and most importantly - it fits!

Here is: Four Seasons #94732




My final note on the subject is that Proliance, Modine, Transpro, GDI, and Ready-Aire are all now under the Proliance name.

While it is possible that some places might have old stock, the odds are good that any part ordered under any one of these names will be identical to any other part stocked under these names. I do not know if the core is mis-sized for my jeep only, or for all HO models '93-'96, but be forewarned.

In my searching, I found only two other brands - Four Seasons and Stant. The Stant brand was only found online at carparts.com
Four Seasons was available at rockauto.com, carparts.com, partsamerica.com, and locally at Carquest, but NOT locally at Advance or Autozone, O'Reilly or Pep Boys. All three of those local vendors, in addition to NAPA, carry the Proliance line.

Obviously YMMV on what your local stores carry, but if you are in the market for a heater core, you may want to bear this in mind.

I have a 96 and ran in to problems when I replaced the radiator.
Tried 3 aftermarket that didn't fit. The O'Reilly and Auto Zone units hit the air filter box, a double row no name was too tall.
Had to buy one from the Steeler.

Has anyone experienced this problem with an older truck? (I have an 88 and I just bought a new heater core from kragen's - it's the GDI model)