Coolant leaking INTO my car

[nextguy2013]

I just got everything fixed on my car and it was running fine. There was always this wet spot in the right side beat seat floor. So just the other day i saw in the front passanger seat that coolant was all over it. Like a pool of coolant too. Not a little bit but a lot. Can someone tell me what is going on.

 

[hhuricane]

You likely need a new heater core. Get under the dash & check it out.

 

[BlackMount]

Agreed, sounds like heater core to me bro.

 

[nextguy2013]

so whats up with my heater core? and how hard will this be to replace? My girlfriends uncle can probably do it for me for cheap and i found a heater core for cheap already (haven't bought it yet tho) 50 dollars. Could it be something else tho. I see a little skinny hose like dangling at the bottom of the car. Could that be anything? And it's like right below where the leak is coming from. But i dont know if there are any convienient hose right there that could be causing this huge leak. also the hose is about a centermeter in diameter. whats going on people?!

 

[haswesley]

After time, your heater core rusts out and begins to leak. Mine isn't leaking yet, but its definitely plugged because I get little to no heat. Search on here about changing heater cores. It requires removing the entire dash. Some people say it isn't that big of a job, but I will be changing mine this summer.

 

[nextguy2013]

Okay. And also, SMOK was coming out of all the vents! What is that? And could that loose hose be the problem? And will my chasis rust because of the coolant?

 

[gstryyder]

pull out your heater core. See if it is that or just one of your hoses that went bad...

 

[nextguy2013]

okay, but what is the smoke and will the coolant rust my chasis?

 

[Beemer92]

The coolant won't rust your chassis anymore than driving in the rain will. I would highly recommend pulling up the carpet in the affected area and let it dry out. Rust WILL develop if the area between the carpet and steel is not dryed. Let it air out and use a old towel to wipe up any excess radiator juice. The "Smoke" was probably just steam.

 

[Garman112]

There isnt anything inside there car besides the heater core or hoses that go to it that have coolant inside... i would definitly say its your heater core i have a 90 n the heater core tubes come through the fire wall where the rubber lines connect... the small line you see may be a drain tube for the heater box n it my be where the coolant is coming from so i would say it is the heater core... n i agree with everyone else take the carpet out n let it dry... or it will cause rust

 

[Incoltnito]

If you have air conditioning, that may explain the shiny tube that exits the vehicle just below the area you are looking at. Have you ever seen a water puddle under a car after the car sits in one place for a while with the A/C on?

It's going to be a chore getting to the heater behind the dash...just take your time.

 

[XiKeiyaZI]

We seem to be missing something else.

Take CARE in removing your dash. It cna be tedious and time consuming for someone who has never done it before. I've removed my dash over a dozen times and went down from an entire day my first time, to 15 minutes now. You don't really want to break anything, rip anythin from the harness, or lose any bolts. Otherwise lights stop working and shit starts rattling.

If you have any questions on it's removal process, let me know.

 

[nextguy2013]

I have never seen any liquid beneath the car. It just gets into the car. I dried some up just the other day but i have to go do more today. How long do you think it usually takes for it to like really rust to the point of it being serious. I know i should like get to it asap but like just give me a time.

 

[AlaskanDsm]

there are many conditions that can help increase or decrease the speed of rust. I would say that the best thing to do is shove a rag under there to soak up all that coolant dripping.

I just recently changed out the heater core and it is really a long a tedious job. If you don't have a haynes or chilton manual, i would greatly recommend getting one. Here is a link that will help you to replace the dash.

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/art...047-heater-core-replacement-dash-removal.html (link is working again)

I would grab a case of beer and do start this on a friday afternoon or saturday morning to make sure that if you run into any problems, you have time to complete the project. you don't want to be like me and have a loose dash and no gauges trying to drive around town becuase it's your only method of transportation....

 

[nextguy2013]

yeah just today i jammed some towels underneath the rug cause i have a busy schedule. I crack both windows. and when i took out the towels today they had absorbs alot of the excess coolant juice. Is it safe to drive the car though?

 

[AlaskanDsm]

Well if you are loosing that much coolant, then I would be keeping extra coolant with you in the car and before you drive anywhere, I would check the coolant level in your reservoir tank just to make sure that you are going to have enough and not cause any overheating issues.

 

[ryan90]

summer is coming bro,

just loop the lines that are going to your heater core at the firewall to fix the leak.

Taking your dash out is easy, but it's tedious, I get frustrated easy so I spent two, two hours nights on it

 

[nextguy2013]

Thanks guys. i took my car to a shop and am about to buy a heater core from this guy. Ill let you guys know when everything is fixed.

 

[turbotalon31]

Just get in there and get your hands dirty. I cant see paying someone for something u can do for free. Pulling the dash is no big deal , just remember where everything goes . Its def. the heater core i had the same thing happening when i bought my car. If u dont have time to replace it just loop the hoses. (who needs heat anyway)

 

[Cmele89]

its 110% a heater core. The small lines in the heater core rust out and leak coolant the u turn your vents on and it blows out the coolant and it looks like white smoke coming from your vents it should have a sweet/bitter smell to it and what even color your coolant is. Replace the heater core and make sure you do a coolant system pressure test to see if its leaking anywhere else. EIther thaatt or just loop the lines for the summer

 

[Achelea]

I think AlaskanDSM needs to check the link he posted. Project deleted it the other day @_@

OP, you could make a How To for everyone if you feel adventurous. XD It is annoying but you will appreciate the car more if you do it yourself.

 

[nextguy2013]

i already have it in the shop and i honestly dont wanna mess anything up ya know? and what does it mean to "loop" the hioses? and doesnt coolant like cool your whole engine?

 

[AlaskanDsm]

I promise you it was still up when I posted that.

03-31-2010, 01:29 PM #14 AlaskanDsm

Heater Core Replacement / Dash Removal
No Longer Available.... Sorry.
Last edited by ->PrOjEcTGS<-; 04-01-2010 at 03:47 PM.

 

[turbotalon31]

to loop the hoses in the engine bay at the fire wall where they enter the car just pull both hose off and connect them together. Wont affect ## engine cooling at all. its just a tempary fix tho .

 

[JusMX141]

Heater Core Replacement / Dash Removal
No Longer Available.... Sorry.
Last edited by ->PrOjEcTGS<-; 04-01-2010 at 03:47 PM.

Just one of a handful of members who freaked out and withdrew all of their tech posts because of the April Fools' joke of Chris selling this site....even though other DSM sites actually HAVE sold out and still have a vast member base and following.