Hey all. - Virgin club member but need help.
My 85 SE has been pressure tested and I was told that everything was okay but still iam not sastified. My windows will always fog, even with the fan on full blast and there is good heat. when I start my car sometimes in the morning the coolant light and buzzer comes on and will go off after a short period of time.
I was washing my rixer and under both mats the floor was soaked, more on the passenger side. So I cleaned everything up and have not experinced any more leaks. Car runs fine and the temp is always where it should be. Need help.
Please give me some knowledge and ideas. - Thanks all

 

You have all the classic symptoms of a leaky heater core. Was the fluid soaking the carpets coolant color? (green hopefully not brown!) Keep an eye on the floor moisture, have you used the heat much since you cleaned things up? Hotter setting = more fluid flow.

 

It was a little brownish. More green though.

 

Thats comimg from the core for sure. I was thinking about the last sentence I wrote about more flow... I'm not sure if the RX cooling system can create a suction in the core when it's closed to flow. Oh well, You will probably be replacing your core soon, not fun.

 

Is this a Bad Sign? If i drive not using the heat will I be okay?

 

Best bet is to take the core out of the equation and just hook the heater hoses together to form a loop until you can tear into the car. You can probably find a brass coupler to fit inside the hoses that go to the core at a parts store. The coolant color just means its old and should be replaced, flush the system and put in new coolant no big deal.

 

Contact me when you are ready for a non-leaking heater core.

 

Somebody want to verify that an 83 heater core is the same as an 85? I've got a free one for this guy if it is. Just pick up the cost of shipping, pm me.

 

I have the same problem as him in my 83 LE. Where can I get a new heater core¿ And about how much is it going to cost me¿

 

Pull the dash out first before you buy a core. It was just the control valve on my car, the core was fine.

 

Where is the control valve located. How does that pley a role? Was it defected?

 

i thought i had the same problem, it turned out to be the connection of the rubber hoses and metal tubing, and the control valve that was leaking, still a huge job as it requires the removal of the dash but, it means you don't hve to find or buy another heater core. my leak wasn't that bad, but it still managed to rust right through the passenger and driver side floors, particulariarly under the fan on the passenger side.

 

heat valve is located driver side, attached to the side of the heater box behind the radio. if you take out the driver seat, and lay on the floor you can take the plastic cover off the vavle to check it..

edit pm me for more details

 

here are the pics i was talking about

 

Dear god that is going to be alot of f'n work. I might as well wait till I get that new stereo and speakers for the kicker panels to do all this. Will I be ok and not have any leaks if I just dont run the heater. I mean its pretty much getting to summer down here in texas and theres no such thing as a winter down here just fall then spring then summer then hot as hell.

 

Just bypass everything behind the firewall. We have the same seasons on Fl!

 

Thanks for all of the help guys By-passed the heater core for now. Those pics scare the hell outa me I will defintely wait until the fall. Thats unless if I dont store her. Thanks again all.

 

I replaced the heater core in my 2nd gen, only to find out it was leaking at the hose where the heater core pokes though the firewall, and trust me, the 2nd gens are much worse to do.