Why is the heater core in the dash?

A heater core is a small radiator located under the dashboard of the vehicle, and it consists of conductive aluminium or brass tubing with cooling fins to increase surface area. Hot coolant passing through the heater core gives off heat before returning to the engine cooling circuit.

How can you tell if your heater core is plugged?

Symptoms of a bad heater core — and solutions

1. You have little or no heat inside your car.
2. You smell coolant inside your vehicle.
3. Your windows fog up.
4. You see signs of a coolant leak under the dashboard.
5. Your coolant level is dropping, or your engine is running hot.

What is a bad heater core?

A low coolant level (caused by a leaking heater core) can lead to overheating and possible engine damage. Even a clogged heater core has the potential to obstruct coolant flow enough to cause overheating. A low coolant level (caused by a leaking heater core) can lead to overheating and possible engine damage.

Do you need to remove the dashboard to get to the heater core?

The factory manuals will tell you to remove the dashboard to gain access to the heater core. Actually, the absence of the dashboard is not necessary. It would make the heater core easier to reach, sure, but it would make the job much harder overall! I did this job on a 1992 968 so this procedure should apply to any late (1985.5-1991) 944 or 968.

How to remove a heater core in a garage?

Regular Phillips head screwdriver Small flat tip screwdriver Metric wrench (for the battery negative terminal) Removal Disconnect the battery negative terminal. Drain the coolant system. Remove the glove box. Disconnect the rubber hose for the thermometer (if equipped) and also remove the plastic air duct.

Where is the heater core in a car?

A heater core is a comparatively inexpensive part across all vehicle makes and models. What is however rather hefty is the labor portion of the replacement bill. This is because the heater core unit is buried deep inside your car’s dashboard. As such, most of your dash (if not entirely) must be removed first.

How can you tell if your car heater core is failing?

Your heater core, with its narrower passages, is one of the first items that can be harmed by this gunk. There are several telltale signs that you’re experiencing a heater core problem: 1. You have little or no heat inside your car Your vehicle is running fine, with the temperature gauge reading normal and no other cooling system problems.

How to take heater core out of Dash?

A couple of tricks with the dash, Don’t take apart more than you have to. Try to keep the unit mostly intact. Be careful of the ground wire to the cab from the dash gauges, Same for vacuum lines and wires. Drop the bolts to the steering column but be careful of the shift indicator wire, don’t break it.

What to do if your heater core is not working?

If none of them work, you can also check the cabin air filter, which can get filled with dust and dirt, blocking airflow through the heating system. If the filter is OK, you may have a clogged heater core. The heater core is buried deep behind your dash, and requires a lot of disassembly to get to.

What should I do if my air conditioner core is failing?

The heater hoses should be inspected when replacing a heater core. Problems with the heater hoses can cause similar problems to a failing heater core and are less expensive to correct. Some cars will need to have the air conditioning system recharged, which can increase the cost of repair.

How do you remove the air from a car heater?

Both involve pulling the dash out at least half way and dropping the steering column down to do it to include releasing the shift indicator cable. If you absolutely can’t or don’t want to remove the air: Pull the dash back where you can get to the heater core.