How to Save Money and Install a Heater Core in Your Vehicle

Have heat? If not, or you smell a rotten egg stench inside the car, your heater core has gone bad and is leaking. So to fix this, you have to replace it, as there is no way to get one reworked. You can buy refurbished units, but there will be no place that will reline one for you.

You have to remove the heater housing under the dash to get access to the heater core. The way to do this varies by make and model, so always look at the manufacturer's specs for doing this.

Now you can take the heater coolant hoses off, and then remove the vacuum control lines and cable. Only older models have the vacuum control lines, so if your car is newer than 1980, don't worry about finding this. Reach in and remove all of the heater core's securing brackets and clamps. There should be 4 on large vehicles and 2 on smaller ones.

Now pull the core out of its case very carefully, and do not ever force it in or out. Make sure you keep an eye on the fins on the sides, and don't bump them on anything.

To replace the heater core, all you have to do is reverse these steps. First, put the heater core back into the case, and make sure not to force it in. It came out once, so it will fit back in. Now put the brackets or clamps back into place and tighten them in. Replace the vacuum control lines or cables, and then place the heater coolant hoses back into their proper positions.

Now replace the heater housing underneath your dash area again, and remember, this is different with every car. Yours will not come off the same as someone else's, but you can call a local mechanic to ask him how to get yours off if you need help.

Remember that when you do this work, it is not important how you get the parts off, but that you get them off in the right order, and replace them in the same order. Replacing a hose after you replace a housing will do no good. So just make sure that you pay attention to where you are working. Keep all of your screws or bolts in a pocket or somewhere they will not get lost. And no matter how much you want to just throw out the 'extra' screws, they do go to something. Go back in and check every hole. If you leave one out, you could have a leak, and worse, every time you turn on the heat, your dash will wiggle