Removing And Replacing Leaking Heater Core Without Removing Dash

[WYTSKY]

Hey guys,

if this is happening to you:

then you need to replace the little heater core at the back of your dash as it has started leaking. My signs were: strong smell of coolant in the cabin, front windscreen fogging up, loss of coolant in the reservoir and then at the end of it my passenger foot well started leaking coolant.

As I have already removed my aircon line because it split years ago, I didn't need to worry about disconnecting the aircon lines... if you do this, you will loose all the gas in your aircon.

Tools: phillips heads, flat heads, maybe pliers, spanner set, possibly socket set

Should be about an hour to get it out..

1. Remove Glove box - There are 4 screws at the top and 2 plastic tabs at the bottom of it where it hinges to remove.

2. Remove plastic backing to glove box which hides aircon evaporator thingy - I think there is just 2 screws and then a decent tug should do.

3. This is what you should see, this is the aircon evaporator, we need to remove it.

There are 4 screws holding it in, plus 3 electrical plugs, plus the 2 aircon lines(mine was already removed)

4. Once all those are disconnected, give it a good smooth tug and this is what you should see:

Now we need to get back here

5. But before you do, disconnect the lines going to the heater core or coolant will spill all over you

6. Now, back under the dash at the back there are 4 phillip head screws per line, undo the screws plus one screw for the plastic tab that holds the core in place.

7. Thats it! you should now see this

Gently slide it out trying to point the holes up as much as possible so they don't spill

Yep... its leaking...

So this is what you will be left with...

Get a replacement ($60-100) and do the reverse, top up some coolant (check for air locks etc) and your back on the road

Adam

[WYTSKY]

Update - I picked up a complete (whole plastic box + lines and heater core) in great condition for $70.

[08r3308]

Mine done same thing. I decided on new core and removal of dash.

Done dash before so was eazy. And that way you dont need to regas aircon.

I ended up getting new core dont want to same thing to happen anytime soon.

Btw great writeup

[Raysboostin]

Obviously u go to nissan for a new one. Whats the part number?? Or are they the same as something aus delivered??

[StuntCock]

ebay FTW

good quality at a third of the cost of factory

postage was around $30 from memory and its super quick

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/R33-GTS-T-Skyline-RB25-New-Heater-Matrix-Core-Conceptua-/140494838350?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item20b6251a4e

[Toby66]

Update - I picked up a complete (whole plastic box + lines and heater core) in great condition for $70.

Awesome cheers heaps for that that'll make it alot easier now shouldn't take to long i hope but if it does oh well

thanks heaps man.

Cheers Toby

[jase33]

Cheers, great DIY. Mine has just crapped itself so Ill need to do this now. Might just bypass the lines for now.

[Madaz]

yeah i have done a bypass for now

im going to get a mate to do mine and give him some beer/upgrade money i hate doing cores

[itshimdazza]

Ok my gone now and have done the bypass as well but I have a question to the above tutorial as in ....

What if youu still have a valid working air conditioning unit and how dowes this change the procedure to change the heater core?

Dazza

[WYTSKY]

If you want to retain your aircon in a working state while doing this you have to literally remove the entire dash to get back there so you don't have to undo the aircon lines - as soon as you open them you will release the gas = no more aircon.

I'm going to put the aircon lines back in my car soon and get them regassed.

IMHO though, even if I had aircon at the time when this happened, I would still fix it the way I did above and just get the aircon regassed for ~$100 then to spent 4-6 hours just removing the dash instead of 1 hour.

[czeno]

Heads up on this useful guide. Just changed out my R33 core sourced from Kudos motorsport. I removed the passenger seat, was quite comfortable laying there on the carpet.