BIGJIM13

Guys
Lately have been getting steam/smoke from the air vents then I more the temp up when the air is on. Windshield stays foggy moist...even when off thee is a slight bit of air coming out of the defrost....so i did a forum search... it suggest heater core....I checked passenger side carpet and found so drips with slight yellow color...does not appear to be oil...
man what the heck is going on???
comments would be appreciated--Thanks

Road Agent

Heater core!

CorvetteMike2024

You need to replace the heater core. I think someone here recently did a 96 heater core. Maybe he will chime in.

merlot566jka

I did mine a year or so ago. NOT FUN. Not impossible. I would recomend as many 1/4 extensions as you can afford, a few 7mm sockets and a large helping of patience. I did mine in 5 hours, but most say 9-14 hour job. I removed the dash pad, and it felt like I could have done it without, but I followed the FSM destructions. The worst part was realizing I left the cable attachment to the bled door off. That took monumental amounts of effort to get back on.
Oh and pay attention to how all the plastic brackets come off under the passenger knee bolster, I broke half of mine because they were brittle. I have been chasing down rattles ever since.

Good Luck!

eaglevision993

With the Air condition on in moist weather, there can be visible white steam coming from the vents.This is normal and should disappear once the comressor turn on again in the next cooling cycle.

I did not experience this with the Vette but on previous cars.
But yours sounds like the heater core as you found drips on the passenger side, sorry.
No fun on the post-90 models for sure.....

Please pressure check your new heatercore BEFORE installation, new units have been found leaking out of the box and you definitively do not want to do it again.

WW7

Sounds like your heater core, And May God have mercy on your soul......WW

F22

I'll tell you what, if it was my heater core, I'd go with a Bar's Stop Leak in a can, before I'd take that sucker out. Did it on a Ford Escort wagon, same symptoms and it ran for two years, no overheating, no coolant circulation problems and it ran just fine. I'd save removing and replacing it, as a last ditch move.

eaglevision993

Well its everybodys own decision but I would not put that stuff in my car.
This is still a Corvette after all and deserves a correct repair.
Those stop leak products will maybe work for a while but eventually you have to do it anyway, why not now instead of in the middle of winter.
Besides, that stop leak stuff can´t be good for heat conduction as it sticks to all the walls of the cooling system.

But thats just my opinion....

TheKid!!

Who drives their C4 in the winter? And where?

SunCr

A/C purges on most of our Vettes to prevent condensation by sending a quick puff to the floor at start up. Leaky Evaporators make ice, not steam or water, since refrigerant is well below 0 at normal atmospheres. You've got a busted heater core or a plugged up Evaporator drain. I think the '96 uses a tube instead of a pee hole so someone should clarify that before you tear out whatever is in the way to get at the Core. If the drain is clear, well then it's the Core.

Phat98

I do...and I'm Deep in the Heart of Dixie!

desertmike1

I do....and I like having heat when it's below freezing outside.

For the OP, do you smell antifreeze?

When you get the "smoke" on the windshield, do you see an oily film left behind?

Try running with the A/C turned off, see if this makes any change in what your observing, but for the most part...this has the signs of a bad heater core

TheKid!!

Well you guys don't get the snow like we do in the big apple. Or the pot holes which lurk beneath the snow BAM - BAM!!! Sorry but vette's are just not good winter cars... For me.

BIGJIM13

Well.. yep its a bad heater core...I bypassed for now.
I called my local Chevy dealership... and get this, they will NOT do the job...why? because they cannot get a GM part and thus maintain that they cannot warrant the part or labor so wont do it! I told them they were Stupid! I will replace it after the summer... Thanks

kenv

DMheart

I've had the same (or similar) issue crop up recently in my 88 Vette.
I get a vapor coming out of the vents during a/c operation when the temperature gets close to the 70 degrees setting. No unusual smell, no drip marks on the carpet .. and oddly, nothing dripping on the outside (underneath) leading me to think it could be a plugged up drain tube.
The windows will get foggy and persists for a while after shutdown, but still clears up normally without leaving any residue on the glass.
I shiver to think of having to replace the heater core, but will do it if that's what it all boils down to.
But first I'm going to look for a plugged up drain tube and cross my fingers that's my issue.

DMheart

Sunny Florida ... snicker.

Tom400CFI

Nothing wrong w/a C4 in the winter. Here is mine parked at my office; 10,000' elevation, Telluride, CO...

truckintom

I am sure I will have to replace my evaporator, checked with my freon sniffer. has any one ever done this job and if so can you give any tips on doing it urrrgg not looking forward to it but time is on my side thanks

fredd1

They're not stupid, they've probably just done one before and know it'll probably take twice as long as the book says and the first mechanic they assign to the job will quit after one day