Help! Heater core.

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Mar 3, 2003 | 10:55 AM

Narnian

Thread Starter

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Joined: Oct 2000

Posts: 145

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From: Sacramento, CA USA

Help! Heater core.

I've had no heat for two months. The local shop told me the heater core just isn't getting hot, and they'll need to swap it out and change the thermostat while they are at it.

$650 for the whole job. Does this sound fair?

Mar 3, 2003 | 11:02 AM

Narnian

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Instructor

Joined: Oct 2000

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From: Sacramento, CA USA

Re: Help! Heater core. (Narnian)

Along those same lines, how tough is it to change the heater core on a 1990?

Mar 3, 2003 | 11:28 AM

Caboboy

Le Mans Master

Joined: Mar 2002

Posts: 5,889

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From: Castro Valley Calif.

St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26

Re: Help! Heater core. (Narnian)

Do a search on "heater core replacement", there have been dozens of posts about it. That may be the best $650 you'll spend in your whole life! :jester
Good luck!

Mar 3, 2003 | 01:13 PM

RichAshley-Black99

Drifting

Joined: Nov 2001

Posts: 1,348

Likes: 25

From: STL Mo

Re: Help! Heater core. (Caboboy)

Well its not that bad now that I think about it , but when I was doing it talk about a PIA Just a lot of little screws and such hard to get to I think in all I spent $30 that was for the core and almost forgot had to get the control valve too got lucky got it off ebay for $6 vice $100 new....... Oh yeah add a 12 pack to that :yesnod: I was happy as hell to get my heat workin bought the car in Hawaii so heat wasnt needed over there :cheers: Good luck

Mar 3, 2003 | 01:18 PM

Steel Blue 91

Le Mans Master

Joined: Jul 2002

Posts: 5,818

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From: Alive and well in Burlington NC

Re: Help! Heater core. (Narnian)

Quote:

Along those same lines, how tough is it to change the heater core on a 1990?

It is refered to as GM Party # 000000001. It appears to be the first part installed by the factory and everything else is built around it! j/k. It is not one of the projects that I look forward to.

Mar 3, 2003 | 01:35 PM

Siveck

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Joined: Aug 2002

Posts: 1,775

Likes: 125

From: Birmingham AL

Re: Help! Heater core. (Steel Blue 91)

Call MacGyver for this job. Or better yet, go rent a small-bodied, long-armed, double-jointed monkey to do do it. :jester

[Modified by Siveck, 6:36 PM 3/3/2003]

Mar 3, 2003 | 02:33 PM

jimswhite92

Racer

Joined: Jan 2003

Posts: 321

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From: Birmingham AL

Re: Help! Heater core. (Narnian)

Storz just replaced his. Need to page him.

See this link

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=498730

Mar 3, 2003 | 04:12 PM

ROME

Racer

Joined: Jan 2002

Posts: 473

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From: Shreveport LA

Re: Help! Heater core. (Narnian)

Just make sure they came to that conclusion by actually putting their hands on the core and not just speculating. My heater quit working, and I was preparing myself for a core swap too. I ended up discovering a plug that had come undone under the passenger's side dashboard. Glad I didn't jump in too soon on the swap!

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Mar 3, 2003 | 04:38 PM

Scoob

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Joined: Mar 1999

Posts: 89,144

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From: Life's tough, wear a helmet.

Re: Help! Heater core. (Narnian)

$650 sounds fair.

It can be done in the driveway if you have time and patience. And flexibility. :D
http://temp.corvetteforum.net/c4/scoob//c4heater01.jpg http://temp.corvetteforum.net/c4/scoob//c4heater02.jpg http://temp.corvetteforum.net/c4/scoob//c4heater03.jpg http://temp.corvetteforum.net/c4/scoob//c4heater04.jpg

Mar 3, 2003 | 06:21 PM

#10

Rifleman

Advanced

Joined: Jan 2003

Posts: 56

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From: Clermont Florida

Re: Help! Heater core. (Scoob)

Try flushing the core first with a garden hose. That cured my 'no heat' problem. Plus it's free! :hurray:

Mar 3, 2003 | 07:54 PM

#11

Narnian

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From: Sacramento, CA USA

Re: Help! Heater core. (ROME)

You said:

"My heater quit working, and I was preparing myself for a core swap too. I ended up discovering a plug that had come undone under the passenger's side dashboard. "

Is this wire in a location that the clown installing my stereo system could have undone? What were the symptoms?

Mar 3, 2003 | 08:50 PM

#12

AGENT 86

Team Owner

Joined: Jan 2003

Posts: 20,306

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From: Summerland B.C. Canada

Re: Help! Heater core. (Narnian)

If it aint leakin don't be a freakin!!! I would check to see if there is flow through it before you empty your wallet. Could be the valve is not opening all the way or not at all. :eek: :cheers:

Mar 3, 2003 | 09:11 PM

#13

Caboboy

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Joined: Mar 2002

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From: Castro Valley Calif.

St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26

Re: Help! Heater core. (Narnian)

Quote:

Is this wire in a location that the clown installing my stereo system could have undone?

Ohhhh-oh, that is just waaaay too co-incidental :yesnod:

Mar 4, 2003 | 10:59 AM

#14

ROME

Racer

Joined: Jan 2002

Posts: 473

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From: Shreveport LA

Re: Help! Heater core. (Narnian)

Quote:

Is this wire in a location that the clown installing my stereo system could have undone? What were the symptoms?

Could very well be the case. I have an '89 so the ECM is under the pasenger's side of the dash board. There is a multi-wire plug in that location, and the loom of wires that come off of it actually loop under the location of the ECM. When I pulled the ECM out not long ago, I managed to pull on that loom and yank the plug out. It will only take you five minutes to check it out.

Unscrew the panel under your passenger side dash and set it aside. Now lay on your back and take a peek up behind the dash. You should see a muli-plug (about 1/2" by 1") plugged into the black casing under there. Just make sure it hasn't been pulled out. Hope this is the problem. :yesnod:

Mar 4, 2003 | 11:54 AM

#15

Storz

Melting Slicks

Joined: Jul 2002

Posts: 2,072

Likes: 3

From: Walled Lake MI

Re: Help! Heater core. (jimswhite92)

Quote:

Storz just replaced his. Need to page him.

See this link

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=498730

That I did, took 9 hours over two days, nothing is really that mechanicly tough just really hard to get too, I would suggest getting some of the DumDum stuff, its like this black sticky almost putty like stuff, comes in handy for keeping those million 7mm screws on the socket. Also watch which screws are "high/low" scews and which arnt, its a bioch to get the non-high/low screws started in a spot that is supposed to have them, no sense in making it harder on yourself.
Also check out this website http://www.corvetteforum.net/c4/gh86e/ it helped me a ton

Mar 4, 2003 | 08:33 PM

#16

Narnian

Thread Starter

Instructor

Joined: Oct 2000

Posts: 145

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From: Sacramento, CA USA

Re: Help! Heater core. (ROME)

I'll have to take a peek under the dash in the morning. It would sure be nice if I found a wire loose. The '90 dashboard is laid out differently though, so I'm not sure it'll be as easy to spot.

Does anyone have a wiring diagram for the '90? It would sure be nice if I knew what color wires controlled the heat.

Wish I had a service manual.

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