Common Cooling System
Heater Core Failure
Symptoms
Coolant smell in the cabin, wet carpets on the passenger side, fogged windscreen that won't clear, coolant loss with no external leak.
Cause
The heater core is a small radiator hidden deep in the dashboard. Age and corrosion cause pinhole leaks. It's a miserable, labour-intensive job to replace.
Fix
Remove the entire dashboard.
Seriously.
That's what it takes.
The heater box is behind and below the dash, and there's no shortcut.
Expect a full day of work if you're handy, or hundreds in labour if you pay someone.
Fit a new core, flush the heater circuit, and reassemble with new seals and hoses.
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