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Probably Posted by Ari [Email]  (#2847) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Ari) on Mon, 18 Feb 2002 08:48:21
In Reply to: Is that antifreeze I smell?, Jesse Jon, Mon, 18 Feb 2002 01:34:03 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
As Bob says, the 9000 is legendary for heater core problems. Heater core leaks run from very mild to piddling on the floor. You can tell very mild, because you get a whiff of coolant when you first turn on the defrost, but it goes away after a few minutes. If it doesn't go away, but the windows don't fog up on the inside, then it's not too bad but not great. Window fogging is not good at all. Piddling on the floor is the 'end game' of heater cores. Check the carpeting in the footwell right behind the center console for dampness or coolant smell.
I've had good luck with Bars Leaks for mild heater core leaks - where the smell goes away after a few minutes, or at worst, a faint smell all the time. By the time it gets to fogging the windows, it hasn't worked for me, but that means you couldn't try it.
Bars Leaks is the approach I use for a cars I already own. It doesn't fix heater cores - it just delays when you need to change the core. So far I've held one very minor leak off three years and counting, so I call that all to the good.
But buying a used car with a smelly heater core is a different matter. You've established that the core leaks by the smell - the only question is how much it leaks. Given the joyous unknowns of a used car, I think you HAVE to assume that if you buy the car, you'll HAVE to replace the heater core at some point. Call your local dealer for a price, but I'd bookkeep $800 from the dealer - maybe $500-$600 from a good independent. You can buy the car, and MAYBE the $2.98 of Bars Leaks will work. But it might not, or might only work for 6 months. So build the cost of a new heater core into the purchase price of the car. If the Bars Leaks works (notice I don't say 'fixes it'), then you can leave the money in the bank and count yourself lucky. If it doesn't work, the car is still a good deal.
Good luck
posted by 140.157....
, Mon, 18 Feb 2002 08:48:21 <-- Viewing This Message
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