Possible bad heater core?? December 07, 2010, 06:27:48 PM So I was driving home from work and noticed the temp gauge on my car started rising and the heat started blowing cold. Then, the temps would fall, and the heat would get hotter, and this cycle kept repeating. When I would turn the heat off, the temps went down instantly, but the gauge was still past the NORMAL range, then after a few minutes, it would start getting hot again. I'm smelling a bad heater core, I think. A few days ago, I drove to Wal Mart, parked, and shut my car off and there was white smoke coming from the hood. The car was not overheating then, but it was smoking. I got it home and a hose clamp was a little loose and dripping coolant. I replaced the hose clamp and went on. Didn't think I lost much fluid, and I didn't check, to my stupidity. I am letting the car cool down now, then I am going to pop the rad. cap and check the fluid levels. Maybe, just maybe, (I am really, really hoping) that there was a great loss of coolant and the overheating and cold air was due to a lot of air pockets from loosing coolant. Then again, this is wishful thinking. Sound like a bad heater core to anyone else? Quote Selected
Possible bad heater core?? Reply #1 – December 07, 2010, 07:13:37 PM Sounds almost like a bad head gasket with the heat going out and coming back on.... Quote Selected
Possible bad heater core?? Reply #2 – December 07, 2010, 07:13:44 PM Doesnt sound like heater core to me. Bad heater core is usually leaking coolant inside the car, smelling sweet from the vents, fogging up the windshield. What hose was leaking coolant? Quote Selected
Possible bad heater core?? Reply #3 – December 07, 2010, 07:26:15 PM Quote from: thunderjet302;344894Sounds almost like a bad head gasket with the heat going out and coming back on....I really hope not. That would really suck. Quote from: mcb82gt;344895Doesnt sound like heater core to me. Bad heater core is usually leaking coolant inside the car, smelling sweet from the vents, fogging up the windshield. What hose was leaking coolant?The hose coming off of the return side of the heater core, the one with the metal tee that has the temp sensor in it, I was messing replaced the sensor a few weeks ago......It must've been leaking since then, I just never knew it. I just checked the fluid level and it was pretty low. Went to the autostore to grab some 50/50 and going out to fill it back up now. Quote Selected
Possible bad heater core?? Reply #4 – December 07, 2010, 08:29:34 PM Well, topping off the coolant did, and didn't solve the problem. I took it for a 25 mile drive, through stop and go streetlights, and it didn't overheat, I didn't lose, or have intermittent heat. When I shut the car off, it was still steaming from under the hood. Upon further inspection, I found a small coolant puddle at the back of the lower intake. Oh Sh*t. At first thought, it was a bad headgasket, or at least a bad intake gasket. So, I started the car back up, and looked for leaks. Found none. Couldn't tell where the coolant was coming from. So I revved the motor some, and saw the coolant spraying from the heater hose that goes into the metal piping under the upper intake. WHEW! I must have cracked the hose while trying to wrestle the sensor out of the "tee". So glad it's not a bad core or headgasket...... Quote Selected
Possible bad heater core?? Reply #5 – December 07, 2010, 10:03:04 PM Im glad its not catastrophic Quote Selected
Possible bad heater core?? Reply #6 – December 07, 2010, 10:10:28 PM shiznit, me too. When I saw the puddle on the back of the lower intake I gots scared... Quote Selected
Possible bad heater core?? Reply #8 – December 07, 2010, 10:24:54 PM lol I was. And check this out Daryl.....WooHooo! Quote Selected
Possible bad heater core?? Reply #9 – December 07, 2010, 10:32:17 PM Impressive !!!!!!!! Quote Selected
Possible bad heater core?? Reply #10 – December 07, 2010, 10:34:50 PM I took a video of it rolling from 299,999 to 300,000 but my wife called right when it rolled 300k and the cam didn't save the vid. . Quote Selected
Possible bad heater core?? Reply #11 – December 07, 2010, 10:50:28 PM well ya tried at least Quote Selected
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