Replacing Heater Core

[#1HotRod]

Tore up my hands last weekend replacing the AC condenser (anal u know, cleaning & repainting everything within country mile), to find out today that problem is heater coil. Thankfully B4 freon injected I mentioned steam billowing out of defrost vents when turned on heater ??? Shop said would be due to leaky heater coil, sure 'nuf there's slight dampness on carpeting under glovebox. They said that's probably what made AC not work well (oh well, now have new condenser anyway). Sooooo, I see several screws around the cover, but they seem to disappear under the cowl vent/wiper assembly. Does the cowl have to be removed to get to heater coil? Briefly describe how remove/replace the heater coil. Any secrets or "oh, you should really do such-n-such" appreciated. Big thanks.

 

[pacecarta]

its a heater core not a coil
leaking heater core has nothing to do with the a/c operation
id look for a new shop, they sound like they dont have a clue on how the buick works

 

[pacecarta]

http://www.gnttype.org/techarea/airconditioning/heatercore.html

 

[#1HotRod]

Wow, thanks fast reply Pacecarta. Guess I'm not only one, also found more instructions elsewhere. I'll order replacement & get to work. Appreciate.

 

[thadeal4real]

hey ray you should order those heater cores two at a time and do a little pressure test on them before you install sometimes they leak when they are new (defective part)

 

[2QUICK2B6]

I replaced mine be easy on plastic parts near fire wall an make sure you use a good sealant to seal it back up

 

[#1HotRod]

hey ray you should order those heater cores two at a time and do a little pressure test on them before you install sometimes they leak when they are new (defective part)

Not a bad idea, too bad I didn't do that , hope it doesn't leak (the aftermarket ones do look cheap/fragile, weigh 1/4 of the original).
But, it's all done & seems to be working well .
Thanks for your interest.