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oil level sensor

i did mine and it wasn't the leak, it was my hose on the firewall leaking. it took 2 hours or so, in and out. my floor was dry, but the windshield was fogging up all the time.

you need the console out, and the lower part of the dash, then get to taking out every last little screw you see on the black box, theres a few layers to the core, and theres a screw holding the 2 pipes to the fire wall as well, you need to get that from the inside as well.

you will be on your back jumping from pass side to driver side over and over, its no fun to be honest, but better then paying for it to be done.


and blow out the core before you take it out, by taking both hoses off the engine, and blow though one, this will keep from spilling more coolant inside the car.

the rug, you'll want to dry it up as best you can, shop vac it lift it up put some sticks under it to hold it up, let a fan blow on it, so it hits the foam.

if it gets that moldy smell baking soda helps kill that, just use a shop vac to suck it up, baking soda can kill a house vac. or hit the car wash and use their vac.
 


I'm not fortunate enough for it to be the heater hose leaking into the car. I was just around those hoses today while replacing my leaking coolant elbows for the third time in as many years.

I understand the under dash aspect of this job. I've replaced heater cores before. Plus I found and printed out the instructions somebody had posted on this website. My issue is removing the console without breaking it. What's the trick(s) to removing the console and putting it back in?

I think the tough part will be getting to the heater core, rather than replacing it at the box.

Am I on to something?

Also I am pricing a replacement heater core. The Spectra Premium is $63 at NAPA while O-Reilly's sells a Murray brand for $50. I wonder if these two are the same under different names because both have similar part numbers.

The Spectra number is 99329 while the Murray number is 399329. Take the 3 off the Murray number and it's the same as the Spectra Premium.

I should not go cheap on the new core since it's a long task changing it out.
 
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Okay I am running into an issue here. I am pulling back carpet and there's a length of duct work I cannot find the end of. It runs under the carpet and connects to the base of the heater core box. I don't even know where this duct ends.

Did you have to remove the front seats to change your heater core? The Haynes guide says the seats have to come out. I have the console out and I can see the heater core case, but until I get this goofy run of floor duct out of the way, I'm stuck. I'm tempted to cut the floor duct away from the heater core box and them duct tape it back together after I switch out heater cores.
 
that duct runs under the rug and to under the front seats, its the vent that blows air to the back seats, nothing holds it but where its sits inside the box.

if you look from under the back side of the seat, you will see the end of that duct. one on each side. you can kinda rip it out, i did, it all went back easier then it came apart.
 
Yeah I found it. I didn't notice it right away and caught it while pulling soaked carpet further back.

I got the heater core out of the car today. I feel like I was pulled through a keyhole. What a plastic hunk of garbage. I hate to say that being a GM fan (particularly Pontiac). They should have used screws to hold the two heater core cases instead of those rotten plastic rivets. It would have saved much time and anguish if they had. Then where screws were used, one was placed in a spot where it is nearly impossible to access.

Now I get to prep clean the carpet and start putting this back together after work Monday. I will need to gather some screws to put the cases together. It shouldn't be too bad....I hope.

I hope this heater core is a good one. I don't want to have to go through this again.
 


Yeah I got one for $49 at O'Reilly that is manufactured by Spectra Preminum (so I'm told of Murray heater cores). I'm going to start assembling it tonight. Plus my wife will get her little carpet cleaner and try to get some of the anti freeze cleaned.

I tried to get a new heater core seal, and while the console is out, a new thin plastic gear shift indicator decal at the GM dealer. I struck out. The seal isn't available and I have to buy the entire shifter plate to replace the chinzy plastic shift indicator. What a joke.

Well as long as the car goes back together and does what it should.......
 
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