The heater core in my 1993 Ford Taurus is leaking. I just downloaded the instructions from Autozone for replacing the heater core. According to the instructions, you have to drop the steering column and remove the entire dash to change the heater core.

Anyone have any experience with this? Do you really have to pull the whole dash out, or is there a way to swap the core without pulling the dash?

Thanks

 

My 89 Taurus had the same problem. NO ONE wants to tackle this except the dealer.

I was told maybe a radiator shop or body shop would do it but all the locals when I lived in Oregon, refused. Only dealers will do it but it will hurt.

Dealer did it and charged something like $1,000 back around 1997. So probably more now.

Yes the dash, steering etc have to come out. Also the air conditioner core has to come out and usually it is corroded in place so it gets trashed, ie replaced too.

I suppose you could do it yourself but it will take some time.

Good luck,

Jim Henderson

 

Thanks for the reply Jim. I guess I have a fun task ahead. Maybe I should just bypass the heater core and get an electric heater :-)

 

The heater core in my 86 T-bird went out, I too was told, "the whole dash has to come out, $650.00 please."................I took it home and followed the Chiltons manual, took the ENTIRE dash out (digital too)......What a pain! found out after the dash was out, that it was just a mechanics money maker! The core could be accessed by merely taking the dash board loose after removing the cluster and climate control panel, and tipping it up on the pass. side..........Yours may be quite similar.

 

Not a Taurus, but it took me a solid six hours to change one in a Granada. Ford engineers only worry about putting the car together on the assembly line, not fixing it later. On the other hand, the '88 Ranger had the heater core in such a position that it was only a ten minute job. Many GM ones were accessible from under the hood, avoiding the mess.

 

Thats how my 78 Mercury was for removing the blower plenum to replace the blower motor. Unbolt pass side dash and pull it forwards. My heater core is accessed under the hood though. But the replacements didnt come with the required rubber strips to seal it in the box under the hood so I had to reuse the worn out orignals.

I do know how ever alot of the newer cars requires the dash to be removed to replace parts on the plenum itself.

 

it isnt near as bad as it seems.. i just did this last year in my 90 mustang i had.. i just pulled the dash loose and was able to reach in to get at the heater core..trust me you will have it done in no time..

 

Did the heater core on a Mustang II.............The hose clamps that held the heater hoses to the heater core were on the outside of the heater box.......BETWEEN THE HEATER BOX, AND THE FIREWALL! the worst design I have ever seen, no access whatsoever. Try getting your hand up there, let alone a nutdriver. The holes in the heater box were too small to allow you to pull the clamps and hoses through. I wound up cutting the old core up and enlarging the holes to pull the remains of the tubes, clamps and hoses be pulled through.

 

Thanks everyone. I will get the parts and give it a shot. I will try loosening the dash and tipping it up.

 

Although it "can" be done by loosening the IP and pulling it out of the way, I would suggest pulling the dash completely if you've never done it before. That way you can see exactly where everything is and how it goes together. It would totally suck to forget the blend door connector until you had it all buttoned up. Don't ask how I know this.

It's really not a bad job, just time consuming.

 

i have to replace the heater core in my 96 ranger and i have to take the whole dash off the previous owner just put stop leak in it bad move that stuff plugs everything .

 

This has probably been resolved in the last four years-
I once had an AMC Eagle, they started building that car by hanging a heater core by a wire, then built the dash around it. The previous owner tried and ended up taking a hammer to the dash, I still had to dig for two hours to get to it.

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