Heater core is leaking in a 1990 Ford Taurus.?

11 Comments

1. John M says:

   August 10, 2009 at 5:46 pm

   usually, by the time you see the leak, it’s already pretty severe. stop leak won’t fix it and may clog other parts of the cooling system. bypass the heater core, wear lots of clothing, buy an electric heater to drfrost the windshield. replacing the heater core will run about 700-900 depending on where you live. our labor rate here is 106/hr.
2. Sonora M says:

   August 10, 2009 at 5:46 pm

   Not really, the products in the market don’t work all that well. She could have the heater by-passed (a very small repair that just about any mechanic can do). If she has the heater by-passed, she won’t get any hot air into the passenger cabin.
3. severedhead says:

   August 10, 2009 at 5:46 pm

   man, just take it to a shop. trust me, you don’t want no parts of that.
4. mister_e79 says:

   August 10, 2009 at 5:46 pm

   There are several products at the parts store that can plug a small leak. they are usually all about the same thing I have used prestone stop leak a few times and it worked for a little while. Also there is a rumor that using black pepper will plug up a pin hole. My experience is that if the hole is large then there is no way to keep it from leaking but $5 for some stop leak is worth a try versus $200 or more to have your heater replaced.
5. rickodrums says:

   August 10, 2009 at 5:46 pm

   You could try radiator stop-leak- available at most auto parts stores- and walmart…..an unwanted side-effect may be that the heater core will plug up, and then you’ll have no heat. And of course, it may plug in such a way that you have no heat, but still have antifreeze dripping on your feet! Good luck!
6. raven says:

   August 10, 2009 at 5:46 pm

   No. Fix it or disconnect it.It costs about 300.00 dollars to fix.Give or take.If you disconnect you wont have heat.I recomend fix it.
7. msleboda says:

   August 10, 2009 at 5:46 pm

   There is a product called Silver Solder that will work if the leak isn’t too bad. Any auto parts store should have it. Just follow the directions on the package. I don’t like to use this stuff, but in a Taurus I would.
   Do not take it to a shop unless you are willing to put around $700 into it. My brother changed a heater core in his Taurus because he could not believe how much the garages wanted. It took him 14 hours. The entire dashboard must be removed.
8. bensonjr2 says:

   August 10, 2009 at 5:46 pm

   Depending on the severity of the leak, there is a product you can get from any Auto parts store. Its called Barr’s no leak. This product is designed, when poored into your radiator, the contents travel to the area of the leak and form a temorary seal, but be warned that this is only temporary, and doesnt work in all cases, like I stated, it all depends on the size of the leak. The only other solution is to remove the heater core and repair it at the source of the leak. I recommend that this is only done by someone who has experience at repairing a part like a heater core. Also as a warning if you decide to use the Barr’s no leak, make sure your cars tempature is cooled off before attemting to remove the radiator cap, as this could cause serious injury.
9. john m says:

   August 10, 2009 at 5:46 pm

   remove it ,replace it.
   big solution
10. logixautoparts.com says:

    August 10, 2009 at 5:46 pm

    let me know what vehicle you have and I will look it up and let you know what it should run you and how hard it would be to change.

    wayne - logixautoparts.com
    wgarrison@logixautoparts.com
    866-712-1984