Heater core

[bravekozak]

Everything looks clean. Is the mouse nest at the bottom where the floor ducts are? Does air flow out the bottom ducts? If air flows out all of the ducts well at all settings, the problem goes back to your engine.
I presumed you did all of the tests with your hands feeling if the hoses, rad and engine are hot, in and out.

[logan]

I'll drill a hole and check the bottom ducts.


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[bravekozak]

No, don't drill any more holes. Just shove a coat hanger with a little hook on it up the duct a little to see if you can feel anything or pull anything out.

[logan]

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[bravekozak]

Was the first hole from the bottom of the heater core?
That should always be clean.
Is this second hole the top of your heater core this time?
What is that?
What are we looking at?

This is the standard of what the heater core should look like.
If you can't see the fins, out it comes for cleaning.

When you drill holes in thin plastic, always use a Forstner drill bit.

[logan]

Wasn't able to pull anything out but found this...


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[logan]

Was the first hole from the bottom of the heater core?
That should always be clean.
Is this second hole the top of your heater core this time?
What is that?
What are we looking at?

This is the standard of what the heater core should look like.
If you can't see the fins, out it comes for cleaning.

When you drill holes in thin plastic, always use a Forstner drill bit.

The first group of pictures is the top of the core.
The second group is on the under side of it. Closest to the floor.
It looks like wood pellets.


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[MasterTec]

Just to make sure you *DO* know these won't blow hot air out of the vents, right? Only floor or defrost.

[bravekozak]

If the blower is blowing air from the top, I don't know what to tell you.
Stick a wand in the top hole and try blowing out all that stuff with compressed air. Good luck.

I was expecting something like this!

[logan]

Just to make sure you *DO* know these won't blow hot air out of the vents, right? Only floor or defrost.

Yes.


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[logan]

If the blower is blowing air from the top, I don't know what to tell you.
Stick a wand in the top hole and try blowing out all that stuff with compressed air. Good luck.

I was expecting something like this!

That's what I was expecting when I looked in the top hole but it was clean. I will try to clean what I can for now. I just really hate the thought of tearing into another dash in the winter. I did my truck last winter before I had the festiva.


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[Danzig13]

After buying my 2nd Festiva, I changed the coolant and thermostat, only to have flushed debris into my heater core(I'm thinking). Is there not any way to pull it without pulling out the dash?

[bravekozak]

Reverse flush. Use a little higher water pressure. Good luck. Water should flow out fast and clean in both directions in the block, the rad as well as the heater core. All this stuff should have been done in the summer, if possible.

[Danzig13]

Wish I could have done it in the summer. Just got it last week. Thanks for the info.

[Damkid]

I gotta change the heater core in my protege... Not looking forward to it but it's gotta be done