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Car Forum / Ford / Ford Trucks / November 200697 F-150 Heater Core 4 times replaced in 15k miles!
My Dad has/had a 97 Ford F-150. Approximately two years ago the heater core went out and he took it to the local Ford dealer and had one installed to the tune of $750. Two months and 3k miles later it started leaking again. The dealership redid the job for free. Just a few more months went by and it did the same thing! This time the service department was not as friendly, saying that the problem must be electrolosis and wanting ANOTHER $700 for a wiring harness and heater core #3. Dad made them guarantee that if it went out again they would replace it. In June he was diagnosed with lung cancer and while undergoing testing he noticed that the damn thing was leaking AGAIN! He took it back to the dealership for a FOURTH TIME while he underwent surgery. He passed away shortly after the operation and I was left to pick up his truck. This time there was no charge for core #4. I have driven it less than 3k miles and ITS LEAKING AGAIN!!!. I saw several three year old posts in this newsgroup on this subject, but nothing more up to date. The service manager had suggested to Dad after core #3 that this was an inherent problem and that he should consider trading it in. I'd like to solve this issue once and for all. Any ideas would be appreciated! > My Dad has/had a 97 Ford F-150. Approximately two years ago the heater ... > pick up his truck. This time there was no charge for core #4. I have > driven it less than 3k miles and ITS LEAKING AGAIN!!!. I saw several > three year old posts in this newsgroup on this subject, but nothing > more up to date. The service manager had suggested to Dad after core #3 > that this was an inherent problem and that he should consider trading there are testing strips you can get that will tell you the PH of the coolant as well as the protection levels of it. to be honest, I'm thinking there may be a bad head gasket or intake manifold gasket that's allowing combustion gasses to contaminate the coolant. This can create an imbalance and allow for corrosion to occur. The Odd thing of your story is that the radiator is working fine, but the heater core keeps failing. I'd look at where the heater core is failing and see if it's in the joints. >> My Dad has/had a 97 Ford F-150. Approximately two years ago the heater >... [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >keeps failing. I'd look at where the heater core is failing and see if >it's in the joints. Try this, install a 7 PSI cap and it reduces strain of heater core vs stock cap. I have used them for many years with a 60/40 coolant mix or better and never had any heating issues nor lost a heater core yet even in some very old vehicles (27 year old plus) For that fact, no leaky radiators either ----------------- TheSnoMan.com there is a tsb on that. run a wire from neg batt terminal post to metal on the radiator or heater core. http://www.minibite.com/america/malone.htm > there is a tsb on that. run a wire from neg batt terminal post to > metal on the radiator or heater core. > > http://www.minibite.com/america/malone.htm Correct! "TBS 01-15-6 Climate Control - Repeat Heater Core Failure" The "wiring harness" they put on may not be making good contact. Electrolysis is still the problem. In article <no7kl2df3auqkqcqmcv0d018altr74hdih@4ax.com>, admin@snoman.com says... > Try this, install a 7 PSI cap and it reduces strain of heater core vs > stock cap. I have used them for many years Congrats, you're an idiot. >Correct! "TBS 01-15-6 Climate Control - > Repeat Heater Core Failure" The "wiring > harness" they put on may not be making > good contact. Electrolysis is still the > problem. A TSB having been published that long ago. lays the Dealer at fault. You might want to have a 'talk' with the Manager of the Service Dept! The conversation might include words like; 'lawyer' 'lawsuit' 'judge' 'court' 'bad publicity' 'newspaper'.....The way I see it is that you were defrauded because of the Dealers' incompetance. Raise hell! Dave S(Texas) > >Correct! "TBS 01-15-6 Climate Control - > > Repeat Heater Core Failure" The "wiring [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Dave S(Texas) The TSB ground wire was attached with core #3 and the new wiring harness. Also a lower pressure cap. Since Dad's death I have not put 2k miles on core #4. Obviously the dealer in question is incapible of getting it right, and since it's an all day labor job, they are tired of replacing it too. I have heard that using an aftermarket core instead of the Ford piece might be useful also. Thanks for all the input! >The TSB ground wire was attached with > core #3 and the new wiring harness. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > an aftermarket core instead of the Ford > piece might be useful also Well if that ground wire was properly attached, then I suspect cooling system maintenance. My truck is an '81F100 that I bought new. The OEM core lasted 11yrs. I replaced it with a well know brand name core. It lasted 10yrs and was again replaced. The truck has 300K miles on it now and I'm looking at another 5-7 yrs to the next replacement time. I back-flush and replace coolant every two years....religiously. If the cooling system was properly maintained and the ground wire_is_properly attached, then the only thing left is.....water! Try using distilled water instead of 'hose' water. All these 50/50 premixed coolants use distilled water. I've never used the premixed type and don't intend to, but since distilled water is 'inactive', it's something you might consider using in your system. Hope this is of some use.... Dave S(Texas) > >The TSB ground wire was attached with > > core #3 and the new wiring harness. [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > > Dave S(Texas) > >The TSB ground wire was attached with > > core #3 and the new wiring harness. [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > > Dave S(Texas) We're talking an average of 2-3 MONTHS per heater core! We're talking about a truck that's been PARKED for the last two months! I assume that new coolant was used for each install, and it certainly hasn't had time to contaminate.and I might point out that Dad's OEM core lasted 10 years also! I know the service manager had warned Dad about other instances of 5-6 heater cores being replaced in a short period of time (not by that dealer but apparently from Ford horror stories). They really wanted him to trade it. By the way, they also put a restrictor in the heater hose as per Ford tsb's. I just want to get the damn thing fixed long enough to sell it. I'm a hard core Dodge guy and this ain't helping my opinion of the F-word trunks! That 3 dollar can of stop leak is starting to look REAL good. :). Anyway again, I appreciate all the advice. > My Dad has/had a 97 Ford F-150. Approximately two years ago the heater > core went out and he took it to the local Ford dealer and had one [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > it in. I'd like to solve this issue once and for all. Any ideas would > be appreciated! The core needs to be examined to see if the leak is due to corrosion or some other form of failure. It would make the solving the problem much easier. John I have no idea what your problem is, but my expereince is that your FIRST heater core should just now be starting to go. Without knowing anything about you or where you live, but knowing how long stuff lasts around here, I see no problem getting upwards of 10 years out of a heater core. > My Dad has/had a 97 Ford F-150. Approximately two years ago the heater > core went out and he took it to the local Ford dealer and had one [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > it in. I'd like to solve this issue once and for all. Any ideas would > be appreciated! |
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