'96 Starlet Heater Core - Tips On Putting Sealant Into It

January 9, 2009

Hi All

First post here!

I have a Toyota Starlet and the heater core has failed/leaks so windows are constantly steamed up. Garage says it will take days to fix this and cost a lot of money (we are talking hundreds).

He said a quick fix if to put some sealant into the heater core and then drive the car for around 30miles and this sometimes fixes any leaks.

Problem is I have never done anything like this before - where exactly is the heater core and how can I access it to put the sealant in.

Has anyone tried this and been successful or unsuccessful?

Thanks!!

Paz

January 12, 2009

it won't work, or at least i very much doubt it :(

the heater core is on the left hand side of the car behind the dashboard and it is a dash-out job to replace. hence the high labour cost.

quite a common problem and one i've had to do myself, should only ever have to do it once though :)

January 12, 2009

quite a common problem and one i've had to do myself, should only ever have to do it once though :)

Should only ever have to do it once if you put a new one in. I know people who have bought new ones from scrapyards ( assured that they were airtight ) only to fit them and find them leaking. For the extra money it's worth fitting a new one - saves all the swearing later !

April 25, 2013

Hey Guys,

My Heater core started hissing a couple of weeks ago (Starlet 97 NP90 Diesel) its not dehumidifying now. Ive pulled out the dash, I thought it was the fan to the left initially but its coming from the heater core, I havent got to removing that yet... hopefully I can do this in the weekend.

what pisses me off is that I had the heater core "replaced" at Toyota a couple of years ago for something like $1400 NZD!!

thats why Im trying to do it myself this time..

do I have much more to do to get this heater core out??

Cheers

annoyingly my CV joint has gone, the engine is leaking a lot of oil and it was flooded the other week so it smells like a pond all in a couple of weeks.. :-s

April 30, 2013

I dont know if the heater core are all metal these days or have plastic parts to them like some radiatore do. but many years ago mk11 Cortinas heaters used to often leak,on my one i took it to a radiator repairer who resolderd it actualy he put extra thick solder when doing the repair.

Never had any more trouble with it after that.

May 1, 2013

apparently its the evaporator core where the hissing is coming from, possibly tx valve. i read that maybe the tx valve hisses when aircon gas is low, i was going to replace the evaporator core but couldnt remove it as there was still aircon gas pressure in the system, ive had to admit defeat and take it to the aircon guys, i get the feeling theyre going to try and sting me...