I just bought an '89 Mercury Sable. with a pinhole leak in the heater core. Now I called a mechanic and he said roughly 600 but i can't afford that. Is there any other way to get around paying that much to stop it from steaming up my car!?
The guy that I talked to said an option was to get some "Stop leak" and put that into the radiator, But that runs the risk of loosing my heat entirely....
2007-02-09 10:29:52 · 14 answers · asked by WordlessThrenody 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
One more question, On average how much does the stuff cost? I'm WAY too broke for anything expensive.
2007-02-09 10:45:41 · update #1
Stop leak usually does not work - not to mention it can cause other problems. You can do a by-pass on the system - only disadvantage is NO HEAT! The labor to replace the core is 5.9 hours heater core from the dealer is $68.37; make sure they are not over charging you on labor! Good Luck!
2007-02-09 10:49:16 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Replace the heater core is the best option. If that is just out of the question you can purchase stop leak and give that a try. Do not try to repair it if it is removed. The price of a new on is not that expensive and any repair may not hold. If you go to the expense to remove it then new is the only logical option. Heater core cost would be between 30 and $50.00.
2007-02-09 12:55:33 · answer #2 · answered by Can do it man 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
have a new heater core put in is the best answer by a professional i wouldnt suggest a autozone heater core they are junk they last about a year buy motorcraft. the guy that said its not that hard a little common sense , have you ever removed the entire dash from a car???thats what has to be done , thats why it pays 5.9 hrs i believe its more than that. the only other option is buy a splice or flush tee and bypass the heater core under the hood.good luck . would not suggest stop leak either.
2007-02-09 13:34:31 · answer #3 · answered by justin s 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I read such silly answers. Do it the Big C way. You only need a knife, flat tip screw driver, phillip screw driver, and a pair of pliers.
First of all the Core, BRAND NEW, from Auto Zone is only $20. The mechanic was only trying to do the usual pimp job on you. You see two rubber hoses going into your car on the passenger side, under the hood. You take the two clamps off the rubber hoses and lay them aside. Then you go inside the car and take what you need to access the heater core. IT IS NOT THAT HARD. Just a little common sense. You take the old one out replace the new one and put all the stuff back on inside. Then you go outside again, under the hood and replace the two hoses back on. Believe it or not it does not matter which one goes where. The core is open and water can flow either way. Anyway, if the hoses are like really hard too you may want to replace them while you are at it. If you buy the replacement hoses, buy them in bulk. Take a piece of hose and then ask the guy at auto zone what the price is. Generally, they charge by foot so see how much you need. The parts man will go back and cut you a piece of hose that you need. I bought mine in the bag as it was a little cheaper. It was a 6 foot hose. I just cut what I need off. Either way is good. BUT measure You can always buy an extra foot if need be.
This is the price at Auto Zone. You will find somethings at the junk yard a little cheaper, but then sometimes better to spend the couple of dollars more for a NEW, with warranty item. The guy that said to go to the junk yard for a heater core, reminds me of the mechanic that told the guy that his heating problem was due to lack of freon. lol
Heater Core for a
1989 Mercury Sable
Built to 3/89 (Change)
Store Web
TRANSPRO 398003 LLT $19.99 Not Available Ships within 2 Business Days Buy Online
2007-02-09 11:00:26 · answer #4 · answered by Big C 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Fix it properly - Stop Leak can clog your heater core, unless it's in perfect condition.
The core should be removed, then filled with water and pressurized to find the location of the leak. Then it can be soldered. Any competent radiator shop can do it - radiators are always soldered, not welded. (Welders blow holes in the thin aluminium or copper that radiators are made of.) Then re-test, and re-install. If you can do the remove and install part, it won't cost much at all.
2007-02-09 11:39:02 · answer #5 · answered by Me 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hell the best fix is pepper in the raditor it will find the holes and plug it up long enough for it to seal itself with rust and scale the 600 bucks was for parts and labor i imagine thats no easy task to change a heater core the egg thing works but only for high volume leaks plus it lasts about 2 hours the pepper does work and its cheap we used to plug bullet holes with it in the corp so its worth a try
2007-02-12 21:10:05 · answer #6 · answered by wisper2u2002 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
getting to the heater core is a lot of work and time. but if your *** broke as you say you have the time, once you get the core out, your see by the color where the hole is , most of the core i removed were rotted to nothing, but if this one different , get a set of needle nose plyers and roll the bad section back and pinch it off in both directions, if this doesn't work get a used one at the junk yard for 20 buck ,they have them laying out front with the radiators.
2007-02-09 10:59:15 · answer #7 · answered by greghemmert 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1
2016-06-18 23:34:26 · answer #8 · answered by Millicent 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I spent some time in front of the computer for some tips on how to fix pinhole leaks in copper pipe, and I found this article here very useful: http://www.miconstruguia.com/en/plumbing-tips/
Hope this works for you too.
2014-06-07 23:35:39 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There's stuff you can buy in an Auto Parts store called Barr's Leaks which is made for that.
You can also put a raw egg in the radiator. It sounds weird, but it works, I saw it on MythBusters. But I think that's temporary.
2007-02-09 10:38:14 · answer #10 · answered by heybeerman29 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋