heater core question
 

What makes a heater core steam up the windows when it starts to go bad or dump anti-freeze on the floor when it's really bad?
Would a bottle of STOP LEAK be a temporary fix?
It starting to be cold in the mornings and my g/f really needs a way to defrost her windshield in the Taurus. It's no worth the hundreds of dollars to get it fixed since we are getting rid of it in around March or April.
It wasn't leaking coolant before I bypassed the core but just fogging up the window.
I was just wondering if I could "doctor it up" until then?
How much is a heater core (out of curiousity)?

If it's not leaking too bad, then you can probably fix it with some stop leak, and the heater cores are inexpensive, it's the labor involved in putting it in, when I had mine replaced, it cost me $300, because they have to take the dash clear out of the car. And to answer your question about why it does it, is because the coolant is under pressure if there's any leaks at all it will find it and come oozing out, and since your heater core is right under the dash and is in junction with your defroster vents, it comes up on the windshield as steam and then condenses back to the liquid creating the nasty film on your windshield, hope this helps,

Kenny

you could always bypass the heater core under the hood by rerouting the hoses.

I did that already but it's to the point now where my g/f is going to need defrost in the mornings.

Sounds like your in trouble either way.
Bypassed hoses = fogged window
Keep old core = fogged window

I would try the stop leak. I had the same problem with my stang and I had to put more stop leak in periodically to get me through the winter. The fogged windows should have killed me at least a couple times.....

As stated the core is a real pain to replace. When I did get it done I flushed the system twice with super flush in an attempt to get any traces of the stop leak out.

BTW, I didn't think my core was leaking much coolant but found that the front edge of the carpet under the dash was completely waterlogged.

Its silly that a 50.00 dollar part is such a pain in the *** to install and so expensive to be put in by someone else

I think stop leak will just be a temp fix on the problem. eventually it's just gonna corrode worse and become a bigger leak, at the most inopportune time. As always... :rolleyes:
I didn't know Tauruses were a PITA to fix like the stangs. That's a bummer.... It's not really that hard of a job, just takes some time and alot of patience to do. Good luck, I hope you fix it! :) I LOVE having heat in mine.. lived for three years without it, before I said **** it, and fixed it.

35$ from AZ..it might not be that hard on a 82..let us know

It's not for my '82. It's for my g/f Taurus. The 82 is going to be down for quite some time until the engine is rebuilt.

Change it yourself. It nice to have heat, and the R2 process builds character. Just take your time and remove the dashboard and all the other crap in the way.

I just did mine on a Izusu Rodeo and it took me 2 days to get it apart, one week trying to get the right core (mine cost $170.00) and one day to get it back together, then I had to get the a/c recharged and replace a broke a/c line o ring, and replace the heater hoses.

all in all, a pain in the ***, but to save $400.00 in labor costs, well worth it.