heads up Valeo heater cores= OE Behr Topic is solved

[Eddystone]

I am wondering if the ebay heater core (Estonia) is as good as Valeo (Behr) heater core in terms of reliability.
I currently have the ebay heater core (Estonia) and the heat is HOT in the winter, as good as the factory HC.

I just bought another Estonia for my second P80 based on the fact that the first one I bought has been in for over a year through a full winter with no problems whatsoever. If I had heard about this Valeo core, I might have considered that one except for one thing: The vendor of the Estonian heater core states that their core is constructed somewhat differently at the point where almost all of the Behr cores fail (granted after many years in most cases). If a part fails repeatedly in one way, it is a sign that there was an error made in either the design or manufacturing process. In this case, I would be reluctant to buy even an "OEM" part with a history of failing in a certain way. That's my thinking.

Fortunately, while replacing a heater core that leaks a drop here or there (and you KNOW it's going to fail before it does in 99% of the cases because you smell it inside the car) is a pain in the a$$, it is not the end of the world. If my $29 heater core with a SUPPOSEDLY updated design fails, life will go on.

From Swedish Car Parts:

"MANUFACTURERS LIFETIME WARRANTY! WE ARE NOT KIDDING! KEEP YOUR ORIGINAL RECEIPT! In the UNLIKELY event that the heater core develops a leak- (we always test every single unit) - you will receive free replacement. You are only liable for the return of the defective one to us and shipping of the new unit to you."

"The heater core is the same size as the original, has foam rubber seal attached around the perimeter of the core. Our heater core will fit the air box cavity without ANY modifications and you DO NOT NEED extra strips of any kind of padding for the RATTLE PREVENTION. No holes need to be drilled, no extra screws to hold the part in place... Nothing. This heater core has IMPROVED design over the design of the leaking ORIGINAL part. Reason behind the leak is the design flaw, where aluminum core molded in to the plastic frame. Aluminum expands more when exposed to heat, plastic does less. With time, this DYNAMIC DUO develops leaks. We had analyzed the problem, and developed the heater core with side tanks mechanically crimped to the core, and not injection molded together."

[bmdubya1198]

I changed the heater core in my GLT today, and the old one was a Swedish Car Parts unit. It hadn't blown out completely, but there is evidence of a leak (white crust around the bottom). It wasn't wet or anything, and I was surprised to not find any coolant anywhere.
New SCP core went in. Interesting to see the older one (black plastic) has their logo printed on the tank rather than the sticker on the newer cores (white plastic). We'll see how long this one lasts!

[crlande]

My two Volvo originals were leaking at same exact spots. Metal tubes to metal base.

[Eddystone]

I changed the heater core in my GLT today, and the old one was a Swedish Car Parts unit. It hadn't blown out completely, but there is evidence of a leak (white crust around the bottom). It wasn't wet or anything, and I was surprised to not find any coolant anywhere.
New SCP core went in. Interesting to see the older one (black plastic) has their logo printed on the tank rather than the sticker on the newer cores (white plastic). We'll see how long this one lasts!

A picture is worth a thousand words. Curious about how long the core was in before it failed and exactly what product you have used as coolant. Coolant can be crucial as in the case of a Ford Taurus that I had with the 3.0 OHV Vulcan engine. These engines tended to rust on the inside and produce a orange sludge that didn't cause leaks but DID completely block the radiator and heater core. You had to be extremely careful to choose the correct coolant to minimize this process. I'm not accusing you of using the wrong coolant in your car but I have seen posters here swear up and down that they have simply used old-fashioned green Prestone for years with no problems. There are reasons why certain coolant types are specified for certain cars, and one reason is that some coolants don't protect as well against corrosion of certain metals.

Like I said, I'm not accusing you or the previous owner of using the wrong coolant, but the life of a heater core depends on using the right stuff.

[bmdubya1198]

A picture is worth a thousand words. Curious about how long the core was in before it failed and exactly what product you have used as coolant. Coolant can be crucial as in the case of a Ford Taurus that I had with the 3.0 OHV Vulcan engine. These engines tended to rust on the inside and produce a orange sludge that didn't cause leaks but DID completely block the radiator and heater core. You had to be extremely careful to choose the correct coolant to minimize this process. I'm not accusing you of using the wrong coolant in your car but I have seen posters here swear up and down that they have simply used old-fashioned green Prestone for years with no problems. There are reasons why certain coolant types are specified for certain cars, and one reason is that some coolants don't protect as well against corrosion of certain metals.

Like I said, I'm not accusing you or the previous owner of using the wrong coolant, but the life of a heater core depends on using the right stuff.

I agree completely! The correct coolant is important, and too many people seem to think it's just fine to use a generic "universal" green coolant.

I don't know how long the old heater core was in there, but I've owned the car since August 2015 and this is the first time I've replaced it.
When I got the car the coolant was empty since the car was wrecked and the radiator was destroyed, but I found traces of green coolant. I initially filled it with Prestone green coolant, but I've used Zerex G-05 from the time I changed the thermostat 2-3 years ago.
When I saw that there was no coolant on the floor and that it was an SCP heater core (meaning that it was replaced at some point), I was thinking maybe changing it was a wasted effort. I actually felt better after seeing that dried coolant once I got it out of the car!

[Eddystone]

"...but I've used Zerex G-05 from the time I changed the thermostat 2-3 years ago."

I also like Zerex G-05 and feel pretty confident about using it in my cars. I also try to use distilled water when I'm mixing, but I'm maybe not so diligent about that, especially of I've been doing a heavy duty flush with a garden hose...

[abscate]

Type of coolant is less important than scheduled flushes. No more than three years or 30,000 miles on our fleet, with thexception of our 54 Beetle, which I flush coolant on every drive.

[wizechatmgr]

Type of coolant is less important than scheduled flushes. No more than three years or 30,000 miles on our fleet, with thexception of our 54 Beetle, which I flush coolant on every drive.

Air cooled isn't it? =p

[abscate]

My original Volvo core on the 99 didn't fail at metal/ plastic edge, it failed at the Oring on the pipe to core junction. The CORE was probably ok, but I replaced it as part of the evaporator core HVAC REWORK

14 years , 140 k miles

Claiming to have an improved design with no life data. Is typical marketing gibberish, notwithstanding the aftermarket core looks to be both a good design and manufactured product

[bmdubya1198]

"...but I've used Zerex G-05 from the time I changed the thermostat 2-3 years ago."

I also like Zerex G-05 and feel pretty confident about using it in my cars. I also try to use distilled water when I'm mixing, but I'm maybe not so diligent about that, especially of I've been doing a heavy duty flush with a garden hose...

I always use distilled water. Fortunately though these cars have aluminum blocks, so it's not as imperative as with an iron block to use distilled water since there's not a concern about rust.

...with the exception of our 54 Beetle, which I flush coolant on every drive.

It's also important to replace the thermostat every 6 months!