It’s the perfect leak rate for a seeping heater core. Usually you can diagnose that by warming the car up with the heater turned off, then turning on defrost , with AC off onto a freezing windshield. Fogging is a sure sign of leaking heater core
Pull the AC relay to inhibit ac or just use one click to right of defrost and toggle the ac button OFF
coolant leak
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abscate
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Re: coolant leak
Empty Nester
A Captain in a Sea of Estrogen
1999-V70-T5M56 2005-V70-M56 1999-S70 VW T4 XC90-in-Red
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A Captain in a Sea of Estrogen
1999-V70-T5M56 2005-V70-M56 1999-S70 VW T4 XC90-in-Red
Link to Maintenance record thread
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br0dy519
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Where abouts? It’s 10c and sunny here today in canad’a sunparlour!
I often think of prwood, he shares many of my same pains. I think we are both young fathers whose partner begs them frequently for a new Subaru.
I often think of prwood, he shares many of my same pains. I think we are both young fathers whose partner begs them frequently for a new Subaru.
04s60 2.4
04xc70 2.5t
04xc70 2.5t
prwood wrote:I wish I had a permanent car repair area that was covered, had a level surface, lighting and fans, a workbench, and tool cabinets. You know,like a garage. Much of my time during the job is spent hauling things up and down the stairs to the basement or in and out of the storage shed, or running back downstairs when I realize I need something else,or taking a break from standing out in the sun,or using flashlights or work lamps when it gets dark.
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chrism
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If you suspect a heater core leak it can be confirmed pretty easily. As was mentioned above, if you run the defroster for a length of time, it will likely start building up an oily film on the windshield and give off an antifreeze odor. However, a lack of these indicators doesn’t mean the core isn’t starting to leak. Dropping the under-dash trim panel and console side panel, both on the drivers side, just takes a couple minutes and will provide a clear view of the LH end of the core. Wiping around with your finger will reveal if the core itself or the coolant pipe O-rings are leaking.
If it turns out that the core is leaking you DON’T have to remove the entire dash board or HVAC unit in order to replace it. It can be slid out the drivers side but you’ll have to move/remove a few things:
Draining the coolant down about a gallon first will make the job less messy.
The heater hoses need to disconnected at their quick disconnects on the forward side of the firewall.
Once the hoses are disconnected I like to blow air through the core which purges it and the pipes of nearly all of their harbored coolant, lessening the amount of drippage that will occur when the pipes are removed from the core.
Remove the rubber seal where the pipes penetrate the firewall. That will allow the pipes to move around freely when they are disconnected from the core.
Now, under the dash, remove the brake light switch.
Remove any zip ties that may be holding the pipes together.
You may need to move the throttle harness a bit.
Set the heater controls in a position that moves the flimsy blend doors linkages out of the path of the exiting core.
Pull the clips that hold the pipes in the core.
Pull the pipes loose from the core and push them through the firewall far enough to get them out if the way.
Remove the screw that holds the core in place.
Slide the core out.
I wrote this from memory, having to replace the core twice in our 2005 S80. The first replacement (cheap brand) leaked within a year. I’m about to replace the core in my 2003 V70 as I just discovered it’s leaking!!! Ugh!
Others may have additional info to add.
If it turns out that the core is leaking you DON’T have to remove the entire dash board or HVAC unit in order to replace it. It can be slid out the drivers side but you’ll have to move/remove a few things:
Draining the coolant down about a gallon first will make the job less messy.
The heater hoses need to disconnected at their quick disconnects on the forward side of the firewall.
Once the hoses are disconnected I like to blow air through the core which purges it and the pipes of nearly all of their harbored coolant, lessening the amount of drippage that will occur when the pipes are removed from the core.
Remove the rubber seal where the pipes penetrate the firewall. That will allow the pipes to move around freely when they are disconnected from the core.
Now, under the dash, remove the brake light switch.
Remove any zip ties that may be holding the pipes together.
You may need to move the throttle harness a bit.
Set the heater controls in a position that moves the flimsy blend doors linkages out of the path of the exiting core.
Pull the clips that hold the pipes in the core.
Pull the pipes loose from the core and push them through the firewall far enough to get them out if the way.
Remove the screw that holds the core in place.
Slide the core out.
I wrote this from memory, having to replace the core twice in our 2005 S80. The first replacement (cheap brand) leaked within a year. I’m about to replace the core in my 2003 V70 as I just discovered it’s leaking!!! Ugh!
Others may have additional info to add.
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