Do NOT buy the aftermarket heater core at FCP

[tjts1]

And they said I was nuts when I installed a JY heater core to replace mine.

[darag2358]

That is a potentially lethal product!!

How about a little more hyperbole?

[precopster]

That is a potentially lethal product!!

How about a little more hyperbole?

Sure what about? Your topic or mine? The whole point about the colourful and figurative language used is that anything at high teperature & under high pressure using chemicals (ethylene glycol etc) has the capacity to burn, or even permanently damage delicate eye tissue. Just ask anyone working at a emergency dept of a hospital in the 70s when so many souls released their radiator cap under full pressure to have permanent scarring and worse, yes blinding.

If it were my child in the car I would be VERY concerned at the potential danger to their safety. In this age of fast parts from unknown factories in Asia (everything is repackaged by resellers to hide the source of the product) it is a growing problem and a VERY REAL concern to the pubic at large when items have the POTENTIAL to cause serious injury.

[quarl]

I have to agree with precopster on this one. I had just driven over the bridge of death, here in Asheville, NC. Five lanes converging from three directions, everyone in the far right lane needing to get to the far left lane in order to stay on I-26, all of whom are travelling 75MPH and all over each other light white on rice. The slightest hiccup in attention and someone's against the railing and the pile-up begins.

Had the core blown at that point (a mere three minutes prior), it could have easily resulted in multiple fatalities.

asheville traffic.jpg (139.5 KiB) Viewed 2417 times

[jblackburn]

Five lanes converging from three directions, everyone in the far right lane needing to get to the far left lane in order to stay on I-26, all of whom are travelling 75MPH and all over each other light white on rice. The slightest hiccup in attention and someone's against the railing and the pile-up begins.

North Carolina intersections/highways have never made sense to me. When I used to go to High Point on the weekends, I-85 bypass ends and you have to zip over 6 lanes doing 80 mph within 1/2 a mile to stay on I-85 Business. That was a fun task in my Saab that couldn't do much over 70 with your foot welded to the floor.

Winston-Salem interchanges between 52 and I-40 are just as bad. Even in the T5, you still have to stomp the gas and go from 25-75 in a matter of seconds, or you're dead. Oh, and look out for people trying to get in front of you and slamming on brakes to go the OTHER way around the cloverleaf.

That aside, I just bought the OEM heater core! I'd heard the aftermarket ones smell bad and don't put out much heat. No one mentioned the exploding, though. And I like my heat in the winter. I like it a lot.

[quarl]

So, the new OEM core came in today from FCP. Notice the reinforcing at the top, exactly where the aftermarket version failed? That's not there to make it pretty. Volvo engineers recognized a weakness in that location and designed a structure that could withstand the pressures and stresses. Hopefully, the aftermarket part manufacturer will do the same.

[SilverS70]

I had the same experience as the original poster. My aftermarket heater core purchased on ebay from FCP also burst and it matches those pics posted exactly, one huge crack along plastic. Happened after about 4 months. I didn't want the hassle trying to get it replaced(buy another new one, ship old one back, then get refund) with another aftermarket core, so I bought the volvo original. Its been fine ever since, I had a shop pressure test the system too.

I think it is well documented that the heat output is very inferior too. I like FCP and will buy from them again, but the cheap aftermarket heater core is a poor product.

[quarl]

Just to follow up on this thread, I got the OEM core in and it's working great. FCP Groton refunded my money for the failed unit and, other than having to pay to ship it back and having to do the change twice, I'm content.

I kind of wish that Andrew from FCP hadn't just disappeared from the conversation. Oh well...

Lesson learned. I will continue to buy from FCP. In fact, I just placed another order for odds and ends to finish out the reincarnation of my 850GLT. However, I stand by the title of this thread, do NOT buy the aftermarket heater core from FCP and be careful where you try to save a few pennies. It could come back and bite you on the rump.

[IVIUSTANG]

Just to follow up on this thread, I got the OEM core in and it's working great. FCP Groton refunded my money for the failed unit and, other than having to pay to ship it back and having to do the change twice, I'm content.

I kind of wish that Andrew from FCP hadn't just disappeared from the conversation. Oh well...

Lesson learned. I will continue to buy from FCP. In fact, I just placed another order for odds and ends to finish out the reincarnation of my 850GLT. However, I stand by the title of this thread, do NOT buy the aftermarket heater core from FCP and be careful where you try to save a few pennies. It could come back and bite you on the rump.

You taking this quite well I would be ticked off, FCP should have realized the liability of selling such a part and made you "very happy" in my opinion. At minimum cover all the shipping and given you a safe replacement part at no charge; sure would have made them look a lot better in my view.

- Jesse

[quarl]

I have to admit, when Andrew popped into the conversation I thought surely he'd offer to cover the shipping.