I was planning an illustrious 3 day weekend beating on my old '49 dodge, moving ever forward toward getting it's papers so I can drive the damn thing in Ontario.
Wednesday last week my 03 golf blew a heater core. I had my buddy look up book time, about 6+ hours job, looked in the bank, money is there. Should just pay to do it.
But no. I apparently enjoy torture. Replacement core and blower arrived on Friday, just in time... :)
The job wasn't that bad actually just long and tedious. No left over parts, and after a good strong cooling system flush i'm 10 degrees cooler, the heat is much better than its ever been and the blower is quiet and strong.
The car manufacturers don't make it easy, do they, lol.
I did a Corolla a couple years ago, and it pretty much looked like what you have pictured. The whole dash and the center console had to come out, to get to it.
It seems I've been spending my spare time, up-keeping the daily drivers also.
I spent most of the weekend, wet sanding and polishing a rough paint job, and replaced the water pump in my Dakota.
I had a similar job on a less complex car, but it was burnt wiring from a shorted ignition switch. Old car with no fusable links= not fun. Anyway a buddy stopped by mid-way through and saw the dash out, all the wires un-bundled and burnt pieces cut out. The burnt section was from the ignition switch, through the driver side firewall, under the rad cradle and up to the battery. He said "This car will never run again" and left, maybe to avoid any blame later on. "Humff, never run again huh? Watch this!" New ignition switch, several very long lengths of new wire, a bunch of flux and solder, and about a mile of electrical tape. I drove it over to his place the very next day! HA!
__________________
"If I could get back all the money I've ever spent on cars...I'd spend it ALL on cars !!!
Nice job! Hindsight is 20/20 I guess. <snip> "This car will never run again" and left, maybe to avoid any blame later on. "Humff, never run again huh? Watch this!" New ignition switch, several very long lengths of new wire, a bunch of flux and solder, and about a mile of electrical tape. I drove it over to his place the very next day! HA!
I replaced the washer tank last winter. The old one came out fine 3.5L (gallon jug 3.78L) I found a 5.5L tank they use in European models. Apparently in Europe they start with the washer tank and assemble the rest of the car around it.
Pictures like this bring back memories of why I retired and got out of the trade. My back and knees were aching just looking at the pics.
x2. I remember the early fox body mustangs were made so you undid two hose clamps, dropped the glovebox out, four screws on the access panel and the core slid right out, done in an hour including bleeding and flushing the system....THEN they changed it to a mess of a job.....yep. I'm outa here on this new stuff!
YA escort was the same, and all fox cars.... FORDS did RULE!
read below vvvvvvvvv
__________________
Fords Rule ! If it ain't designed and manufactured in North America it sucks ! I don't do rice, pasta, fish and chips, sauerkraut, Ikea or other third world motor vehicle !
Didya find anything good like a lost winning 6/49 that fell down the defrost??
Randy
ALMOST! So, in january when wife was in hospital I bought a parking pass. They billed me $25 because I lost the pass. It was in the centre console! I don't have to pay the $25!
-- Edited by bmw2002e3 on Friday 8th of August 2014 11:39:57 AM
I replaced the washer tank last winter. The old one came out fine 3.5L (gallon jug 3.78L) I found a 5.5L tank they use in European models. Apparently in Europe they start with the washer tank and assemble the rest of the car around it.
I think TDIs have bigger ones? I wanted to do the same, but took one look and said "forget it"
I have no AC, so no need to unhook the lines. Here's a hint though, if you haven't serviced your cooling system, do it. full flush and refill with G12. (Pentosyn pentofrost SF (without sillicates).
There's a chance I might have not had to go through this crap if I had taken care of the cooling system. Bought the car in 2008. one thing I never did was bother, changed oil and gearbox oil but never did a full coolant flush. Supposedly it can become acidic... Really depends on the type of coolant.
Glad to see others out there doing the same job and its the same pain. I don't really understand why manufacturers are building cars in this way. I mean even just with a dashboard pull its like an hour. Couldn't be that hard to design it to be serviceable?
Pictures like this bring back memories of why I retired and got out of the trade. My back and knees were aching just looking at the pics.
x2. I remember the early fox body mustangs were made so you undid two hose clamps, dropped the glovebox out, four screws on the access panel and the core slid right out, done in an hour including bleeding and flushing the system....THEN they changed it to a mess of a job.....yep. I'm outa here on this new stuff!
YA escort was the same, and all fox cars.... FORDS did RULE!
read below vvvvvvvvv
__________________
Fords Rule ! If it ain't designed and manufactured in North America it sucks ! I don't do rice, pasta, fish and chips, sauerkraut, Ikea or other third world motor vehicle !
----
Haha. Thanks for the smile. Another open mind.
Especially with the dude chiming in there about the F150 heater core job being just as bad.
Opinions ... You are entitled to yours of course. :)
But seriously?!?
Third world?
Ever been to Germany? Third world? Japan?
I'm about to faint over here! Third world...
I would hate to see what turned you so hard against imports... Enlighten me. There's maybe something I'm missing here.
Pictures like this bring back memories of why I retired and got out of the trade. My back and knees were aching just looking at the pics.
Quite a few years ago, I had the offer from a friend to move to Vancouver, start as an apprentice and work towards being a ticketed mechanic and wrench on BMWs all day.
I'm in IT (computers) for a living, and well.. My mechanic buddies all said the same thing. *DON'T DO IT! KEEP IT AS A HOBBY, NOT A PROFESSION* .
Glad I did. I do this crap for fun because, its likely one of the few I'll have to do.
-- Edited by bmw2002e3 on Friday 8th of August 2014 12:28:32 PM
I replaced the washer tank last winter. The old one came out fine 3.5L (gallon jug 3.78L) I found a 5.5L tank they use in European models. Apparently in Europe they start with the washer tank and assemble the rest of the car around it.
I think TDIs have bigger ones? I wanted to do the same, but took one look and said "forget it"
I have no AC, so no need to unhook the lines. Here's a hint though, if you haven't serviced your cooling system, do it. full flush and refill with G12. (Pentosyn pentofrost SF (without sillicates).
There's a chance I might have not had to go through this crap if I had taken care of the cooling system. Bought the car in 2008. one thing I never did was bother, changed oil and gearbox oil but never did a full coolant flush. Supposedly it can become acidic... Really depends on the type of coolant.
Thanks for the tip. I will be doing that. I bought the car new and haven't done anything with the cooling system. Mine is the TDI and it didn't have the bigger tank, the internet tells me it's a European thing.
The rad started to leak a couple months back then mysteriously stopped (which is a little concerning) I have a new rad, just haven't found the spare time to tear the front end apart to change it yet. So a full flush is in it's near future.
Thanks for the tip. I will be doing that. I bought the car new and haven't done anything with the cooling system. Mine is the TDI and it didn't have the bigger tank, the internet tells me it's a European thing.
The rad started to leak a couple months back then mysteriously stopped (which is a little concerning) I have a new rad, just haven't found the spare time to tear the front end apart to change it yet. So a full flush is in it's near future.
Google VW mk4 "Service position", apparently you have to take the front bumper off, but the front clip is designed to drop down or soemthing. Might help for a rad swap. Its supposed to give techs better access to the front part of the engine, but also may be required for a rad swap. Don't know yet... :)
