[rheavn]

On my last trip we got up into some freezing temperatures so we used the dash heater. In Alburquerque I noticed a small amount of engine coolant under the left front corner of the coach. The next day we only used the AquaHot heater. We stopped in Williams, AZ and there was no coolant under the left front. We got up the next morning in freezing temperatures and there was a pretty good puddle of engine coolant under the left front of the coach. I spoke with Tommy Key at Newell who stated the dash heater core is under the dash on a metal pan that would drain any leakage to the left front corner of the coach. He stated if the heater core is leaking the dash has to be removed, core box opened and it is about a days job. He said to first try tightening the heater hoses that connect outside the core box. We didn't use the dash heater for the rest of the trip. I only got leakage on nights when it froze.

When I got home I removed the top of the dash. Could see the heater core box in the middle of the coach, but could not see where the hoses connected. I removed the cover that fits over the brake pedal. To the right I could see two heater hoses, but not where they connected to the heater core. I could also see the metal pan & it had remnants of engine coolant. I felt down by the floor to the right & felt where the hoses were clamped to the heater core. "In the blind" I tightened the lower hose a little. The top hose took no tightening. It has now been almost a week and no more leaking under the coach even in the freezing morning temps.

Hope this helps someone............................

[Richard]

I am going to dogpile on this one for hope that it will help someone in the future.

My dash air flow was abysmally low. I had too problems. One the fan motor was poorly grounded. The giveaway was that a jolt in the highway would result in a change in air flow. A big a Ha on that one. The fan ground was into a a flimsy piece of aluminum on the front wall. I ran a ground to the big ground post in the front passenger kick well.

The second and bigger problem was the air dampers themselves. I removed the air damper box and put it on the bench. I used one of the those hand vacuum generators available in at any car parts store. It was evident that the dampers were not sealing tight when activated due to two reasons. One the foam used to seal had long given up the ghost, and there were also some mechanical interferences that prevented them from fully closing. These damper boxes were custom jobs, and mine was probably less than optimum from the factory. I used the pump and fine tuned until they sealed off when activated.

It was a two day project but well worth the time. Like Steve said removing the dash and gaining access is not an easy job, but if you have the stuff out of the way, you might want to check the operartion of the damper box.

[whatsnewell]

Good news Steve.....I really hate the smell of engine coolant....it is rarely ever good news, but it sounds like you got some good news with potentially only a lose clamp. The last time I smelled coolant 15 gallons of antifreeze was gushing out of my water pump in Texas back in February.

[prairieschooner]

Thanks Richard, I had to look this one up; abysmally.
Still not sure if I would use it in a sentence.

[encantotom]

on my 02 i smelled coolant in the dash area at first as well. with the dash cover off i was able to see the hoses to the heater core. so i was able to tighten them up and i never smelled it again. even though i could smell coolant, i never did see any.

tom

[RussWhite]

ICBW is shorthand for I Could Be Wrong!

Some of what Steve is saying makes me question my understanding of how the dash heater works. When Steve indicates it seems to leak depending upon usage, that almost implies that usage controls the water through the core.
I had always thought that water flows through the core all the time ( the enigne is running ) regardless of any setting of the heater controls. I thought the controls moved air flaps that when heat was requested, routed air through the core. Does anyone know for sure if the heater control moves flaps as I speculate, or actually operates a water valve and throttles coolant through the core?

I have attached a picture of the valves ( under the hose, sorry about that ) in the engine compartment that would allow one to valve off the heater core should that ever be necessary. Russ

[Express1]

Thanks Richard, I had to look this one up; abysmally.
Still not sure if I would use it in a sentence.

I'm with you this time Steve, I couldn't even find "abysmally"!
must be a mystery?

[encantotom]

russ,

on my 90, the heat cool slide lever on the dash air control moves a cable that attaches to an inline valve to control the coolant flowing into the heater core. i know that for a fact because i had to change that cable.

i cannot speak for the 02, but i have no reason to believe it is different. though my 02 has a knob to turn for hot and cold rather than a sliding lever.

where are those valves you took the picture of?

tom

[RussWhite]

Driver's side of the engine, just to the inside of the radiator and CAC. Russ

[rheavn]

Russ,
You may have misunderstood my post. I did not indicate the heater core only leaked when I used it. It leaked whether or not I used it if the temperatures were in the freezing range.