I have a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee Hemi with 116,000 miles. The Heater Core started going bad the last 20,000 miles. They changed the unit 5 times and the hoses once. I do not trust the jeep anymore. The passenger side is filled with coolant. The dealership did not even change the carpet and will not! They give it a bad detail and give back to me. It is stained purple. Does anyone know where I can get a carpert? Also is there a fix to this problem? The Jeep is at the dealership getting a new heater core in it and it should be done tommorow. But I have a feeling that it is not fixed cause it has happend already four times. Any help is appreciated. Thanks guys!
Have you spoken to the Service Manager? Try and take it to another dealership. Farrish Jeep has been good and bad to me. Lol. Try Tysons or Springfield.
Have you spoken to the Service Manager? Try and take it to another dealership. Farrish Jeep has been good and bad to me. Lol. Try Tysons or Springfield.
I have a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee Hemi with 116,000 miles. The Heater Core started going bad the last 20,000 miles. They changed the unit 5 times and the hoses once.
This doesn't sound like a heater core issue, maybe there is something else causing the heater core to leak, perhaps too much pressure on the inlet side or a restriction on the outlet. I'd bet there is something plugged in the cooling system, or maybe when they installed the first replacement heater core they kinked a line somewhere.
I used to be a service manager and know things like this happen too often. Sure, they replaced a broken part, but never really fix the original problem.
This doesn't sound like a heater core issue, maybe there is something else causing the heater core to leak, perhaps too much pressure on the inlet side or a restriction on the outlet. I'd bet there is something plugged in the cooling system, or maybe when they installed the first replacement heater core they kinked a line somewhere.
I used to be a service manager and know things like this happen too often. Sure, they replaced a broken part, but never really fix the original problem.
Thanks for the info that makes more sense. I will call the dealership and tell them to check the things you stated and we will take it from there! Again thanks.
I have 05 and just replaced it last week and it failed again today. going in with it tomorrow. Leak is a lot faster now. I had cleaned the carpet 3 days ago but havent re-insulated. Tech on phone said maybe a crack in the housing ??? my statement was woudlnt that have surfaced in a pressure test ? tech didnt think they woudl do one. Any thoughts
Yes, in the shop I work at I am the only one whom I know of who has done a heatercore in a wk in the 2.5 years Ive been there. I am sure others have but it is a really uncommon thing (unlike the wj). IIRC the heatercore has long tubes off of it that run from the passanger side of the firewall to the middle of the dash where the heater core is located... it is not uncommon to get a box that has been kicked around and have these all bent out of shape.
Ultimately, it could be anything, but the pressure to pop a proven heatercore would be REALLY excessive, not really a pressure differential due to a plugged line (you would likely have a no heat or heat for moments at a time before it continues to pop a tough heater core. My grand was driven on with a severely blown head gasket until the night the PO shut it off and if filled cyl8 up with enough coolant to hydrolock it in the morning. So cy8 was pumping pressure into the cooling system every other revolution of the crankshaft. Not to mention I have 177k on the clock and counting. All of that to say it could absolutely be incompatence, crappy parts, or misdiagnosis'ies, and being a guy that has seen map sensors built for a car not function on the car (a mopar map sensor) multiple transmissions replaced before we got a good reman.... and I have seen crappy techs break stuff. It could be many things, but not knowing the situation, the tech or the dealer I would not be comefortable pointing my finger at just one problem.
Good luck above all, its a crappy situation, and hopefully it gets sorted out for you!
I think I also have this problem. I replaced my heater core a couple of months ago, I did it myself, so I know there isn't a kink (atleast not that I could see?) I have weathertech floor mats so i never really see the carpet, but I noticed right after I changed the heater core that the carpet was still pretty wet with coolant, I shampooed it and vacuumed the hell out of it, left the weathertech in the cargo area for a few days, it looked ok after so I put the mat back in. Every once in a while I would feel the carpet on the passenger side of the center console to see if it was wet or still leaking. It's not wet there, But yesterday I lifted the floor mat and my carpet is soaked in coolant. It's only right in the bottom of the footwell not on the sides at all, I have no idea where it's coming from. I keep checking my coolant tank and it's slowly dropping. hopefully we can get this figured out.
Hey how's it going i also have an 2005 gc with the hemi. I have put five of them in my jeep I have the exact same one I was wondering if you ever figured out what the problem was
Just dropped mine off at shop last week for the third heater core, in less than a year. Guy at the shop said he's going to check for electrolysis in the coolant system and to pray that it wasn't that. Said there's no known fix for that. Told another guy to get a volt meter and put it on the battery terminal and then the other in the coolant without touching anything else. Worth a try to check maybe, though not sure if it would make you feel better knowing what it is and that you probably couldn't fix it. Will update once he checks everything over, AGAIN, but hopefully much more thoroughly this time!
Electrolysis can be a real nightmare in modern dual metal cooling systems. Once electrolysis has started, it really is difficult to stop it, even after many flushes. Best is prevention, ie changing the coolant before electrolysis ever starts. It is indeed a good idea to measure the voltage differential between the battery negative and the other probe in the coolant through the radiator cap, without touching any metal part of the radiator. Any voltage above 0.3V is too much and corrective action is needed to prevent electrolysis to "eat" away the aluminum parts (which normally presents itself first at the thinnest parts, heater core and/or radiator cooling fins, but is happening at all the aluminum parts at the same time). The way to prevent this type of electrolysis is to use a sacrificial anode made of zinc. The electrolysis still occurs, but will "eat" away the sacrificial anode instead of the aluminum.
Besides this mentioned chemical electrolysis, there is also an other form called stray voltage electrolysis. This form of electrolysis is caused by bad grounding of an electrical component and can be a very rapid way of electrolysis, depending on how bad the grounding is and the current drawn. With a bad ground, the voltage will try to find an other way back to the battery negative, and this can be easily found via the coolant. If for example the ground for the starter motor is not perfect, then a reasonable high current can pass through the coolant and create leaks rapidly at heater core or radiator cooling fins.
For those interrested in this fenomena, have a look at this site:http://www.ve-labs.net/electrolysis-101/how-to-prevent
Had a heater core leaking in another car, and a reputable mechanic who runs a custom speed shop recommended K seal to me. He has used in many vehicles and never failed. I used one bottle and after 50k still no leaks, and I run the heck outa the motor. It has temperature sensative ceramic fibers that react and coagulate to peramanently seal the leak, without restricting flow in the cooling system. I've not changed coolant since adding it and zero issues. For just a few bucks, can't say enough about this product.
Eventhough this product can very well seal any leak, it could hide a problem named straw voltage electrolysis. If for example the ground for an electrical component is not working perfectly, the current will search for an other way back to the battery. This can go v ia the cooling system, which liquid can become a good conductor, and eat away the aluminum. Over time this can destroy the engine cooling system internally.
Actually besides my Fusion Hybrid, my husbands SRT8 is the only vehicle we've had that hasn't been modified. It's bone stock! Fully loaded from factory so there's enough electrical in it to cause a problem already.
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