I have 2 Magnas, just waiting for the heater cores to spring the famous leak . . . . :eek2:

I'm just wondering when to expect them to go. :hmm:

Is it related to the age of the car, or the number of Km (and hence hours of exposure to hot coolant on the plastic elbows/seals) on the car?

Any info, opinions from the dash out/dash in experts appreciated.:happy:

Mine happened at about 360,000k's but ive seen them happening quite a bit earlier too.

I don't try to suggest when they will go, I just say "bugger" and fix it.

Agreed, mine went at only 120,000 kms (car was 9 years old at the time though). Didn't really want to remove the dash again for the rest of the time I've got this car, so I replaced the O rings, heater core, plastic hose connector thingys & the hoses.

My Tj VRX has done 177000 and has already gone....lower hose. $1000.00 to fix via Mitsis.

A grand to do this, hell, that is a lot....

Max, there is no time frame, they just start leaking

Do a search, I did a step by step a few years back many have used over the years

Very methodical but easy job. Make sure you buy the spigots as well, as the seals are cheap but the plastic spigots tend to be brittle and break off when moving them around through the fire wall or taking hoses off.

$36 each spigot from spare parts (you need 2) and $3 each for the seals.

8 hour job. I can understand the dealers charging a fortune as many have $150 p/h labour rates.

Mike

I'd say it has more to do with how many hot/cold cycles the cooling system has been through rather than age and Km. Bit like radiators with plastics tanks. Every time they warm up the plastic expands and then contracts when it cools down. This causes fatigue in the material, reach a certain number of cycles and it will crack.

My 2000 KH is still ok with 269k's guess it could start leaking anytime, just like I'm waiting for the transmission to die also considering the age and k's of the car

360,000km in my TH and never sprung a leak - then again the heater didn't get a lot of use on the Gold Coast - but maybe that should have caused more rot?

360,000km in my TH and never sprung a leak - then again the heater didn't get a lot of use on the Gold Coast - but maybe that should have caused more rot?

There is no heater tap in these cars so the coolant is always flowing through the heater core.

I guess it is just a matter of taking things as they come, if it leaks, deal with it. No point worrying about it really.

There is no heater tap in these cars so the coolant is always flowing through the heater core.

Ah then probably it is just as well to ensure you get your engine coolant replaced regularly and to the right blend as I'm told it acts as an anti corrosion element as well as anti freeze and boil.

The heater core on our car sprung a leak prior to buying it and has simply been by-passed.. I was toying with the idea of replacing it but guessing we won't really need to use the heater to be fair.
I take it that it is a dash-out job then?

When it leaks does it leak onto the ecu?

My old tx3 laser did that back in the day, shorted it out and cost me a crap load for a replacement ecu!

I had mine replaced in August 2012 @ 198k, as one of the pipes/spigots snapped when replacing a heater hose.