[urq] Heater core replacement

[Louis-Alain Richard]

Can't say for sure, but I think the heater core is on its way out. I had a
very small puff of steam on the passenger side, but no smell in the cabin.
Anyway, time to replace it since it's still nice outside, and this is the
last bit of the cooling system to replace. I'd rather do it now than just
before the first ice lapping day in January.

 

I bought a heater core from my usual place. 90$CDN is expensive, but when I
said that I saw some 14$ heater core from a VW website, they answered "well,
this unit is made by Behr, the OEM on your Audi, and it is not a cheap
Chinese copy". "OK" I said, since the first one lasted 27 years, I can spend
90$ to get another quarter century of leakproof heating. But when I did open
the box here at home, that beautiful Behr heater core (plastic end tanks and
aluminum core) is stamped "Made in China". Oh well. 

Is the one on the car made of brass or is it like the replacement unit ?

 

And how big is this job ? Is it a 2-beer job or more like a weekend project,
with skinned knuckles, mostly damped carpet and back ache for the next week
?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Louis-Alain

PS : there is no video of me installing the door handle from the outside,
Brandon, my fingers are just too big. So I dismantled the door card, not
once but twice because I forgot to replug the vacuum locking hose. So my
"new" pins and all are now as flimsy as the ones I just replaced last week.
Oh well (#2).