[V6-12v] blown heater core

Fri Apr 28 12:38:28 EDT 2006

Having tackled this one last summer, I think I can answer some of your 
questions.

1. Oh hell yes.It'll be gooey and wet in there. Be careful not to rip up the 
foam lining on the door flaps. I apparently did and now there's always some 
warm air leaking in. Only when AC is on is it not noticeable -- if you know 
to look for it. Old foam+glue =delicate.

2. Nope.German engineering. 

3. Stop leak = glue = mess. Leave it alone. When you see what comes out after 
draining a system it's been used on, you'll never consider it again.

4. Sure, but a length of flexible hose would be best. It's tight back there, 
so being able to route it around without pinching or rubbing firewall would 
be best. I used a brass connector, and didn't see any real corrosion on the 
connector or scaling. You plan on getting to it relatively soon, so I 
wouldn't worry either way.

5.Sure.

HTH
W.Bell

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Sent: Fri, 28 Apr 2006 12:00:02 -0400
Subject: V6-12v Digest, Vol 30, Issue 5

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> Today's Topics:
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>    1. The smell of curry soup (blown heater core) (Tom Christiansen)
>    2. Re: The smell of curry soup (blown heater core) (The CyberPoet)
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Message: 1
> Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 18:58:10 -0700
> From: "Tom Christiansen" <tomchr at gmail.com>
> Subject: [V6-12v] The smell of curry soup (blown heater core)
> To: v6-12v at audifans.com
> Message-ID:
> 	<bb8f6e4c0604271858n1a4ba5devbfba572aa8b3c6f9 at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
> 
> Folks,
> 
> My 1994 90S has started to consume coolant and I have noticed the
> smell of curry soup in the car lately. Now, I don't really mind curry
> soup, but the smell of it -- especially when it comes from the vents
> is indicative of a blown heater core. Damn!!
> 
> I understand that changing the heater core involves tearing the 
> entire dash apart. Thus, I'd prefer to have a 3-day weekend 
> available for this. Conveniently Memorial day is only a month away. 
> But I'm not sure the core will last that long...
> 
> Are the stop leak products safe to use on Audi engines with the red coolant?
> 
> Is there a "back road" to the heater core that allows it to be 
> changed without having to tear the dash apart?
> 
> If I were to "bridge" the two hoses by the firewall, would the use of
> copper or brass pipe corrode the aluminum block through galvanic
> action?
> 
> Now that I'm "in there anyway" what else would you suggest I change 
> or inspect? A/C evaporator? (The A/C still works)
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Tom
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 2
> Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 23:10:41 -0400
> From: The CyberPoet <thecyberpoet at cyberpoet.net>
> Subject: Re: [V6-12v] The smell of curry soup (blown heater core)
> To: "Tom Christiansen" <tomchr at gmail.com>
> Cc: v6-12v at audifans.com
> Message-ID: <DC44102F-1429-46DD-B0CC-6F0FBC40D186 at cyberpoet.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed
> 
> I don't have answers to most of your questions (I've been fortunate  
> enough not to have to do anything to the heater core on the Audi yet 
>  -- the VW Golf was a PIA and I went through three of them in three  
> years before obsoleting the car)... The ones I do have answers for:
> 
> 1. Suggest you clean out the air passages your can reach and the A/C 
>  coils if you can access them while in there.
> 2. Any car can be rerouted so that the heater hose doesn't go 
> through  the dash -- but I'd suggest using a new, longer hose to 
> make the loop  instead of bridging the existing hoses together with 
> a connector.
> 3. (not asked) some radiator places fabricate their own cores -- if  
> you find the dealer price on the core too painful, you might want to 
>  consider getting an estimate on a fab'd up replacement using the 
> same  case (they'll want the old one to use the brackets, etc from).
> 
> Keep us posted!
> 
> Cheers
> =-= Marc Glasgow
> 
> On Apr 27, 2006, at 9:58 PM, Tom Christiansen wrote:
> 
> > Folks,
> >
> > My 1994 90S has started to consume coolant and I have noticed the
> > smell of curry soup in the car lately. Now, I don't really mind curry
> > soup, but the smell of it -- especially when it comes from the vents
> > is indicative of a blown heater core. Damn!!
> >
> > I understand that changing the heater core involves tearing the entire
> > dash apart. Thus, I'd prefer to have a 3-day weekend available for
> > this. Conveniently Memorial day is only a month away. But I'm not sure
> > the core will last that long...
> >
> > Are the stop leak products safe to use on Audi engines with the red  
> > coolant?
> >
> > Is there a "back road" to the heater core that allows it to be changed
> > without having to tear the dash apart?
> >
> > If I were to "bridge" the two hoses by the firewall, would the use of
> > copper or brass pipe corrode the aluminum block through galvanic
> > action?
> >
> >
> > Now that I'm "in there anyway" what else would you suggest I change or
> > inspect? A/C evaporator? (The A/C still works)
> >
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Tom
> > _______________________________________________
> > V6-12v mailing list
> > V6-12v at audifans.com
> > http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/v6-12v
> 
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