RE: Leaking heater core

["Dupree, Jim" <dupree@alldata.com>]

I have used it a couple of times in the past with satisfactory results but
never in one of my Audi's just old Fords.
We had a customer that was a retired Used Car Salesman that was constantly
trying to fix anything/everything on his Audi with a can of something or
another. He added radiator sealer to avoid replacing a leaking radiator. Two
weeks latter he was in complaining of No heat, we back flushed the junk out
of his heater core. When summer rolled around he was in complaining of
engine overheating, radiator was plugged up enough to overheat. He declined
to have us send the radiator out for repair or replace it. A week or so
latter he was back this time his radiator and heater core leaking, he had
bought some radiator flush and added it to the cooling system. He drove it a
day or 2 then flushed it with a garden hose adapter that came with the
radiator flush. By the time he was through flushing it he needed a radiator
and a heater core. He may have over pressurized the system with the garden
hose if he didn't open the expansion tank cap and he may have had to replace
the heater core about then anyway. So I can't say all his problems were from
the radiator sealer but I think of him every time some one asks me about
sealers and other snake oils.

A side note: Jaguar recommends adding "Bars Leak" at each major maintenance.

Jim Dupree

		-----Original Message-----
		From:	Huw Powell [mailto:audi@mediaone.net]
		Sent:	Tuesday, December 28, 1999 12:25 PM
		To:	Tom Nas
		Cc:	quattro@audifans.com
		Subject:	Re: Leaking heater core

		> How are your collective views on using coolant system
sealers (e.g. Bars
		> Leaks) to fix a 'sweating' heater core? 

		Used the stuff once in my 83 5kt to stop some small leak.
It clogged
		the expansion tank lower hose, making it always look like
the coolant
		was fine.  Until it ran down to below the temp sender...
Better for the
		car for you drive with it leaking.  Better for you to fix it
right.

		-- 
		Huw Powell

		http://www.humanspeakers.com/audi/

		82 Audi Coupe; 84 4kq; 85 Coupe GT; 73 F250

		http://people.ne.mediaone.net/audi/thoughts.htm