Seems when I fix one thing, another breaks. Over the past few days I've noticed coolant dripping from under my passenger foot well. I popped the bonnet and noticed coolant dripping from where one of the heater hoses meets at the firewall. I tightened it and the dripping stopped.

 

Today its been dripping again, but this time I opened the passenger door to find a massive pool of coolant inside the car.

I've been told that it must be the heater core. But as you can see in the pic below, the carpet directly under the heater/fan is dry. All the carpet along the firewall is wet, along with the cardboard thingo and the sponge.

I can't figure out where the leak is coming from and can't make it leak. As far as I can see its not using coolant and the radiator is full. I ran the car this afternoon in my front yard with the heater on and no drips, nothing.

It must be the copper pipes but inside the firewall.

Another thing, I'm not sure if its normal, but I hear this in the mornings when I turn on the car. Its the sound of water glowing somewhere down there. I hope its inside the heater tho.

 

Also, a few weeks ago I was cleaning my car and I found the carpet under the passenger mat was soaked. I just assumed it was from my windshield as it leaks too. So it could have been going for a while.

 

Does anyone have any thoughts on what it could be or something I could do to test??

 

Is there a way to remove the copper pipes without removing everything?? Cause I think I'd have to remove the whole dash to get to the box.

 

 

 

On another note, does anyone know if the heater/fan is the same in the cars with the air-conditioner??

one thing JiP its your heater core mate!

Heater core or the hoses running to it.

 

Make sur eyou get that fixed other a passenger may end up with a heap of coolant all over their legs with the core or hose bursts, like what happened to a friend of mine when she was in my Yellow KE25.

 

Lucky she had ultra-quick reflexes and pulled up the floor mat to protect her legs.

Run a bypass where the heater core comes in an goes out till you get a chance to remove and fix it..

may be the valve that shuts the flow of water to the core when you don't want the heater on. From memory its not part of the heater core but attatched to one of the hoses under the dash.

may be the valve that shuts the flow of water to the core when you don't want the heater on. From memory its not part of the heater core but attatched to one of the hoses under the dash.

 

 

Agreed.

I had the same issue many a year ago. The valve was stuffed, most likely from age or even me tugging on the pipes trying to pull the hoses off during the many engine changes.

 

At the time they were still available through Toyota Genuine Parts. A bit pricey though at around $80.

If it is the heater tap and you have to go genuine let me know I get Toyota parts at cost price.

just by pass it and see if you get any more leaks... if you do, then you have a problem :locked:

I think I found what my problem is...

 

But that brings up a new problem. Can I straighten it or will it weaken it and make it crack?? Cause I think since the hose was butten up against the firewall, all the coolant went inside the car though the gap.

Did you tighten that one up the other day?

 

That one wasn't removed when the head was taken off.

I know it wasn't and no, I tightened the other one. Which I removed first to check and it was fine. Should I attempt to fix it or will I fracture the pipe??

You can sometimes straighten them out, Just be careful when you are doing it, Id say that the cooling system flush has disrupted a previous problem.

Well here is the kink... (Side angle)

So as said I looped the heater hoses together.

After that I went inside and got thinking. I do have a spare heater/fan unit in the garage so I decided to pull it out and have a look. Seems this pipe was easily removable. So I went back to it and swapped them over. (Note there is still coolant in the lines :locked: Now my carpet is even more green)

Old left, new right...

So I swapped them all over and fitted everything back. I did chop the end of the heater hose that was on the kinked pipe as it had formed the kinked shape. I just didn't want it to bend this one too. I then ran the car and heater and tightened any clamps where I saw leaks.

 

I hope that works. Cross your fingers for me.

That really sucks, you'll probably have to take you car to a proper car carpet cleaner to get the green tinge out of it.

Glad to hear that you fixed it now tho Jon :locked:

Well carpet is on the list of things needing to replace anyway. Most of that passenger carpet is loopless but is covered by a mat anyway. I just need to buy a new windshield seal first to ensure all leaks are plugged before the carpet comes in.