Heater Core Change

[civicdemon91]

Ok Need To Change Out My Heater Core Need Help On How To Do An Where To Start

[Tony]

Well your in for some fun. I haven't had to pull a heater core out of a 4th gen yet, but pulled them from several other makes and models, and just about every one of them....excluding some trucks...you have to pull out your whole dash in order to get it out.

The first thing you need to do is pop the hood and find the heater hoses going into the firewall...usually around the middle of the firewall. You will see 2 hoses, usually 1 right above the other, or side by side. Somehow disconnect both those hoses at the firewall, you may have to disconnect them at the motor to help turn the clamp around, either way they are a pain in the ass with the motor in, I'm lucky and usually get to pull them with the motor out. Hopefully if you have an a/c, you can get around leaving all that disconnected, dunno for sure.

Next, locate where the heater core is in the car, usually right behind the center console. If so, start figuring out how to pull the dash out. One good first step is take off any of the lower panels and glove box, and undo any bolts or screws you see there. I haven't had to take the dash out of my 4th gen, so I can't give you a step by step walk through on it. Usually there are bolts/screws underneath, 1 or 2 on the sides if the cover comes seperate from the brace, and maybe some up at the defrost vents. If the dash cover doesn't come seperate, there are either 2 or 3 bolts on the side of the dash, you will have to go underneath to get to. Then usually some bolts around the steering column, and some bolts at the center console behind all the bezels on the side. And ofcourse, check behind the gauge cluster.

Once you get that over with, the rest is rather simple. The heater core will be in the fair left big black box. There are usually 3 or 4 10mm bolts holding it in, and maybe a clamp or another screw holding it to the A/C Evaporator core box to the right of it. You might have to disconnect your a/c lines and take that box out first, but hopefully not so you don't have to recharge your a/c system.
I wish i could give you more specifics on it, but haven't had to pull the dash out of a 4th gen yet. I have pulled one from a 5th and it was rather simple...then i had to pull one from a 6th gen and it was a major pain in the ass. Ive worked in a salvage yard for 3 months now and had to pull quite a few heater cores, and most of the time they are a big pain in the ass. Those are just the steps that I usually go through when I have to pull a dash. The easy way to tell if the cover comes seperate from the brace is if you see any screws holding the cover in, that you have to break your arm in 3 different places to get to....your supposed to take the cover off after you get the whole thing out.

Good luck.