help with my dodge ram

[cmdrcdy]

has anyone ever changed a heater core on a 02 ram 1500 i got around to checking and its leaking coolant through the vents at the bottom and i was wondering if anyone has a little more insite into this problem or if its just a bad hose or if i actually need to change out my heater core. Im sure im forgetting something so if you have any questions and ill answer them.

-Cody

[MooseSlash]

I'm sure people have changed the heater... Do you mean the engine block heater and which vents are leaking??

[Double G]

Typically the core is copper and aluminum and the pipes stick out of the firewall where the rubber hoses attach to it. If it was the hose then the leak would be in the engine compartment; since it is leaking out inside the vehicle very good chance the core has a hole in it. A temporary fix is you could disconnect the hoses going into core and connect them together but you will not have any heat.

[rjm2519]

I believe he means the hvac heater core that heats the interior of the truck. If you are getting coolant into cab area, there are no other culprits. I am sure you can find the procedure on autozone.com or somewhere online.

here you go!
https://www.google.com/search?q=02+d...hrome&ie=UTF-8

[cmdrcdy]

I'm sure people have changed the heater... Do you mean the engine block heater and which vents are leaking??

the floor vents and not its the heater core inside the cab

thank you for the info everyone.

[hatethmpr]

cody, its not going to be fun in anyway. you will be a contortionist by the time you are done. its gonna take you between 4 -6 hours. just being honest. but you will feel great by the time you are done.

[cmdrcdy]

ya but i cant be a contortionist my back doesnt bend like that any more :\ but i think im going to completly pull out the interior dash and everything and spray some rubberized coating on the metal so i guess thatll give me a good reason to do that.

[Redsawacs]

At home depot and lowes they sell thin rubberized flashing in rolls. its about 1/16" thick and has mailable flashing on one side. It is adhesive. It is used for installing metal roofs. Tons of restoration guys use it to line their floorboards and firewalls to reduce road noise, keep heat off their feet from engine and eats road vibrations that travel through your feet. its a lot like dynamat at a fraction of the cost

I have used it and I love it! Goes on fast and easy! Just unroll, lay out, cut, peel and stick!

[cmdrcdy]

that sounds like a great idea Red i didnt even think of using that stuff

[johnzillia54]

I know how to bit check every were like around the heater core hoses but the last thing you want to do is start throwing money at it

[Troy1965]

Ive done a 1998 dodge dakota heater core ..took about 8 hrs for me to do it my suggestion is to buy yourself a Haynes Repair manual .Showes step by step how to do it .

[cmdrcdy]

Ive done a 1998 dodge dakota heater core ..took about 8 hrs for me to do it my suggestion is to buy yourself a Haynes Repair manual .Showes step by step how to do it .

i usually use chiltons cause i get em for free on ako

[RCNason]

Not sure what the 3rd gen Rams are like, but I do know that the 94-01 Rams require removing the dash completely (or almost anyway) to change the heater core, so if you are considering stripping the interior that may be the best time to do the core. Luckily I haven't had to do it on my 98 (yet). Check out Dodgeforum.com for tips, that's the best site I've found for anything you want to know about any dodge. Been a member for years and I've learned a TON about these trucks there. Good luck!

[cmdrcdy]

ya 3rd gen rams are a nightmare to work on.