where is the heater core?

I am having an antifreeze smell in my venture van, but I can not find the heater core.

I got 3 chilton manuals and none are very detailed, as the examples are for the 3.8L Pontiac van.

I have put this thing on jack stands and crawled under and around it and can find now hoses into the fire wall.

This is the most difficult vehicle I have ever worked on.

I might take the console apart and see if there is any antifreeze in the box, as the manual does say that is part of the procedure.

Any tips would be most appreciated.

Thanks,

Tom Smith

ok, I just did this heater core replacement on my 99' (front heater core) is that the info you need?

Sorry. Yes the front heater core.

My van doesn't have the rear heating /cooling.

I didn't think the clarify that.

Thanks

ok, the heater core hoses are driver side firewall, left side of the brake booster. they are vertically stacked one on top of the other. The top hose (inlet) is connected to the water pump bypass line with a 3/4 quick release fitting and the lower hose (return) is connectr to the manifold bypass line which leads directly back to the water pump. SECOND PART the heater core is center, bottomof firewall directly behind floor storage(or cd player) which you will have to remove to access heater core.( two screws behind slide out drawer). Then you will need to remove the support stand for the dash(two nuts on top:driverside has a ground strap on it) and the two under the carpet! So you will need to pull up the door sile plates ,kick panels and roll carpet back: to access both lower nuts, one on either side of rear heater duct. This will allow you room to get at the heater duct retaining tab , which will allow you to move it down and to the right or left to remove it( it is tough so use some muscle). Is this helping?

Helping? Ya, man. Awesome instructions. But I'll have to wait until it's a little warmer to do all this now. We had a cold spell.

If I can't follow those instructions, then I have no business doing this at all. But it does look like a tough reach from under the hood.

This Van is just difficult to work on.

I visited a mechanic friend last night and he was into putting an intake gasket on a 3.4L in a car. I told him I would let him do mine if it ever went.

I feel lucky after reading these posts on coolant issues. 112,000 miles and no intake leaks, just had to replace 3 coolant temp sensor units and flush the cooling system every time.

Once this heater core is replaced, I am hoping it will be good. And I switched to G-05 coolant last week.

Where did you get your heater core, from the dealer? The parts places in town do not sell them and can not get them.

Thanks again.

I got my heater core off line from www.rockauto.com., like you my local store did not have it. 122k miles wow, mine blew after 71k, since you have so many miles=time; my heater hoses where really stuck on the heater core pipes;i could move the whole van by pulling on the hoses. I ended up taking an air saw to the inner pipes(under dash) as close to the firewall as i could. This allowed me to pull the hoses up(engine side) and using pliers remove the remainder of the inlet/outlet pipes, just a little trick to help you. good luck and let me/us no if we can help anymore