My corolla is leaking coolant, just replaced radiator what is going on?

Question

It was recommended we replace the heating core now when I press gas I can hear coolant being lost and there is coolant in my driver floorboard.

Pepboys wants to charge 816 to change the core are there other things that can be done to stop the leak? I live in CA we don't need heat

Answer 1

Make sure it isn't a plugged up drain in the air conditioner sloshing out condensation in the car. I'm saying that because you saw you don't need the heater. Even the desert gets cold sometimes, but your part of California isn't like my part of California. Take a look at the water pump for leaking from the weep hole. If that's it, replace the pump- it's very easy to do. Does your radiator get low on coolant? If not, there is no leak. Changing the heater core is a lot of work excavating into the dash, so be sure about where any leak might be before the tools are brought out. They will also dismantle the bank account through the wallet. Ask Toyota service what their cost is and compare that to PepBoys. Toyota service knows how to do it right. Pep Boys is famous for effing up peoples' cars.

Answer 2

Yes, you Need heater core , even in Ca. You May be in the Gold Country. You did not indicate. We need defrosters sometimes in Tucson!



Hardest part is removing dash. Get a junkyard heater core.



REF: Replaced Chevy core, not That hard, Get a power screwdriver. Lived in CA 40 years--some parts get Cold! Took 5 minutes to get defroster working in V8 Ford in winter in Napa Valley...



Pep Boys s++.Said I had Vac leak when car still got 38 MPG! I said, Work Harder . They finally admiitted to a mistake.

Answer 3

Upon doing some quick research it sounds like the heater core on a late model corolla is a expensive job however without knowing the exact year I don't know for sure. Your first problem is going to Pepboys because Pepboys and other chain operated stores are notorious for bad service, shotty work, and scams/unnecessary upsells. Your best bet is to find a independent repair shop that has a lot of good reviews and go there to get a quote. Like the others suggested you may be able to opt for the heater core to be bypassed (which would be much cheaper and you may never need to use the heat since your in CA).

Answer 4

If you don't need heat, you can get n appropriate sized hose coupler and tie the two heater hoses together at the ends thereby bypassing the heater core altogether.

Answer 5

You should list what year your Corolla is.



These are all good answers about bypassing the heater core. But if the heater core has corroded, chances are your coolant has not been changed on time and the pH level is too acidic. That means it is eating away at other parts. The green stuff is only good for about 6 month. The red is good for years.



BUT DO NOT TRUST Pepboys!!! When I got some tires from them, they once told me my fuel filter was past due and needs to be changed every 30k miles when it is a LIFETIME filter. And they said they have to remove the fuel tank to do it. Truthfully, all you do is lift the back seat and BINGO access to the pump and filter! They quoted me $600 for a job that is not needed and can be done for maybe $100 at most. So they are VERY likely overestimating the cost of replacing the heater core. It is usually around a $40 or so part. So that means they are wanting to charge you for several hours of labor. They are clueless. And they will screw up your interior doing it.



I do all the maintenance on my Toyotas (which thankfully is very little) on my own unless it requires special equipment or a serious job that is best done on a lift. I let Toyota do all the other work, except tires.



Call your local Toyota service center and ask them how much it REALLY costs. Or better yet, get a repair manual and learn how to do it yourself. It is usually an easy job. You just got to learn how to get access to it. I've changed them before on other cars.



Just adding to the advice and p you not get screwed over by inferior work shops.

Answer 6

Yes, there are two hoses under hood that goes thru firewall that carries coolant inside to heater core. Just disconnect from firewall fittings and connect them together with connector. That will stop coolant from entering heater core inside of car. Might want to blow excess coolant out of heater core also.

Answer 7

Find the two heater hose nipples on the engine. Remove one of the hoses completely. Remove the end of the other one that is now connected to the heater core and connect it to the other nipple on engine the other to make a loop between them. This bypasses the heater core and stops the leak. Of course the heater won't work anymore either, but the leak will be fixed cheap.

Answer 8

Take the two heater core hoses off and join them together with a cheap flushing"T" that you can buy at any auto parts store