Hi guys my name is Zach, i am a TOTAL ROOKIE AS FAR AS CAR STUFF GOES and i have a 2000 dodge durango that has got coolant coming through the vents...ive been reading alot online lately and it seems that the heater core has gone bad. The car stays at a good temp but more and more coolant is coming through and i have decided to try and change it out myself........ i am about half way through this project (90% of the dashboard is out) and im starting to feel pretty overwhelmed.

i have not drained the radiator yet, i have not drained the freon from the A/C system, (i have no idea where to start with that, or if it is essential or if id go to jail for doing it the wrong way??) and i hope my steering wheel still goes straight when i try to put everything back together

There are wires everywhere and im not as worried about that but if somebody can give me some pro tips or a step by step as to how i should have done this it would be much appreciated. I have always wanted to learn and be good with cars but never dove in until now, so far what i have learned is that planning ahead and doing lots of research is essential im willing to step back and really listen to just about anything anybody has to say THANKS

 

You should visit the Dakota forum now and then. Hope this helps. The OP is still very active there, so hit him up if you need help.

https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...h-removal.html

 

If you have the dash 90% out you are closer to being done than you think.

I think this video is a pretty good "how to" for the job.


I've done a bunch of these on a variety of cars, and I'd say the job on the Dodge is a big job but not a hard job. The engineers have done some things that make the job easier than some other cars, like the sliders on the dash pad. The one thing they've done that makes the job a little bit bigger than other cars is putting the cores inside a big box behind the dash. Because of this air box both cores have to be disconnected and the box has to be removed to finish the job. Not hard, just more, and once you get past this step it all goes together very quickly.

Based on your own description of your experience, I think the only thing that you won't be able to do is recharge the A/C when your all done, so you'll want to have that done by a pro. Even an experienced shade tree mechanic typically lacks the tools to do this.

 

hey guys thank you for the quick replies. I have been pressing on and i put the dash back on in order to drive it to a shop and get the freon sucked out, but now the car will not start, o crank, but the lights, shifter, heat, all work. The only electrical things that dont seem right are that the dummy lights dont turn on and the that the radio will not play any music, it shows the the time on the radio but no music. thx again for all the help

 

I recently started a similar project on my 2003 Dodge Durango SLT. Started to notice coolant evaporating off the heater core which was my queue to replace it.


I started earlier this week and removed the coolant. Also used this time to replace the upper and lower radiator hoses, the coolant was drained anyways. The upper hose was cake, the lower hose required some small-hand assistance from one of my kids.


I also purchased 8 new spark plugs and ignition coils. Currently in the process of replacing those this week.


The heater core, blower motor, and blower motor fuse are scheduled for Saturday.