[flwbyu]

I noticed yesterday when I looked at my floor mat on the passenger side that the color had gone from black to white on the top left corner. So, I pulled the mat and noticed fluid puddled in the top left corner of the passenger footlwell. I cleaned it all up, pulled out the floor mat and let it set over night. The next morning it was dry and did not show any signs of leaking fluid. I drove to work this morning and when I came home there was a puddle of radiator fluid again in the passenger footwell.

I am worried that my carpeting is going to be stained and turn white from the radiator fluid leaking all over the carpet. Anyone have this problem or know what is going on?

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[968rz]

I've never see anti-freeze stain carpet white (but I haven't seen everthing). My first impresion (with out seeing it) would be leaking heater core or heater hoses.

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[flwbyu]

968rz,



I have not heard of ant-freeze being able to stain carpet either but something did because my black floor mat is now white in the corner. I plan to get it to my mechanic in the morning and hope it does not cost me an arm. The smell is the worst. I hope I will be able to clean it out. Thanks for the comment!

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[Darth Vadar]

Any chance you have a rust thru from the battery box, and rain water is leaking down past the battery and getting a bit of battery acid mixed in? That will turn a carpet all sorts of bad colors!

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[Ceenit]

Sounds like a heater core. I haven't had the issue on the 968, but I did have it in a few other cars. Someone else may be able to post how easy it is to get to, or if you have to pull the dash.



You should be able to tell by the smell if it is coolant.

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[94SilverCab]

Bob Kovacs presented a solution at the 968 Celebration in Virginia. It is common for the battery box to rust through and leak into the foot wells. The battery needs to be removed and the area dremelled out and lined with fiberglass(?) and epoxy.



Regards,



Jay

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[chris]

Is there two issues?



1 - a coolant leak

2 - a hole in the firewall?



A quick wash of the engine bay should tell you if you have a hole somewhere

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[flwbyu]

Well,



My Mechanic/tuner told me that the leak is coming from the heater core. I am not exactly sure what that is but I assume it has to do with the AC/Heat. In any event, @ $450 for the parts and $1,000 for labor. I was told that the heater core is located in the center of the car and that the entire dash would need to be removed thus the cost of labor. It will take several days to finish barring no other issues. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/sad.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[968rz]

[quote name='flwbyu' post='27810' date='Nov 10 2006, 07:01 PM']Well,



My Mechanic/tuner told me that the leak is coming from the heater core. I am not exactly sure what that is but I assume it has to do with the AC/Heat. In any event, @ $450 for the parts and $1,000 for labor. I was told that the heater core is located in the center of the car and that the entire dash would need to be removed thus the cost of labor. It will take several days to finish barring no other issues. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/sad.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />[/quote]

The heater core is like a small radiator in the dash. The water pump circulates the warm engine coolant thru the heater core (heat exchanger) to warm the cabin.

As for the cost (?) considering its a Porsche thats probably not bad, especially since the dash has to come out (real PITA doing that, been there <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/sad.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> )

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[flwbyu]

The heater core is like a small radiator in the dash. The water pump circulates the warm engine coolant thru the heater core (heat exchanger) to warm the cabin.

As for the cost (?) considering its a Porsche thats probably not bad, especially since the dash has to come out (real PITA doing that, been there sad.gif )

968rz,



I appreciate the description of the heater core. Understanding the mechanics of my porsche is one of those knowledge sets I am still learning. As for the cost, I have no objections because my mechanic/tuner is excellent. Besides, there is never a good time for car problems. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/rolleyes.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[94SilverCab]

Might be a good time to do some ogf the "while you're in there...." type things..Gauges, lghting, etc. Just a thought.



Regards,



Jay

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[Wolfgang]

[quote name='flwbyu' post='27810' date='Nov 11 2006, 03:01 AM']Well,



My Mechanic/tuner told me that the leak is coming from the heater core. I am not exactly sure what that is but I assume it has to do with the AC/Heat. In any event, @ $450 for the parts and $1,000 for labor. I was told that the heater core is located in the center of the car and that the entire dash would need to be removed thus the cost of labor. It will take several days to finish barring no other issues. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/sad.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />[/quote]





... just read this now, almost 9 months after your post, and so it's probably of no value for you anymore... But maybe someone else gets the same problem:



I replaced my heater core last weekend (same symptoms: coolant in passenger foowell), and I can definitely tell you for sure: The dashboard doesn't need to be removed!!! You have to remove the glove box and a few air ducts behind it as well as some plastic parts covering the coolant lines. After that, you can disconnect the two coolant lines at the heater core (beware of about 3 liters of coolant coming out!) and pull the whole thing out!



The hardest thing was locating the screws which hold the air duct parts together, as a few of them are rather hidden and hardly accessible. Everything can be removed without brute force! If a part won't come out, there is still a screw in place! The whole work took me around 4-5 hours, but now I think I could do the same in about 1-2 hours. The only tools needed are one medium size philips screw driver, a small mirror and a small flashlight, and later, after coolant refill, a wrench for the bleeding valve.



The price of the new heater core was 320,--EUR here in Germany, but probably the old one could have been repaired with a blow torch as it was leaking at a soldering connection, so a DIY repair could be rather inexpensive...



Wolfgang

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[Cloud9...68]

Wolfgang,



What a great first post! This is the kind of thing that makes this forum so invaluable. Thanks, and welcome! Though you're right, it probably is too late for flwbyu, but it will help many others. I'll have to either mentally or physically file this away in case my heater core ever gives out.

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[968rz]

Wolfgang,

Welcome to the Forum and 968s also thanks for the input about NOT having to pull the dash to get the core out, it makes the idea of having to do it much easier to swallow (not that I need to but you never know)

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[Wolfgang]

...thanks for the welcome! I was longtime member at 968.net, but somehow most people seem to have moved to here.... I'm only here from time to time, as we have an excellent German Porsche forum with a big 968 section (www.pff-online.de). There I found great hints regarding the heater core thing and I felt I could look if someone else got this problem looking for help here...

Btw., I have a '93 968CS...

Wolfgang

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[frogisland]

Also have this problem - intake/outlet bypassed for now. My car is RHD....and i think it is on these that the dash has to be removed.



JP

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[SILVY968]

Wolfgang, or anyone else who has removed the heater core.

PLEASE help with some help on how to get the heater core removed. I see the input and output lines coming from the firewall, but they are covered with plastic plates. The plastic plate can be easily removed, but now there seems to be another assembly covering the core. I assume that the heater core at the base of the HVAC assembly, where these 2 lines go.



One of the lines, where it meets the core is wet. That's either a leak at the connection or the core. Either way it needs to come out.



More information other than "The hardest thing was locating the screws which hold the air duct parts together, as a few of them are rather hidden and hardly accessible." would be greatly appreciated.

Like where are the screws located, approx. it would save me tons of time.



Going in tomorrow am to see if I can get the core removed.

Will check back to see if there is more info posted or my cell is at the bottom of this post.



Thanks in advance to the group!

Brian

206-941-9386

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[Inkedupfatboy]

I felt a drip on my right ankle last week driving my car - I thought it might be A/C issue - condensation but after reading this thread now I am not sure.

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[Rap]

Could be the area in the middle of your bonnet by the windshield. Was it raining? There is a tube there that that I had a mouse naw through and cause collected water to drip on my ankle.

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[Inkedupfatboy]

Thanks Rap, I will have it checked out. I just forgot to mention it to my guy until I saw this thread.

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