Re: Bypassing heater core & removing coolant

(Original thread: [url]http://tinyurl.com/br8dl[/url])

Well, the heater core is now flushed, then blown out with air. The
acrid fumes seem to be gone, but the acid test comes when I set fan on
ventilate. Since this could result in days of coughing if the problem
is still there, I am putting that off until certain deadlines and
committments are met this weekend.

The problem that led to this was negligence on my part: not checking
the oil, having a leak, and running the engine dry. It was replaced
with a used, non-rebuilt engine. Thereafter, the valve seals were
changed to eliminate black smoke in the exhaust. The only persistent
problem is a progressive drop in oil, and the acrid fumes. Someone
here suggested head gasket problem and a pin hole leak in the core,
which might cause coolant to mist into the passenger compartment due
to overpressurization of coolant. I talked to my mechanic about its
likelihood, considering the improvement in air quality with the
coolant bypassing the core. He is convinced that if there is a core
breach, it was not caused by the replacement engine. Any breach would
have happened with the old engine burning out, though he admitted that
was unlikely too.

What you guys think? He certainly has a point, if the head gasket was
good. There is every indication that it is: no cross contamination
between oil & coolant, no changing level of coolant, no blue/black
smoke, no film on the spark plugs or rusting of threads. On the other
hand, there is this steady oil loss, dropping from just above the
"high" mark on the dipstick to midway between "high" and "low" marks
over the span of 1700km. As well, it is hard to imagine exactly how
the core could be ruptured by running the engine dry prior to its
replacement.

Thanks for any thoughts on this.

Tercel Owner

P.S. About oil loss, what is acceptable? Is specified in liters/km,
or is it specified as how many km's it takes to go from the "high"
mark to the "low" mark? How many liters is it from high mark to low
mark? None of these seem to be addressed by the owner's manual. Is
the acceptable decrease in oil documented somewhere? What about the
volume from high mark to low mark? TIA...

"Tercel Owner" <Toyota@Tercel.com> wrote in message
news:42724563.E8705136@Tercel.com...[color=blue]
> (Original thread: [url]http://tinyurl.com/br8dl[/url])
>
> Well, the heater core is now flushed, then blown out with air. The
> acrid fumes seem to be gone, but the acid test comes when I set fan on
> ventilate. Since this could result in days of coughing if the problem
> is still there, I am putting that off until certain deadlines and
> committments are met this weekend.
>
> The problem that led to this was negligence on my part: not checking
> the oil, having a leak, and running the engine dry. It was replaced
> with a used, non-rebuilt engine. Thereafter, the valve seals were
> changed to eliminate black smoke in the exhaust. The only persistent
> problem is a progressive drop in oil, and the acrid fumes. Someone
> here suggested head gasket problem and a pin hole leak in the core,
> which might cause coolant to mist into the passenger compartment due
> to overpressurization of coolant. I talked to my mechanic about its
> likelihood, considering the improvement in air quality with the
> coolant bypassing the core. He is convinced that if there is a core
> breach, it was not caused by the replacement engine. Any breach would
> have happened with the old engine burning out, though he admitted that
> was unlikely too.
>[/color]
The heater core leak is unlikely to be caused by your former or current
engine unless the heater core was defective or in poor condition and the
engine overheated and the pressure at which the radiator cap rfeleases
pressure is higher than the weakened condition of the heater core could
withstand. If all 3 conditions were present, then it is only a matter of
time before the heater core starts leaking. The most likely cause of the
heater core leak, if there is one, is just old age and/or lack of
maintenance of the cooling system.
[color=blue]
> What you guys think? He certainly has a point, if the head gasket was
> good. There is every indication that it is: no cross contamination
> between oil & coolant, no changing level of coolant, no blue/black
> smoke, no film on the spark plugs or rusting of threads. On the other
> hand, there is this steady oil loss, dropping from just above the
> "high" mark on the dipstick to midway between "high" and "low" marks
> over the span of 1700km. As well, it is hard to imagine exactly how
> the core could be ruptured by running the engine dry prior to its
> replacement.
>
> Thanks for any thoughts on this.
>
> Tercel Owner
>
> P.S. About oil loss, what is acceptable? Is specified in liters/km,
> or is it specified as how many km's it takes to go from the "high"
> mark to the "low" mark? How many liters is it from high mark to low
> mark? None of these seem to be addressed by the owner's manual. Is
> the acceptable decrease in oil documented somewhere? What about the
> volume from high mark to low mark? TIA...
>[/color]
The generally accepted rule of thumb for oil loss/consumption is 1 quart per
1,000 miles, or 1 liter per 1,600 km.

The volume of oil from the high mark to the low mark is usually 1 or 2
quarts.
--
Ray O
correct the return address punctuation to reply

Ray O wrote:[color=blue]
> The heater core leak is unlikely to be caused by your former or current
> engine unless the heater core was defective or in poor condition and the
> engine overheated and the pressure at which the radiator cap rfeleases
> pressure is higher than the weakened condition of the heater core could
> withstand. If all 3 conditions were present, then it is only a matter of
> time before the heater core starts leaking. The most likely cause of the
> heater core leak, if there is one, is just old age and/or lack of
> maintenance of the cooling system.[/color]

OK. It's just freaky that the problem happened exactly when I got the
engine back. So I guess all 3 conditions must have been in effect.
I should get the cap pressure checked out, as well as then oil light.
So many stars were aligned, leading to the catastrophic failure....
[color=blue][color=green]
>>...there is this steady oil loss, dropping from just above the
>>"high" mark on the dipstick to midway between "high" and "low" marks
>>over the span of 1700km. As well, it is hard to imagine exactly how
>>the core could be ruptured by running the engine dry prior to its
>>replacement.
>>
>>P.S. About oil loss, what is acceptable? Is specified in liters/km,
>>or is it specified as how many km's it takes to go from the "high"
>>mark to the "low" mark? How many liters is it from high mark to low
>>mark? None of these seem to be addressed by the owner's manual. Is
>>the acceptable decrease in oil documented somewhere? What about the
>>volume from high mark to low mark? TIA...[/color]
>
> The generally accepted rule of thumb for oil loss/consumption is 1
> quart per 1,000 miles, or 1 liter per 1,600 km.
>
> The volume of oil from the high mark to the low mark is usually 1 or 2
> quarts.[/color]

Thanks, Ray. The local Mendes dealer/garage/body-shop says something
similar i.e. 2L from High to Low, 1L per 1000-1600km. That means I'm
a bit on the high side of typical. Ugh. So be it. I wonder how such
a low mileage engine gets such worn rings & valve seals. Let that be
a lesson to you boise & gills: don't forget to check yer oil......

Tercel Owner

"Tercel Owner" <Toyota@Tercel.com> wrote in message
news:42727f6f_1@x-privat.org...[color=blue]
> Ray O wrote:[color=green]
> > The heater core leak is unlikely to be caused by your former or current
> > engine unless the heater core was defective or in poor condition and the
> > engine overheated and the pressure at which the radiator cap rfeleases
> > pressure is higher than the weakened condition of the heater core could
> > withstand. If all 3 conditions were present, then it is only a matter
> > of
> > time before the heater core starts leaking. The most likely cause of
> > the
> > heater core leak, if there is one, is just old age and/or lack of
> > maintenance of the cooling system.[/color]
>
> OK. It's just freaky that the problem happened exactly when I got the
> engine back. So I guess all 3 conditions must have been in effect.
> I should get the cap pressure checked out, as well as then oil light.
> So many stars were aligned, leading to the catastrophic failure....[/color]

I'm not suggesting that your radiator cap is bad, although your mechanic
should have a device that checks the pressure that the cap will hold before
releasing.

For example, if a cap is designed to hold up to 45 pounds per square inch
and and if the cooling system pressure gets above that due to overheating,
then it will vent the pressure. When a cap vents, you see the clouds of
steam associated with an overheating car. If a part of the cooling system
is weak due to corrosion, damage, etc, it might leak at 5 or 10 PSI, much
less pressure than it would take a properly working radiator cap to vent.
[color=blue]
>[/color]

--
Ray O
correct the return address punctuation to reply

Ray O wrote:[color=blue][color=green]
>>[color=darkred]
>>>The heater core leak is unlikely to be caused by your former or current
>>>engine unless the heater core was defective or in poor condition and the
>>>engine overheated and the pressure at which the radiator cap rfeleases
>>>pressure is higher than the weakened condition of the heater core could
>>>withstand. If all 3 conditions were present, then it is only a matter
>>>of
>>>time before the heater core starts leaking. The most likely cause of
>>>the
>>>heater core leak, if there is one, is just old age and/or lack of
>>>maintenance of the cooling system.[/color][/color][/color]

<...snip...>
[color=blue]
> I'm not suggesting that your radiator cap is bad, although your mechanic
> should have a device that checks the pressure that the cap will hold before
> releasing.
>
> For example, if a cap is designed to hold up to 45 pounds per square inch
> and and if the cooling system pressure gets above that due to overheating,
> then it will vent the pressure. When a cap vents, you see the clouds of
> steam associated with an overheating car. If a part of the cooling system
> is weak due to corrosion, damage, etc, it might leak at 5 or 10 PSI, much
> less pressure than it would take a properly working radiator cap to vent.[/color]

That means the core was waiting to rupture in the first place. It makes
sense that if the engine heats up, the coolant would pressurize. Dang.
Thanks for drawing the picture of how it can happen. I won't be left
wondering if I was taken.

Tercel Owner

Greetings Tercel Owner

I first mentioned the heater core leakage lang ago. In my experence I was
retaling to you when I worked for an EMS service and we had a van
ambulance that we went through two heater cores before it was found the
cause was a leaking head gasket.

If you do not change the coolant in your vehicle on a regular schedule you
will get and deteriation of the cooling system both in ability to cool and
rust or worse.

If the heater core is your problem do this

(1) change it with a quality brand core, no junk yard parts also replace
all hoses and clamps (cheep insurance for future problems)

(2) change thermostat and radator cap with the proper ones

(3) have mechanic run vehicle to temperature and have in place a pressure
guage snd see if cooling system pressure changes out of normal range
before and after reaching operating temperature

You can have a leaking head gasket that does not leak all of the time,
temperature related or how about a cracked head/block also.

Sounds like you have agood mechanic that will work woth you, keep him/her

C.



In article <42730099$1_2@x-privat.org>, Tercel Owner <Toyota@Tercel.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
> Ray O wrote:[color=green][color=darkred]
> >>
> >>>The heater core leak is unlikely to be caused by your former or current
> >>>engine unless the heater core was defective or in poor condition and the
> >>>engine overheated and the pressure at which the radiator cap rfeleases
> >>>pressure is higher than the weakened condition of the heater core could
> >>>withstand. If all 3 conditions were present, then it is only a matter
> >>>of
> >>>time before the heater core starts leaking. The most likely cause of
> >>>the
> >>>heater core leak, if there is one, is just old age and/or lack of
> >>>maintenance of the cooling system.[/color][/color]
>
> <...snip...>
>[color=green]
> > I'm not suggesting that your radiator cap is bad, although your mechanic
> > should have a device that checks the pressure that the cap will hold before
> > releasing.
> >
> > For example, if a cap is designed to hold up to 45 pounds per square inch
> > and and if the cooling system pressure gets above that due to overheating,
> > then it will vent the pressure. When a cap vents, you see the clouds of
> > steam associated with an overheating car. If a part of the cooling system
> > is weak due to corrosion, damage, etc, it might leak at 5 or 10 PSI, much
> > less pressure than it would take a properly working radiator cap to vent.[/color]
>
> That means the core was waiting to rupture in the first place. It makes
> sense that if the engine heats up, the coolant would pressurize. Dang.
> Thanks for drawing the picture of how it can happen. I won't be left
> wondering if I was taken.
>
> Tercel Owner[/color]

"Tercel Owner" <Toyota@Tercel.com> wrote in message
news:42730099$1_2@x-privat.org...[color=blue]
> Ray O wrote:[color=green][color=darkred]
>>>
>>>>The heater core leak is unlikely to be caused by your former or current
>>>>engine unless the heater core was defective or in poor condition and the
>>>>engine overheated and the pressure at which the radiator cap rfeleases
>>>>pressure is higher than the weakened condition of the heater core could
>>>>withstand. If all 3 conditions were present, then it is only a matter
>>>>of
>>>>time before the heater core starts leaking. The most likely cause of
>>>>the
>>>>heater core leak, if there is one, is just old age and/or lack of
>>>>maintenance of the cooling system.[/color][/color]
>
> <...snip...>
>[color=green]
>> I'm not suggesting that your radiator cap is bad, although your mechanic
>> should have a device that checks the pressure that the cap will hold
>> before releasing.
>>
>> For example, if a cap is designed to hold up to 45 pounds per square inch
>> and and if the cooling system pressure gets above that due to
>> overheating, then it will vent the pressure. When a cap vents, you see
>> the clouds of steam associated with an overheating car. If a part of the
>> cooling system is weak due to corrosion, damage, etc, it might leak at 5
>> or 10 PSI, much less pressure than it would take a properly working
>> radiator cap to vent.[/color]
>
> That means the core was waiting to rupture in the first place. It makes
> sense that if the engine heats up, the coolant would pressurize. Dang.
> Thanks for drawing the picture of how it can happen. I won't be left
> wondering if I was taken.
>
> Tercel Owner[/color]

You're welcome! Good luck!
--
Ray O
correct the return address punctuation to reply

C. wrote:[color=blue]
> Greetings Tercel Owner
> I first mentioned the heater core leakage lang ago. In my experence I was
> retaling to you when I worked for an EMS service and we had a van
> ambulance that we went through two heater cores before it was found the
> cause was a leaking head gasket.
>
> If you do not change the coolant in your vehicle on a regular schedule you
> will get and deteriation of the cooling system both in ability to cool and
> rust or worse.
>
> If the heater core is your problem do this
>
> (1) change it with a quality brand core, no junk yard parts also replace
> all hoses and clamps (cheep insurance for future problems)
>
> (2) change thermostat and radator cap with the proper ones
>
> (3) have mechanic run vehicle to temperature and have in place a pressure
> guage snd see if cooling system pressure changes out of normal range
> before and after reaching operating temperature
>
> You can have a leaking head gasket that does not leak all of the time,
> temperature related or how about a cracked head/block also.
>
> Sounds like you have agood mechanic that will work woth you, keep him/her[/color]

He can be pretty good about some things, but I have to be careful. It
hasn't always been the case that I could have him (without
exasperation) elaborate on the findings & tasks on the work order so
that I knew the state of my car. Eventually, he accomodated my need
to know what was going on. This seemed to be a good thing to push
for, from discussion with a car-savvy friend; one needs to take
personal responsibility for the condition of one's car, regardless of
the professional services gotten. From what has happened since
changing the engine, this seems very true. There have been a spat of
things which make me less than comfortable about taking his assessment
at face value. For example, the mechanic has always been emphasizing
that the engine was good, there were no leaks, and the core was fine
(despite my detailing the possibilities learned here and from
discussion with friends). This is based on analysis of the exhaust,
lack of oil/coolant mixing, and lack of coolant film on the inside of
the windshield. Despite his assurances, changing the valve seals
/did/ solve the oily black fumes in the exhaust, there was a highly
visible leak where the crankshaft enters the transmission, and the air
/does/ seem easier to breathe with the coolant bypassing the core.
The oil leak wasn't found even after several visits. I would have
checked myself earlier, but my ramps are not easily accessible. In
the end, I crawled under without ramps, which meant doing a load of
laundry afterward, since I was force-fitting myself under the car
(had some trouble getting out).

On top of that (no pun intended), his method of tracking oil loss can
be somewhat disturbing-- the current mileage and oil level is compared
to a data point taken a while back, ignoring the fact that there was a
top-off to above the high mark about midway between then and now.
This was after the leak was fixed, and there was no paperwork done for
it, and hence no data point. This was pointed out, and partially
annotated in the current paper work. However, there was also a large
discrepancy between his current oil level reading and mine, which was
attributed to me not measuring it while it was cold (apparently very
inaccurate). I was waiting 5 minutes after the turning off the
ignition (owner's manual says wait a few minutes), and found such
readings to be very consistent regardless of external temperature,
despite his warnings of all the ways it can be wrong. To test his
explanation, I made the reading on a cold engine and found a minor
discrepancy of 5%. When I brought it in to show him my reading, it
turns out that the reason for the discrepancy was that the car was not
on flat ground. I would have thought that this was common knowledge
for a mechanic. It costed about 1.5 hours that morning resolve (I
assume that it has been resolved), and quite a great number of hours
of pondering whether this was intentional, and going to get and
objective 3rd party opinion on my reading and the accuracy of
measuring according to the owner's manual. The pondering itself was
well justified, given that the mechanic was always convinced of the
engine's fitness, and somewhat reluctant to engage in troubleshooting,
and getting more adamant as time progressed, despite the real problems
found. The coolant bypassing was a minor item covered by myself.

Having said this, I realize that he has gone out of his way on some
troubleshooting under the engine's warranty, such as throwing hot
water over the oil, checking the core for damp spots, and blowing out
the air ducts. Any big-ish items related to the engine was apparently
covered by the business where he got it from e.g. the valve seals.

I guess the bottom line is that his /intent/ is professional, but his
assessment needs to be verified. What was that Russian saying?...
"Trust, but verify". So his intentions are trustworthy, but his
assessment needs critical assessment. This is pretty well what my
car-savvy friend was getting at. You alone are responsible for the
well-being of your car (which I realize is a less of a black art for
those who work in the area), and should be convinced yourself of its
condition rather than simply relying on the assurances of your
mechanic.

I'm considering changing the heater core as a personal project this
summer. I wonder if this is realistic, as I have heard that removing
the dash is like microsurgery and neural surgery combined. I have a
Haynes manual for 87-94 (they don't have more recent ones), while my
Tercel is 97. The "body" section of the 87-94 manual has rather
simple looking descriptions of removing pieces of what I consider to
be the dash ("instrument cluster bezel", glove compartment, steering
column, center trim panel, front & rear console). There is official
97 Tercel repair manual for about $150; from looking at my official 89
repair manual, it looks to be about the same level of detail as
Haynes, except that it actually details the screw sizes and types.
How advisable is it to go ahead using the 87-94 Haynes manual on my 97
Tercel? "Qslim" suggested becoming a member at
[url]http://techinfo.toyota.com[/url]. Has anyone found this to be a more
illustrative source of info on disassembling the dash and/or changing
the heater core?

Thanks for the advice on preventative measures to avoid another core
breach, I'll follow up on that after changing the core (be it on my
own, or asking a mechanic to do so). Too bad, there use to be a
do-it-yourself place in town that where the owner can coach you along.

Tercel Owner

P.S. Given the plethora of screws and thingies that have to be pulled
out to remove the dash, how do experienced mechanics keep track of
them all? For example, I was thinking of taping each screw to the
item which it fastens so I know where each one goes. Is this dumb?
Smart? Are there better ways?.....

"Tercel Owner" <Toyota@Tercel.com> wrote in message
news:42752203$1_2@x-privat.org...


<snip>
[color=blue]
>
> On top of that (no pun intended), his method of tracking oil loss can
> be somewhat disturbing-- the current mileage and oil level is compared
> to a data point taken a while back, ignoring the fact that there was a
> top-off to above the high mark about midway between then and now.
> This was after the leak was fixed, and there was no paperwork done for
> it, and hence no data point. This was pointed out, and partially
> annotated in the current paper work. However, there was also a large
> discrepancy between his current oil level reading and mine, which was
> attributed to me not measuring it while it was cold (apparently very
> inaccurate). I was waiting 5 minutes after the turning off the
> ignition (owner's manual says wait a few minutes), and found such
> readings to be very consistent regardless of external temperature,
> despite his warnings of all the ways it can be wrong. To test his
> explanation, I made the reading on a cold engine and found a minor
> discrepancy of 5%. When I brought it in to show him my reading, it
> turns out that the reason for the discrepancy was that the car was not
> on flat ground. I would have thought that this was common knowledge
> for a mechanic. It costed about 1.5 hours that morning resolve (I
> assume that it has been resolved), and quite a great number of hours
> of pondering whether this was intentional, and going to get and
> objective 3rd party opinion on my reading and the accuracy of
> measuring according to the owner's manual. The pondering itself was
> well justified, given that the mechanic was always convinced of the
> engine's fitness, and somewhat reluctant to engage in troubleshooting,
> and getting more adamant as time progressed, despite the real problems
> found. The coolant bypassing was a minor item covered by myself.
>[/color]
When you check oil levels, waiting 5 minutes or so after the engine has
stopped should be sufficient to let all the oil drain back down to the oil
pan. Whether the engine is hot or cold should not make an appreciable
difference in the level indicated on the dipstick. To check the oil, make
sure the car is on level ground, pull the dipstick out, wipe it clean, and
re-insert the dipstick all the way back in as far as it goes before pulling
it back out to read the level. Note the mileage and date and then you can
get an idea of how much oil loss, if any, there is.

<snip>
[color=blue]
>
> I'm considering changing the heater core as a personal project this
> summer. I wonder if this is realistic, as I have heard that removing
> the dash is like microsurgery and neural surgery combined. I have a
> Haynes manual for 87-94 (they don't have more recent ones), while my
> Tercel is 97. The "body" section of the 87-94 manual has rather
> simple looking descriptions of removing pieces of what I consider to
> be the dash ("instrument cluster bezel", glove compartment, steering
> column, center trim panel, front & rear console). There is official
> 97 Tercel repair manual for about $150; from looking at my official 89
> repair manual, it looks to be about the same level of detail as
> Haynes, except that it actually details the screw sizes and types.
> How advisable is it to go ahead using the 87-94 Haynes manual on my 97
> Tercel? "Qslim" suggested becoming a member at
> [url]http://techinfo.toyota.com[/url]. Has anyone found this to be a more
> illustrative source of info on disassembling the dash and/or changing
> the heater core?[/color]

Changing the heater core is not that difficult although it is time-consuming
and requires some unnatural contortions to work under the dashboard.
Without being familiar with your car, you usually start by removing the
glove box cover and/or glovebox, then work you way towards the heater core
under the passenger side dashboard. I recommend genuine Toyota parts to
reduce the possibility of another leak. When it is time to re-fill the
heater core, make sure the heat is turned to the full hot position so that
coolant can flow freely into it.

Use a 50-50 mix of anti-freeze and water (distilled water is best), fill the
radiator and overflow bottle, start the engine, and let it warm up. Keep an
eye on the coolant level in the radiator, topping off as necessary until the
engine if fully warmed up. Replace the radiator cap and top off through the
overflow bottle.
[color=blue]
>
> Thanks for the advice on preventative measures to avoid another core
> breach, I'll follow up on that after changing the core (be it on my
> own, or asking a mechanic to do so). Too bad, there use to be a
> do-it-yourself place in town that where the owner can coach you along.
>[/color]

Cconsider taking an auto shop continuing education course at your local high
school or community college. They have facilities and tools to use for your
hands-on portion of the course and you'll have the guideance of the
instructor in case you get stuck.
[color=blue]
> Tercel Owner
>
> P.S. Given the plethora of screws and thingies that have to be pulled
> out to remove the dash, how do experienced mechanics keep track of
> them all? For example, I was thinking of taping each screw to the
> item which it fastens so I know where each one goes. Is this dumb?
> Smart? Are there better ways?.....[/color]

Taping a screw next to the hole it came from is probably a smart way to go
although I have never done it that way. After taking lots of things apart,
you just get a knack for what type of screw goes where. As you remove
screws, keep in mind the length, diameter, and type, i.e., sheet metal,
self-tapping, washer attached, etc. I just group screws together on the
floor mat in an area where I won't bump them, in roughly the order they came
out.

Good luck!
--
Ray O
correct the return address punctuation to reply

Ray O wrote:[color=blue]
> When you check oil levels, waiting 5 minutes or so after the engine
> has stopped should be sufficient to let all the oil drain back down
> to the oil pan. Whether the engine is hot or cold should not make
> an appreciable difference in the level indicated on the dipstick.
> To check the oil, make sure the car is on level ground, pull the
> dipstick out, wipe it clean, and re-insert the dipstick all the way
> back in as far as it goes before pulling it back out to read the
> level. Note the mileage and date and then you can get an idea of
> how much oil loss, if any, there is.[/color]

Yes, taking the reading seemed straightforward. When there is such a
huge discrepancy reported, and when my readings (which are consistent
with time, made according to the manual, and done this way for over 10
years) are marginalized based on measuring it warm...that's when I
worry about the objectivity of the assessment. That the apparent
source of discrepancy was nonflat ground doesn't alleviate the concern
much. Normally, I wouldn'question it, but it has come on the tails of
other baffling oversights and constant reassurances.
[color=blue]
> Changing the heater core is not that difficult although it is
> time-consuming and requires some unnatural contortions to work under
> the dashboard.[/color]

I think I've already experienced some of that trying to get a better
look at recently. Didn't really recognize anything except the
interior vent intake, as pointed out by the mechanic. That seatbelt
receptacle on the driver side really digs in!
[color=blue]
> Without being familiar with your car, you usually
> start by removing the glove box cover and/or glovebox, then work you
> way towards the heater core under the passenger side dashboard. I
> recommend genuine Toyota parts to reduce the possibility of another
> leak. When it is time to re-fill the heater core, make sure the
> heat is turned to the full hot position so that coolant can flow
> freely into it.[/color]

I just looked at the sections of the Haynes manual for emptying out
the coolant and accessing the heater core. I think you're right about
signing up for a course. Doing it on one's own for the 1st time
wouldn't be so bad if said person had a sheltered garage and lived
beside an automotive hardware store, but if I don't finish in one day,
stuff will be spread out everywhere in the parking lot for this
apartment building's. If I need anything from the hardware store,
that means 2 hour walk, round trip.

Funny that the coolant system gets flushed with water after emptying.
It's so toxic, I wonder why it's OK to have trace amounts in the flush
water.
[color=blue]
> Use a 50-50 mix of anti-freeze and water (distilled water is best),
> fill the radiator and overflow bottle, start the engine, and let it
> warm up. Keep an eye on the coolant level in the radiator, topping
> off as necessary until the engine if fully warmed up. Replace the
> radiator cap and top off through the overflow bottle.[/color]

Most of the gas stations sell prediluted coolant, with the right
mixture for the prevailing temperature of the season.
[color=blue]
> Cconsider taking an auto shop continuing education course at your
> local high school or community college. They have facilities and
> tools to use for your hands-on portion of the course and you'll have
> the guideance of the instructor in case you get stuck.[/color]

For sure. After seeing the manual. I recall taking an automotive
course in highschool, a lifetime ago. Not much hands on. Lots of
theory and memorization. A bit like trying to read a textbook on
one's own. Mostly the engine internals, none of this stuff about
electrical, coolant system, timing belt, alternator, etc., except on
paper. And when we did have the do-it-yourself place open in town, my
experience there seemed to have very little to do with the theory &
engine internals I saw in highschool (most nonprofessional maintenance
will not be about rebuilding engines). So I'll look for a more
hands-on maintenance-oriented course.
[color=blue]
> Taping a screw next to the hole it came from is probably a smart way
> to go although I have never done it that way. After taking lots of
> things apart, you just get a knack for what type of screw goes
> where. As you remove screws, keep in mind the length, diameter, and
> type, i.e., sheet metal, self-tapping, washer attached, etc. I just
> group screws together on the floor mat in an area where I won't bump
> them, in roughly the order they came out.[/color]

I might do that when I get professional at it ;) . For now every
crutch helps, so I'll pick up lots of tape. And lots of sticky labels.
[color=blue]
> Good luck![/color]

Thanks. I think it will come in might handy!

Tercel Owner