Heater core

[dmginc]

Originally Posted by Airmaster

So if I never use my heat will I stay immune to any possible heater core issues. Didn't realize this was a big issue....

Doesn't matter if you use the heat or not, coolant is always flowing through it anyway.

[JohnnyBfromPeoria]

If you wanted to be immune from it, disconnect both heater hoses under the hood and loop them together. That would keep coolant from flowing through the heater core. Of course you'll completely disable the heat that way.

John B.

[snymat68]

Call me ignorant on the matter, but how does a heater core fail to the point that it leaks on the floor? What fails? A seal? The core itself? It's not a complicated part. I don't understand how it could be designed in such a way that it would fail in such a catastrophic manner.

[JohnnyBfromPeoria]

Not a seal; there are likely none, unless it's got welded on tanks on the ends of the core. The heater core is just another radiator, but smaller and inside your dash. The material used to make these must be crap, as it appears something is eating away the water passage from the inside causing them to fail. Until we get some pictures of failed cores we may never know if there's any pattern to the failures of if they are all random breaks.

John B.

[Henry G.]

The dealer had no idea why they failed. The bad thing is I cant seem to get all the coolant smell to go away. Hoping it will eventually fade at least until the next heater core failure, at which point Chevy is getting their car back permanently.

[Henry G.]

WELL here we are again. 3rd heater core failure in 13 months. Puked boiling hot coolant onto my wifes foot again this weekend burning her foot, AGAIN. The coolant smell coming thru the vents makes me feel sick.
GM customer care sucks. They are stonewalling me, giving me no help, telling me the car is out of warranty now (not true, the part was guaranteed for a year, it lasted 9 months, and the first failure happened at 34k, in the warranty period. GM customer care's job is just to keep telling you no no no and stonewall you into submission.
I've contacted a Lemon Law Firm for help. At least a quart of coolant has leaked into the carpet of the car again. I'm so pissed. The dealer is being cool, but Gm customer care sucks. Does anyone at GM want to get involved out there? This to me is a clear case that qualifies for the California Lemon law. Anyone else have heater core failures? I will start a social media campaign and even contact the local news channel "problem solver" guy if I don't start getting results.
GM customer care actually told me that I should just trade the car in (at my own expense) if I didn't like the car. WHAT F-ING NERVE!!!!

Here is a pic of the TSB number PIC5754A: http://s53.photobucket.com/user/nmin...6ea04.png.html



So Gm knows there is a problem....but they don't want to address it properly. Gee, isn't how all these people got killed in ignition switch accidents...ignoring dangerous and known problems with their vehicles?

[Chevrolet Customer Svc]

Originally Posted by Henry G.

WELL here we are again. 3rd heater core failure in 13 months. Puked boiling hot coolant onto my wifes foot again this weekend burning her foot, AGAIN. The coolant smell coming thru the vents makes me feel sick.
GM customer care sucks. They are stonewalling me, giving me no help, telling me the car is out of warranty now (not true, the part was guaranteed for a year, it lasted 9 months, and the first failure happened at 34k, in the warranty period. GM customer care's job is just to keep telling you no no no and stonewall you into submission.
I've contacted a Lemon Law Firm for help. At least a quart of coolant has leaked into the carpet of the car again. I'm so pissed. The dealer is being cool, but Gm customer care sucks. Does anyone at GM want to get involved out there? This to me is a clear case that qualifies for the California Lemon law. Anyone else have heater core failures? I will start a social media campaign and even contact the local news channel "problem solver" guy if I don't start getting results.
GM customer care actually told me that I should just trade the car in (at my own expense) if I didn't like the car. WHAT F-ING NERVE!!!!

So Gm knows there is a problem....but they don't want to address it properly. Gee, isn't how all these people got killed in ignition switch accidents...ignoring dangerous and known problems with their vehicles?

Henry G.,

I'm very sorry to read about your heater core concerns. My heartfelt apologies also extend to your wife, who I hope is recovering well from the recent incident you described. What I'd be happy to do is research this further if you message me privately (while also providing your case number). Though I'm unable to guarantee anything, I can see where your case stands and try to assist from that point as much as possible. I look forward to hearing from you.

Kindly,

William R.
Chevrolet Customer Care

[theragtopguy]

OMG.....this is the first time I have heard of this problem......I have an early build 2012 (August) and pray that this doesn't happen. I can't imagine how much the cost of this would be if it was to be paid out of pocket after the warranty.....I now have 29K on my ragtop....why oh why do they design these cars so badly to work on?????

[NewbieDIYer]

Whoa has anyone else had this problem on the camaros? Or is this just a bad luck experience followed by bad dealership fixes? This makes me a little uneasy knowing that it could possibly start leaking into the passenger footwell. Wtf. My dealer hasn't said anything about it to me (then again they haven't said anything about the key recall either). Is this going to be a recall or just a fix by case basis? I have almost 17k miles on my car, don't want this to happen as soon as my warrantee ends.

[Henry G.]

So the car has now been at the dealer 16 days. They finally got the windshield out, and have started removing the dash. Until they absolutley diagnose the problem as a 3rd heater core failure, I cant do anything. The service manager and dealer have been great and helpful. They are trying to be neutral as this whole thing is up to GM. Lets just say the people I have talked to so far just have the job or mission to keep telling me "NO" so I will go away. They don't even know what a heater core or will tell me why they say my car doesn't qualify for as a lemon.Under California Lemon law, a 3rd repair under warranty, especially if the car has been in the dealer for more than 30 days, for a serious or dangerous condition (not the radio working etc, I think boiling coolant coming out onto your feet is dangerous) qualifies. Also there is a bulletin out on this condition, PIC 5457A, which also qualifies it. So, after the 3rd failure is documented, I will contact GM again to see how they want to handle it. William I would appreciate any help you can give me. I will get the case number and message it to you once the 3rd failure is diagnosed. I miss my Camaro, but I can't keep going thru this. The smell of coolant coming thru the vents makes us sick, and just the other day I met another 2010 Camaro owner who had his heater core replaced too. Realistically, this is a part that should last the life of the car with good maintenance. William please PM me and I will give you all the repairs records. Thanks

[Henry G.]

Pm and case number sent. I will keep everyone advised of the way Chevy handles this.

[moE_09]

Originally Posted by Henry G.

So just wanted to tell my LFX buds here if you see your windshield fogging or smell coolant or a rubbery smell beware your heater core may be going out. Found out the hard way when boiling coolant came out on the passenger side floor on my wife's feet. Been a week now and the car is still not done at the dealer, they have to remove the windshield and pull the entire dash out of the front to replace it. Search here they are giving out at 1-2 years left and right

My windshield fogs consistently and I get heat coming out d the vents all the time. Even when the ac is off and the swith is in cold, but I don't smell coolant or rubber. Is there anyway to get it checked before I get hot coolant on my floor

[Henry G.]

Take it to the dealer to have checked out if you are under warranty. Its now nearly 3 weeks and my car is still at the dealer, (and will be for some time..) no one from chevy will talk to me. Just keep getting the runaround. Dealer is being good though, he is only slow because he is a small dealer. Windshield is out, dash is part out, hopefully confirmation of heater core failure this week? Then what? Even he doesn't know he is just gonna fix it thats his involvement. This is up to GM to make right. Tommorow will be the 51st day total, so far, my Camaro will have been in the shop for this defect, while I continue to make the payment.

[KahunaSS]

Originally Posted by Henry G.

Take it to the dealer to have checked out if you are under warranty. Its now nearly 3 weeks and my car is still at the dealer, (and will be for some time..) no one from chevy will talk to me. Just keep getting the runaround. Dealer is being good though, he is only slow because he is a small dealer. Windshield is out, dash is part out, hopefully confirmation of heater core failure this week? Then what? Even he doesn't know he is just gonna fix it thats his involvement. This is up to GM to make right. Tommorow will be the 51st day total, so far, my Camaro will have been in the shop for this defect, while I continue to make the payment.

I can't believe I'm hearing about this. i have a 2011 and i started to smell antifreeze .. slightly not strong ( didn't realize what it was) i can only smell it if the AC or HEAT is off and its just the outside air blowing through the car. I noticed my radiator was low and the Res was empty. I checked the floor and nothing! the carpet is super clean. and with that dexcool i would think it would leave a stain.. I also filled it and back up using maybe 2/3 of a bottle of antifreeze. Not sure if this is the heater core but i pray its not. The past month i have nothing but bad luck with my car. with dumb crap...lights going out. leather seat got ripped, nail in tire, ...then the mother of all bitc--es hail.. ( replaced windshield) started to smell the " the smell" right before i dropped it off at the collision center at the dealer.... i told them my story they said..... " maybe it evaporated" my brain hurt a little when he said that so they are going to check it when it gets done from collision.. but i also read on this forum that its common for GM to cross thread one of the engine coolant lines.. don't ask me how.. I hope you get a good core. maybe you can have the dealer give u the core and see if there is anyway u can reinforce it before they install it.. ( just a thought)... I praayyyy its not my core... Theres is No leaks on my core ..There is no leaks on my core ( as i tap my Ruby Boots ) ... Have you though of suing GM for the burns on your wifes feet? did you take her to the ER? If a woman can sue for scalding coffee on her lap because there isn't a label marked ( caution hot coffee) on a cup then there must be a way since they don't have a label by you wifes feet that says "caution hot coolant" don't stop the good fight..