Can anyone tell me if you can remove heater core without removing the whole box?? I just read a post from November from Ismalley here on his 190e where he removed core without removing whole box.

Well, Ismalley just Pmed me with how he replaced heater core without removing box...Can anyone add to his procedure ...

take off the metal clips from around the heater box and then take off the bolts from both ends of the long bar that runs across the front dash and take off the nut that is on the middle of the bar.....should be like a small vertical support bar. pry the long bar away from the bolts....you will not get it off completely, but you should get about an inch to an inch and a half more of clearance. take off the metal clips around heater box and pry it open. you will only get the top part open, mostly on the driver side, from there you can get the heater core out.

I've never tried to get just the heater core out of one so I don't know.

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Jim

Ok, if I decide to remove the heater box I will disconnect the line from the expansion valve and the heater line on the opposite side next to ecm unit...Now where do I start disconnecting to get the entire box itself...Anyone have a rundown of what needs to be done

Here is a pic of the 95 E300. I have circled where the fasteners were that held the box to the firewall and driveshaft tunnel.

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Jim

It looks that from your pic I have alot more work to do. The whole center console has to come out before the heater box can be removed???....I am almost ready to wave the white flag and throw in the towel. I started a job I don't believe I can finish unless someone can tell me the heater core can be removed without removing the box. Jim, thanks for all the info so far as it has helped me get to this point in the project.. Can one of the moderators chime in here, The GURU's of this forum, whunter, vstech..and anyone else. Is the heater core removable without taking the whole box out????

lsmalley has a 190e, not a 300E. Different story.

The box has to come out.

Take the car to a shop and have them evac the system. Do the job then take it back to get charged again. Shouldn't cost more than $80.

You are too far into it now to stop. If you can afford it, replace all the vacuum pods unless you have enjoyed taking it to pieces and wish to do it again!
Same goes with the evaporator. It has to come out, so replace it because eventually they leak and you'll have to do it all again.

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How can I take the car to a shop to evacuate the system...no speedo, dash, ccu .. I have not tried to start the car. Basically, the interior is in pieces...will it start even without all those parts in place???

If it will then I absolutely do not see how without butchering the box.

Don't let console removal stop you. It is kinda the easy part. Can you post a pic of how far along you are?

Where do you live? I could run over and help out if you are within about 20 miles.

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Jim

Thanks for the offer Jim. I am in Connecticut. I have the dash out with the heater box right in front of me similar to the pics in the peachparts wikki. The same for that matter

PeachPartsWiki: Center Vent Pod Replacement

So, I could not finish the job of replacing the heater core and take it to a mechanic friend of mine who did the job. It is now 3 weeks later and I smell antifreeze and my expansion tank is low?..I felt like WTF.... and I see a wet spot in my driveway....A few days pass and expansion tank is empty again and windows are fogging up. .......I take it to my mechanic today and he tells me the heater core is leaking again.......He tells me defective part....????...I bought an oem behr heater core from parts....g e e k ....and their website states no compensation on labor for installing defective parts ........Now, I have no idea what I can do as i am out big money on the labor end ..........Any opinions here for the members ...Should I contact behr ...the manufacturer..?????...Need help??

for something like heater core that's a PITA to get to, I would have bench tested it first before installing. Is he sure that's what's leaking? I would think it would leak INSIDE the car. Check all your hoses under hood while the engine's running with the heat on to make sure where that leak is coming from.

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