Heater core inlet leak?

[sdgdf]

Over the past several months I've had leaks at the waterpump, thermostat, and water outlet that have been fixed.

The car is still leaking coolant and it seems to be from the lower pipe that goes through the firewall to the heater core. The one that goes from there to the water outlet.

Anyone else have experience with this? I can't seem to find the part anywhere online, and am not sure what its called? Its this: Chevrolet Sonic Repair Manual: Heater Inlet Hose Replacement (LDE, LUW) - Cooling - HVAC

The connections don't seem very tight at all, and/or the plastic elbow there might be cracked?

 

[gnonne]

Yes - I fixed this on my wife's 2012 1.8L sedan. I went to the dealer parts counter and he could get them, but he said he had NEVER sold a set of these connectors before, and it would take about a week.

Unless you have a ton of miles, I doubt the connectors are cracked. The problem is that there are O-rings inside the connectors that wear over time. Removing the connectors/hoses is as simple as using a screwdriver to lift the spring that goes through the connector. Don't lose these springs! Once off, you can more easily remove the hoses from the connectors.

From there, I pulled both O-rings and matched them up with some in the plumbing department at Menard's. I posted the size in another thread. Just be sure to use a lot of vaseline or other lube when you put them back on the tubes to the heater core - there is some friction there with full-size o-rings.

Also, you will need to have the entire system bled of air after you are done, which takes some time and skill.

 

[sdgdf]

Yes - I fixed this on my wife's 2012 1.8L sedan. I went to the dealer parts counter and he could get them, but he said he had NEVER sold a set of these connectors before, and it would take about a week.

Unless you have a ton of miles, I doubt the connectors are cracked. The problem is that there are O-rings inside the connectors that wear over time. Removing the connectors/hoses is as simple as using a screwdriver to lift the spring that goes through the connector. Don't lose these springs! Once off, you can more easily remove the hoses from the connectors.

From there, I pulled both O-rings and matched them up with some in the plumbing department at Menard's. I posted the size in another thread. Just be sure to use a lot of vaseline or other lube when you put them back on the tubes to the heater core - there is some friction there with full-size o-rings.

Also, you will need to have the entire system bled of air after you are done, which takes some time and skill.

Thanks for the feedback. I've gotten the connector off and looked inside and can't see any o-rings (probably why its leaking). Any advice on where they should go? Should be able to find some that fit if I know their correct positions?

 

[gnonne]

The O-rings are inside the ends of the connectors that go onto the metal tubes. They are pretty deep in the connector - I used an old dental pick to pull them out. There is a groove inside to hold the O-ring - make sure the new o-ring is not too large to fit in the groove.

 

[sdgdf]

The O-rings are inside the ends of the connectors that go onto the metal tubes. They are pretty deep in the connector - I used an old dental pick to pull them out. There is a groove inside to hold the O-ring - make sure the new o-ring is not too large to fit in the groove.

I got the part (quick connect elbow) for $5 at the local chevy dealer and installed it fairly easily and I think it fixed the problem? I did compare the 2 and on the old 1 the o-ring was missing. Didn't see a 2nd one.

I've still got 1 more coolant leak to deal with. There's a plastic t connector above the waterpump and all the connections there want to leak no matter what clamps I use or how I position/tighten them. I pulled the t and looked at it, and nothing seems wrong. I'm guessing all 3 hoses that connect to it need to be replaced?