hello all,

Heater core is dead! Need to replace. I'm told that the entire upper and lower dash needs to come out. I'm unemployed right now and pretty broke, so I'm gonna try to do it myself.

**Looking for instructions. Anyone have pics or a guide?

Thanks in advance to all.

Lex

 

I pulled the entire interior out of our Range Rover Sport, pretty much the same dash as the LR3 (some differences). It is possible, it will take two days minimum, in and out. Take lots of photos, mark and document every screw and bolt, they all look the same but they are different. You might be able to get away with removing the center console and then removing the center section of the dash, and the glove boxes on the right side. The hardest part was trying to get the heater core hooked up again after we got it out. The connectors, not sure what they are called, were a pain in the tail. It was really difficult to push the inlet and outlet tubes into the heater core lines coming in from the firewall. You need to slip them together and then put on the cinch clamp, darn near impossible. That part alone took me a couple of hours.....I ended up using longer screws than came on the clamps and had a friend help push the tubes together. There isn't a lot of room in the footwell of the passenger side. He was laying on my back much of the time, nice show for the neighbors.......anyway, it is possible but really, document every screw and bolt, it till make putting it back together much easier. Also, the center speaker in the middle of the dash is really a bugger to get back in. It needs to come out if the entire dash comes out. Avoid doing it if possible. Photos, Photos, Photos and use plastic bags for each set of screws and bolts, mark where they came from. I would also take out both front seats, it will make the project much easier. Phil

 

^ what he said. Not fun

 

I'm looking at doing it as well. I read people who have done it on p38s and such but no one who has done it on an actual LR3. Heres the instructions from the workshop manual:

Land Rover Workshop Manuals > LR3/Disco 3 > 412-02A Heating And Ventilation > Heater Core Removal LHD

Local speciality shop does it for around $800 including parts. Cant' decide if it's worth me doing it myself. Manual looks easy...

 

I would pay the $800 and scrutinize the hell out of their work. Lots of small things that can be broken and shortcuts that can be taken.

 

The guy at the shop said they do several a week, it's so common here. They may have just gotten quick at it. We'll see. I don't mean to hijack the thread, just throwing in my 2 cents about what the factory manual says and what my local shop quoted.

 

Several a week? That's incredible.

That's over 150 a year!

 

Shop manager exaggeration? Possible. Or it could be seasonal. When I asked it was the dead of winter here in Canada, so maybe for the few cold months they do a lot as people realize they're broken!

 

You would know it's broken year round by the coolant leaking into your interior.

 

Not necessarily. They can be clogged like mine is. The drivers side corner of the core is the lowest side so sediment builds up there and is difficult if not impossible to flush or backflush out. Symptoms are poor heat output to drivers side vents. Blend doors and motors are fine.