Questions and Answers
Corsica Air Flow Problem
Q. Hi Vince, I have a question for you. My heater is not blowing very good. It is a reoccurring problem that I have taken to dealers to fix. $200.00 bucks and they clean the evaporator core and it seems better. ie blows better but 1½ years later and I have to do it again. Once again it is clogged.
I had my heater core fixed by a non-dealer and ended up having to take it back two times because of a leaking new core (they should of read your article on checking it before you install). The coolant leaked all over my passenger area and filled my car with sticky vapor, twice.
Question one is can I clean this myself and stop this from reoccurring? I think my evaporator core is leaking, dealer said this four years ago but my A/C has not worked for years and I do not use it.
Question two is did the repair on my heater core cause the system to get clogged up again by flooding my system with sticky liquid/vapor.
I liked your article on the TCC lock up problem, fixed it myself with your insights, I am becoming an avid Do It yourselfer just to make sure it is done honestly.
1991 Chevy Corsica
2.2 liter
Automatic Transmission
260,000 kmsA. The fan sucks a lot of air through the cores and with that air is a certain amount of dust and dirt. Some of the more expensive luxury cars actually have inlet air filters to keep that dust, dirt and pollen from entering the passenger compartment.
I think the reason why yours keeps getting clogged up is because of the oil coming out of the evaporator core. The oil will hold the dirt instead of just letting it blow through. With the heater core leaking, the anti-freeze will do the same thing. After a while the dirt builds up enough to cut off air flow.
To correct this what you will need to do is clean the heater and evaporator cores and make sure there is no oil or coolant on it. If the A/C doesn't work and you have no plans of ever fixing it, you can take the evaporator out and throw it away. When you do this, wash the heater core in warm soapy water and let it dry completely before reinstalling it. That should take care of the problem once and for all.
Go to the public library and get the service manual for your car. You can take the heater core out yourself and clean it. The service manual will have step by step instructions along with diagrams.
Additional Information provided courtesy of ALLDATA
