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2017 Ram 2500 6.4 Heater Core PLUGGED - fix #2994352
12/11/21 02:56 PM
12/11/21 02:56 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 12,422
Warren, MI
71TA Offline OP
I Live Here
71TA  Offline OP
I Live Here

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 12,422
Warren, MI
Dealer wanted OVER $1000 (think like $1200 or $1400!!!!!) and truck tied up for two days to replace. They have to evac the AC and pull the whole dash out. What a STUPID DESIGN.

So I Googled and a mechanic shows how he fixes. You can buy a pressured water "gun" on Ebay for like $50. You hook your garden hose and an air line to the gun. This provides a higher pressure (don't PANIC, it's only slightly higher than the garden hose) pulsating water blast to blow the "gunk" out of the heater core. Oh and the next stupid design is putting the heater core tubes and hose connections back under the cowl. A tip the mechanic showed was to use one of those curved tip screwdriver handled picks/awls. There is no way to get the hoses off without that tool. LUCKILY I had one rolling around the toolbox. Then you have to get a couple 3ft lengths of 5/8" heater hose to connect to the heater core tubes. Aim one at the ground (this is so the water and gunk doesn't blow all over the electronics in the area). Blow the water in the other tube till there is a steady flow. DONE.

Worked like a champ. Between the gun, heater hose and a jug of Mopar antifreeze. I was in it for under $100 and about 30 minutes start to finish.

I took advantage of this freakishly warm 60 degree day today. It's been in the 20's here lately and that sucked having NO heat.

PS Young guy that works for me said unplugging heater cores like this is common on newer (80's and up) Jeeps.


www.DetroitMuscleTechnologies.com Mopar body and heater box restoration gaskets
Re: 2017 Ram 2500 6.4 Heater Core PLUGGED - fix [Re: 71TA] #2994612
12/12/21 01:01 PM
12/12/21 01:01 PM
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 632
MD-USA
D
Dodgeguy101 Offline
mopar
Dodgeguy101  Offline
mopar
D

Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 632
MD-USA
What was in the heater core to plug it up? Truck is only 5 or 6 years old, I would think it would take allot longer than 5 or 6 years to plug the heater core.

By the way, appreciate you posting how you cleaned it out.

Re: 2017 Ram 2500 6.4 Heater Core PLUGGED - fix [Re: Dodgeguy101] #2994617
12/12/21 01:07 PM
12/12/21 01:07 PM
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 21,808
Kirkland, Washington
Pacnorthcuda Offline
Too Many Posts
Pacnorthcuda  Offline
Too Many Posts

Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 21,808
Kirkland, Washington
Originally Posted by Dodgeguy101
What was in the heater core to plug it up? Truck is only 5 or 6 years old, I would think it would take allot longer than 5 or 6 years to plug the heater core.

By the way, appreciate you posting how you cleaned it out.


I agree, 5 years?

Re: 2017 Ram 2500 6.4 Heater Core PLUGGED - fix [Re: Pacnorthcuda] #2994625
12/12/21 01:23 PM
12/12/21 01:23 PM
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 8,192
fredericksburg,va
C
cudaman1969 Offline
master
cudaman1969  Offline
master
C

Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 8,192
fredericksburg,va
A gel coating, mine had a hose leak since new and under the hose on the block surface is a glazed somewhat clear coating that I could peel off. I’m guessing if there’s any sharp bends in the core it could slow the fluid down enough to form this layer then keep building up over time till clogged. I might replace with regular green AF, radiators are cheap today

Re: 2017 Ram 2500 6.4 Heater Core PLUGGED - fix [Re: cudaman1969] #2994772
12/12/21 10:02 PM
12/12/21 10:02 PM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,195
ILLINOIS
V
volaredon Offline
top fuel
volaredon  Offline
top fuel
V

Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,195
ILLINOIS
Ive seen quite a few Dodge Avengers around here with the same issue Cores are small and so are passages within compared to older versions.

Re: 2017 Ram 2500 6.4 Heater Core PLUGGED - fix [Re: 71TA] #2994978
12/13/21 04:58 PM
12/13/21 04:58 PM
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,406
Kalispell Mt.
H
HotRodDave Offline
I Live Here
HotRodDave  Offline
I Live Here
H

Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,406
Kalispell Mt.
Could always just switch the heater hoses, I've probably done it 100 times on mine and customers cars and works great unless it is full of some super hard crusty stuff, even then it seems to help a little. It reverses the direction of flow and blows everything right on out of the core while you drive, most cars can be done in 5 minutes if you think about a good place to switch them, those dodge trucks (at least the ones with a 5.7) are real easy to swap right there on the front of the engine.


I am not causing global warming, I am just trying to hold off a impending Ice Age!



Re: 2017 Ram 2500 6.4 Heater Core PLUGGED - fix [Re: HotRodDave] #2995275
12/14/21 02:36 PM
12/14/21 02:36 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,666
Buford, GA
I_bleed_MOPAR Offline
master
I_bleed_MOPAR  Offline
master

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,666
Buford, GA
I just used the garden hose on my Durango and one of my son's Dakotas. I also did a friend's '98 1500. Main thing is to reverse flush it. up


Tim


'71 Charger 383/727
'17 Challenger SXT (Wifeys car wink )






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