Posted By: mopartial
99 Dakota heater core change - How hard is it? - 01/28/10 04:49 PM
Have had some coolant leaks, now have antifreeze odor blowing into cab when heat is on. Is this a pretty good sign of a leaking core?
How hard is it to change? I know dash has to be dismantled, disable airbags, etc. Any special tools needed?
Any comments appreciated. Thanks.
Posted By: stumpy
Re: 99 Dakota heater core change - How hard is it? - 01/28/10 07:01 PM
I would have posted this in the truck section for quicker answers.
Posted By: therocks
Re: 99 Dakota heater core change - How hard is it? - 01/28/10 07:34 PM
Sounds like the core.If you do it replace the blower motor and if A/C the evaporator.Its a job.The whole dash pretty much has to come out.Yes the air bags have to be disconnected.There was a Mopar tech here that was doing them at home for like 150 or so.Rocky
Posted By: herkamer
Re: 99 Dakota heater core change - How hard is it? - 01/28/10 08:53 PM
Entire dash needs to be removed. Column can stay in but needs to be unbolted so it can hang down. I'd remove the front seat also so the wheel can rest on the floor. From my experience, I would highly suggest getting the factory shop manual to do it, since it really does detail step by step how it's done. Have fun with the 2 nuts behind the back of the motor, they are a royal pain. I was lucky when I did mine having the front clip off which allowed for much easier access. For someone who has never done it, I would expect probably 10-12 hours from start to finish if you are mechanically inclined. I also did air bag replacement when my dash was out so I can't really give a good start to finish time.
Posted By: teflon
Re: 99 Dakota heater core change - How hard is it? - 01/29/10 02:03 AM
It takes me 2 1/2 hours to do. If you got some skills I would say 4 hours for first time. Really is not that bad on Dakotas.
