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Back Flushing the Heater Core in my 1997 Jeep TJ

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Sometimes it gets cold in the southeast of Texas. In Winter 2021, it froze - I mean really froze! That’s how I discovered that TDSR’s heat doesn’t really blow really hot. This seems to be common in TJs and it’s often because of blockages/buildup in the heater core. Improving things is a simple matter - flush out the heater core, usually by doing a “back flush” to send water (and debris) out the way water usually comes in.
This video gives a quick overview on how I back flushed TDSR’s heater core. After I loaded this video to RU-vid I gotta a good chance to get the Jeep up to temperature and try the heat. It's much warmer now AND things didn’t seem to get worse. Win! Win!
1/13/2022 Update: Heat has been great all winter so far. The flush really made a lasting difference.
Project TJ is the chronicling of working on my 1997 Jeep Wrangler. It's the SE version of a TJ with a 2.5L four cylinder and a standard transmission. At the time of making this video, the Jeep had ~204,400 miles on it.
I hope you enjoy! Subscribe to the channel and if you’re interested, you can support me on BuyMeACoffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/edvancise
Parts (some links are Amazon Affiliate links):
• 10 Feet PVC- 5/8" ID Clear Vinyl Tubing (amzn.to/3qb8mXT)
• 5ft x 3/4" ID Clear Vinyl Tubing (amzn.to/3IXe2gx)
• Hose Clamp Pliers (amzn.to/32agKym)
• Zerex Original Green 50/50 Prediluted Ready-to-Use Antifreeze/Coolant (amzn.to/3mAZIRx)
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Intro (0:00)
Getting Prepared (1:05)
Removing the Hoses (3:10)
Flush it, baby (6:35)
Putting it back together (9:36)
Disclaimers:
This video is NOT sponsored by any of the brands mentioned throughout this video or video description. All thoughts mentioned are my own. Some links provided are affiliate links. They do not cost you anything, but I make a small percentage from the sale. Honesty is key on my channel, thank you for supporting me!
I am a Do It Yourself, also known as DIY, mechanic. I am NOT a professional mechanic. I do not have any formal training in the automotive field. I assume no liability for anything you choose to do to your car/vehicle or equipment before or after watching one of my videos. All DIY repairs or modifications you perform are made at your own risk. Sometimes, even if you've done everything the right way, you can destroy or damage one or more things on your car or equipment. You must understand this, but by leveraging knowledge and patience, the probability of encountering one or more problems can be reduced.
Also, if for some unfortunate reason, I do give incorrect instructions and something breaks because you followed my instructions, I will NOT reimburse or pay in any way for whatever cost that may be incurred due to following my wrong instructions.
Lastly, please don't do anything to your vehicle or equipment unless you yourself feel comfortable and confident in doing so.

Опубликовано:

6 авг 2024

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Комментарии : 65

@CarbonsDIYGarage Год назад

Check out the video description for extra info, parts, tools, torques, and any updates.

@bobbyb4869 10 месяцев назад

Great Vid, my heater has never worked better!! Thanks for posting. 👍

@CarbonsDIYGarage 10 месяцев назад

Glad it helped. Thanks for watching, Bobby.

@ageomediasay Год назад

My old family mechanic was very old school. He told me how to use work toilet cleaner in it. It worked great on my truck. Just know to dilute it and protect your painted surfaces.

@MrJoshItIs Год назад

Thanks for this video. About to do it myself on mine having just replaced everything else in the coolant system.

@CarbonsDIYGarage Год назад

Thanks for watching!

@stevewood9477 Год назад

This was helpful for me. Thanks for doing this

@CarbonsDIYGarage Год назад

Thanks for watching. I'm glad it helped, Steve.

@rr1335 2 года назад

It worked!! Thank you very much. 🙏

@ForceBuilt 2 года назад

Good video Ed. It actually didn't look too bad. Mine was leaking so I didn't even attempt flushing of course. Keep it up!

@CarbonsDIYGarage 2 года назад

I won’t lie - I was expecting something like half a pound of rust to come pouring out so I was a bit disappointed. It’s hard to say in the middle of summer but I do think it blows hotter now so who knows.

@BigManAlaska 10 месяцев назад

Just finished changing my heater core. I was surprised how easy it was compared to all the videos on the Internet 😅.

@brewyawn3394 5 месяцев назад

My heater core was very rusty when i did this. It was plugged-i’m talking no heat at all. I reversed flushed it as you did(8 gallons), and that unplugged it a little (awesome), But the flow was still limited. Heat was now luke-warm. After a second flush, the heater became much warmer. Incredible amounts of rusty water came out. Theres still some in there definitely, so upcoming this weekend will be my third heater core back flush. I’ll probably use some sort of cleaner to help me out with this one final time. Best regards

@CarbonsDIYGarage 5 месяцев назад

Great insights! It might take more than one fish to break it all loose. Thanks!

@paulsscooter Год назад

GREAT video, thank you very much.

@CarbonsDIYGarage Год назад

Thanks for watching!

@crabbypadty393 2 года назад

I did this on my 98. I bought a heater core flushing nozzle off Amazon and that really helped. I couldn’t get a good seal with my sprayer.

@CarbonsDIYGarage 2 года назад

That’s a good tip. Next time I do this I’ll have to look for something like that. I had a hard time getting a good seal as well, as witnessed by the water flying everywhere. :) Thanks for watching (and sub’ing?).

@matthewmendoza9533 2 года назад

Do you have the link for that? I also have a 98

@SeriouslyAwesome Год назад

No chance I could get my hoses off after 19 years so they had to be sacrificed. Finding a molded upper hose has been impossible. I ended up just using a straight (5/8?) hose from Autozone for a few bucks and been running it the past 5 years. If you ever find a molded upper hose please let us know!

@---rg1gb Год назад

Dang. Im impressed by all your projects. I am learning a lot from you. Question...How do you come up with these projects? Do you just go after items that you are having problems with? OR is there some master list of maintenance items that should be done?

@CarbonsDIYGarage Год назад

Well, it's kind of both. Mostly it's just tackling projects as they come up. When I first got the Jeep it needed a LOT of work so I just made a long list, put them in priority order, and just worked them one at a time. Of course more things broke over time, so those got added to the list as well. There's also schedule maintenance like engine/diff/transfer oil case changes, filters, brakes, spark plugs, etc. Then there's just improvements I want to make, like the door jamb switches on the TJ or the suspension list on the JKU. Of course every time I seek a video on how to do something I come across others that "man, I should do that too" so it goes on the list.

@howiem3883 3 года назад

Like the clamps. I'll have to get a couple. Did you consider running radiator flush through the core?

@CarbonsDIYGarage 3 года назад

To be honest, I’m nervous about doing anything to TDSR that involves touching systems that are working. Good idea to flush it all? Perhaps. But since the coolant system is currently working, I didn’t want to risk it.

@howiem3883 3 года назад

@@CarbonsDIYGarage Radiator flush through the core just like you were doing, then flush with water and hook the hoses up again.

@untitled8003 Год назад

This guy went about flushing the heater core all wrong, the best thing to do is to leave the hoses attached to the heater core and disconnect them from the thermostat and block pull them up over the air intake, buy a standard garden hose adapter female end and connect hose from your house and flush for 45 seconds, then disconnect the garden hose attachment and place it in the return end and flush that way for 45 seconds after blowing out with compressed air or your mouth, the inset a funnel into the return side(larger hose) and pour enough white vinegar till it pours out the other end and let sit for 10 minutes, after repeat flush with water, then reattach hoses as normal and run engine to operating temperature should increase heat and engine will run slightly cooler, I gained almost 40 degrees in heat

@CarbonsDIYGarage Год назад

Thanks for the comments! I dunno that there's that much difference from what you describe and what I did. I clearly didn't leave the hoses attached to the heater core, though I could have, like you suggested. Instead I just used my own, clear hoses. I'm not sure it makes a difference except I didn't clean out the small lengths of hose between the core and the t-stat and block. A hose adapter is definitely a good add and I'll be doing that if there's a next time. The hose sprayer did not work well. The vinegar idea isn't something I've seen before. It sounds worth investigating since it works well for mineral deposits on home plumbing fixtures. Is it certain the acidic vinegar won't cause problems with the materials in the heater core? I'm happy to report that with us being in cold December now, my TJ's heater temp output is way better than it was before I did the flush 11 months ago. Thanks again for the video review.

@douglasroberts2250 Год назад

@@CarbonsDIYGarage that additional water pressure could damage the heater core , so you're not off there. You need to pump distilled water in there and not tap water. The vinegar idea could breakup some rust in there, but if that's what you're doing , you need that core taken out and replacing it.

@SeriouslyAwesome Год назад

@@CarbonsDIYGarage I think most cooling system/radiator flush kits are basically vinegar or of the like. The water pressure is also an issue with hoses. You don't want to have to take out a dash to replace a heater core. It's miserable. I think the core is rated for around 13psi and garden hoses are probably around 40.

@CarbonsDIYGarage Год назад

@@SeriouslyAwesome Great insights, Thanks - and thanks for watching.

@shawnhudson2518 2 года назад

Thanks for the video! Well...has it gotten cool enough for you yet to try out the heater? My son just got an 01 TJ, 2.5l for his first vehicle. Tried his heater last week and it was not hot at all. He has several other unrelated issues so this isn't a huge priority now, but still curious if this solved your problem. Enquiring minds want to know.

@CarbonsDIYGarage 2 года назад

Thanks for the reminder! The Jeep's my son's daily driver and he says the heat has been great all winter so far, so it looks like the flush did the trick. Thanks for watching and good luck with your 2.5L TJ! (Our TJ is also my son's first vehicle)

@billytrevathan6405 2 года назад

Shawn Hudson I have a 2002 TJ 4.0 that also has a heater issue. It puts out warm air but not hot. The door mechanism runs when going from hot to cold and I flushed the heater core with no obvious debris coming out and no noticeable change in temperature. I am leaning towards the temperature control switch being faulty but am not certain. If you have found the problem on his Jeep I would appreciate knowing what it was. Thanks and good luck!

@artpadron1959 2 года назад

Great Video... what about radiator flush is that coming soon?

@CarbonsDIYGarage 2 года назад

Thanks for watching, art! So far the coolant system is working well and the coolant still looks green. A flush is on the list of things to do but probably not in the near future since TDSR has a few items that need to happen sooner than later. I guess we'll all have to stay tuned and subscribed to see when the great flush happens. :)

@CarbonsDIYGarage 2 года назад

By the way, if I had to do it again - and especially if I was flushing the whole system - I wouldn't use the hose sprayer. I'd get a nipple adapter for the hose so I could better regulate the amount and pressure of water going into the system. The sprayer worked fine for the little heater core but I don't think it'll work well for that bigger volume/job.

@artpadron1959 2 года назад

Ok cool ty. I gotta do a flush on mines because it looks all mucky.

@manchild111 2 года назад

Thanks for the video bud. Did this work for your heat issue?

@CarbonsDIYGarage 2 года назад

The Jeep's my son's daily driver and he says the heat has been great all (south Texas) winter so far, so it looks like the flush did the trick. Thanks for watching.

@manchild111 2 года назад

@Carbon's DIY Garage Yw. Thanks for the quick reply. Looks like I need to do this. Lol. Thank you for the links for the clamps and hoses. Will def make it easier. 😎👍

@---rg1gb Год назад

@@CarbonsDIYGarage why do you think it worked? If only a little debris came out...what do you think changed to improve the heat?

@CarbonsDIYGarage Год назад

@@---rg1gb The passageways on these little cores/heat exchangers are small and easily blocked up. It wouldn't take a whole lot to start slowing the flow. At least that's my theory. It would be interesting if people commented on how much "junk" they get out of their core compared to how little heating they're getting.

@stephenwhite5444 Год назад

Are you sure the top heater hose is the return? It looks like next to where it says "heater" on it, that it has a arrow pointing towards the firewall.

@CarbonsDIYGarage Год назад

Yeah, I got the flow direction from the factory service manual. But I just went and looked at the hoses. Both actually say “heater” on them and the hose size. But no flow direction info. It would be great if they put flow arrows on them. Thanks for watching.

@MrPagerm 7 месяцев назад

My upper gets hot Lower is cooler. I think the upper is the inlet.

@jasonmartinau 2 года назад

What are those doors you have on there? They look pretty robust.

@CarbonsDIYGarage 2 года назад

Thanks for watching (and subscribing?), Jason! If you're talking about the doors on TDSR (e.g. 10:12), those are just the stock metal half doors. The upper doors are solid sliding glass windows vs. the more typical roll up plastic windows.

@jamesmonahan9408 7 месяцев назад

My 2000 Jeep 2.5l SE the top hose is the supply & bottom is return. Not sure why.

@CarbonsDIYGarage 7 месяцев назад

When I look at the 2000 TJ Service Manual (page 7-2), it shows supply to the heater core is the bottom and return to the engine is the top of the heater core (just like my '97 TJ). Or at least, that's what the illustration shows that it should be. Is it possible your hoses got reversed at some point? Link to service manual: wranglertjforum.com/attachments/2000-tj-service-manual-pdf.362948/ Thanks for watching, James.

@jamesmonahan9408 7 месяцев назад

@@CarbonsDIYGarage fabu video Carbons. Thank you for the help. Not many 2.5l 4Cyl jeep vids out there. However, you are right. Looking at the manual (btw thank you!) diagram, the hose from the t-stat is going to the top. It's 11/16 from the t-stat and 5/8 from the pump. Let me check my jeep to double check. Thx so much!

@CarbonsDIYGarage 7 месяцев назад

@@jamesmonahan9408 Glad to try to help. Good luck with the 4-banger! :)

@jamesmonahan9408 7 месяцев назад

@@CarbonsDIYGarage oh considering the shape of her when I bought her anything is surely possible. Especially the heater hoses being mixed up.

@jamesmonahan9408 7 месяцев назад

@@CarbonsDIYGarage Thx CDIYG, I'm gonna need it.

@chrisk6967 2 года назад

Have you turned the heater on to see if you're getting more heat?

@CarbonsDIYGarage 2 года назад

I *think* the answer to your question is "yes." It felt a lot hotter when I tried it out, but it's also summer in south Texas so I'm not really sure. Real test probably won't come for another 3 months or so.

@lorax1968 2 года назад

@@CarbonsDIYGarage temps should be at the floor duct (according to TJ service manual) 144* F on full heat, floor blower. my 2005 is at 100*, I need to do a heater core (already flushed core) replacement=big big job 😨

@CarbonsDIYGarage 2 года назад

@@lorax1968 Ah, great! Thanks for that info - never thought to look for that in the service manual. I have looked in the service manual on replacing the heater core and/or removing the a/c box - big job indeed! I've got a/c as well, making it even more complicated. Good luck on yours (and thanks for watching)!

@ssiddall222 2 года назад

What is TDRS?

@CarbonsDIYGarage 2 года назад

Thanks for watching, Scott (and subscribing?)! I have to LOL - TDRS is a typo. It should be TDSR (and I've now corrected it in the video description). TDSR is shorthand for the temporary name I've given to this Jeep (That Doesn't Sound Right). TDRS is an acronym I use often during my day job and clearly type it way too often so I didn't even notice my error.

@ssiddall222 2 года назад

@@CarbonsDIYGarage You actually got the acronym RIGHT in your comments section, I typed it wrong. Lol. Thanks for the clarification. And the video. I had no idea about the hose pliers.