Has anyone used radiator leak stop to stop a heater core leak???

Pcar993

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2004
Location
Southern CA
TDI
Golf 2000 White
good idea? bad idea? Has anyone used radiator leak stop to stop a heater core leak??? Looks like a pain in the ass to replace it.
 

Seatman

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 23, 2010
Location
Scotland
TDI
2014 Skoda rapid elegance 1.6 cr tdi
Wynns stop leak's pretty amazing at stopping leaks but you'll have to check it's compatibility with the vag coolant.:)
 

johnboy00

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2000
Location
Bridgewater,Ma.,USA
TDI
2005 Passat Wagon, 2004 Jetta, 2003 Jetta wagon
Do you just have a pinhole leak causing window fogging or is it actually leaking fluid?

I was about to get my heater core replaced on my Passat last November but then it self sealed. I never acutaully had a liquid leak though just some fogging/film on the windows. I spoke to MrChill about this and he said it fairly common and his Jetta did the same thing.
 

Pcar993

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2004
Location
Southern CA
TDI
Golf 2000 White
Do you just have a pinhole leak causing window fogging or is it actually leaking fluid?

I was about to get my heater core replaced on my Passat last November but then it self sealed. I never acutaully had a liquid leak though just some fogging/film on the windows. I spoke to MrChill about this and he said it fairly common and his Jetta did the same thing.
I havent found any signs of leak yet. This just started happening last week. All it does right now is windows fogging and i can smell it when i turn the heater on.
 

PeterV

TDIClub Enthusiast, HO5G Doyen & Zen Master
Joined
Aug 17, 2000
Location
So, NH.
TDI
2000 Jetta 5 sp.
smell = core... It took me 2 days to do out 99 Golf.

Read and re read the how tos. Go slow you ca do it.
 

Crankous

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2009
Location
Wildomar Ca
TDI
2003 Jetta wagon GL 5speed w/Panzer FMJ, 2005 B5.5 passat auto, 2000 Golf 4 door 5 speed
Do not use stop leak in a engine u care about replace or repare the part
X2 on this... or loop it out of the system till you can get enough ganas to have it done right.
 

aja8888

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Location
Texas..RETIRED 12/31/17
TDI
Out of TDI's
Bypass the heater core. It's still warm out! :)
Mine is bypassed, but it was 40 F here this morning. I am still packing enough pounds to handle south Texas winter. But I do have a new core sitting in the garage.....maybe when I retire or my kids quit bugging me with their problems will I tackle this nasty job. :rolleyes:
 

geostar

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2005
Location
North Shore, MA
TDI
Jetta 2001 TDI, Jetta 2009 TDI
I bypassed mine for a while until the frost hit. Couldn't stomach the use of leak stop so I bit the bullet and dug into the replacement. The photo below is about half way through the core extraction. I ended up removing the crossmember unnecessarily. For my HVAC box design, it is much more efficient to disconnect the AC lines and tilt up the crossmember, without fully removing it. Removing the crossmember, makes the job ridiculously complicated, as the main harness in weaved into it.

Have fun, it is not that bad. Read up and you will get it.



 
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