Had to replace the Evap Core in my wife's Durango

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Homercidal

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Yep, 1.5 years ago I had the AC recharged and it lasted about a day. The shop said the evap core had a leak. So this weekend I replaced it.

I'd like to offer an invitation to the person responsible for designing the way the heater box mounts in this SUV. Come on over and I'll provide you a wonderful steak dinner and for dessert, a complimentary KICK IN THE NUTS!

Seriously. I knew ahead of time that I would have to remove the entire dash assembly, meaning dropping the steering wheel, just to remove the heater box to access the evap core and heater core (I replaced the heater core too because honestly, I knew ahead of time that I did NOT want to dig that box out of there again!

There are 4 nuts that hold the heater box in position. You access them from the engine compartment, then pull the box out once they are loose. Except some dipsht decided it would be an awesome idea to place one of the nuts directly behind the transmission dipstick tube! :mad:

At any rate, we got the box out and the evap core had apparently gone bad like the shop said. Found significant amounts of oil and tracing dye in the heater box and all over the old evap core. So crossing my fingers, my wife will had AC this summer.

So if anyone knows the engineer who designed that bolt location, let them know they are welcome to come on over to my place for a steak dinner and don't forget dessert!
 
My wife drives a vw beetle. THe timing belt goes around the motor mount. Yeah, replacing a 27 dollar belt requires an engine hoist.

Brilliant.

That car was designed by a packaging engineer. It was all about cramming everything they could into that piece of crap.
 
I just had a ton of work done on my wife's durango too. Its an 03, w/ 93K on it, so its up there. They had to replace the compessor, and at the same time clean out the condenser and all the lines. Seems to have worked.

Apparently the a/c systems in these things are notorious for going out.
 
durangos are garbage.

parents bought one used with about 50k on it. 2 months later the engine blew. apparently they're known for having their oil journals clog.
 
I was going to change teh plugs in my wife's rendezvous a couple years ago when it started messing up (ended up being a head gasket) until I learned that in order to do that basic maintenance regiment on this car, you have to drop the entire engine forward. :mad:
 
I just had a ton of work done on my wife's durango too. Its an 03, w/ 93K on it, so its up there. They had to replace the compessor, and at the same time clean out the condenser and all the lines. Seems to have worked.

Apparently the a/c systems in these things are notorious for going out.

They use a Sanden compressor, which is common in a lot of makes. Bearing went out on my Jeep and I was able to replace just the bearing by hunting down a similar bearing and pressing the old one out and threadlock the new one in. It was $15. A new clutch assembly cost over $200.

I look on the bright side. I am also fixing the indicator lights that burned out inside her factory radio ($1.20 each) and finding all of the squeaks and rattles in her dash.

It's got some rust, but the frame is solid, so I wont' feel terrible about replacing the motor or trans if and when they go. It's got 220,000 miles now, and it's paid for. Frankly, I almost look forward to replacing either of those. Can't be as difficult as replacing the evap core!
 
I was going to change teh plugs in my wife's rendezvous a couple years ago when it started messing up (ended up being a head gasket) until I learned that in order to do that basic maintenance regiment on this car, you have to drop the entire engine forward. :mad:

I joked with my friend about rather replacing the spark plugs in his minivan! Last time we did that we had to run the front end up on ramps and fight to access the back plug from behind and underneath! Could just reach with a couple of extensions and swivel joints!
 
I drive a 2000 vw jetta, and its a pain to work on sometimes. Most service requires taking the front end apart, but I am a pro at it now. Gotta save that money from dealer fees somehow!
 
It's probably the son of the guy that designed the entire engine compartment on my 1970 Benz :drunk:
 
jd3 said:
My wife drives a vw beetle. THe timing belt goes around the motor mount. Yeah, replacing a 27 dollar belt requires an engine hoist.

Brilliant.

That car was designed by a packaging engineer. It was all about cramming everything they could into that piece of crap.

Some of the GM cars with the 3.8 V6 from the late 1990s and early 2000s had the serpentine belt captured around a motor mount.
 
IrregularPulse said:
I was going to change teh plugs in my wife's rendezvous a couple years ago when it started messing up (ended up being a head gasket) until I learned that in order to do that basic maintenance regiment on this car, you have to drop the entire engine forward. :mad:

Yup. Unbolt "dogbones" from the front of the motor. Rock car back and forth in park. Set parking brake when engine shifts forward.
 
Most likely, the first owner didn't do oil changes properly and dumped the vehicle at 50K knowing they trashed it.

Before we bought this I was test driving a Durango with a 5.9. About 2 miles from the dealer (used) the check gauges light came on. No oil pressure. I eased it back to the dealer lot and it seized just as I pulled in. The salesman asked how the test went and I had to say, not too good.

He was floored and claimed he had his mechanic check it all over before they listed it.

I was way up north and on the way home spotted this one in a different lot and decided to buy it instead of the one with the seized motor...

I think they claim the return holes are too small and when you get a bit of gunk built up they can plug up and not allow oil to reach the pump.
 
Yes a lot of the designs are pretty crappy. The majority of AC/heater boxes are buried deep inside the dash and it;'s a massive PITA to work on 'em.

Most mechanics pick-up "trips" when doing specific jobs that saves them a LOT of time, none of which you save, as if the service manual says 5 hours, that's what you get charged.

In any case, a couple tricks I learned:

Captive belt: Put floor jack with a piece of wood under a solid spot of the engine (yes the oil pan is OK if flat, but make sure to use a piece of wood). Jack slightly, remove the engine mount, replace belt, reinstall engine mount.

1990-2000 GM V6 (sideways) rear plugs: Use a cherry picker to move the engine forward slightly to access the back plugs.

Some crazy tricks: When doing serious engine work on a F250/350 diesel, the techs will remove the body right off of the drivetrain. It takes them about 45-60 minutes and will allow them to save a ton of time on the drivetrain. It's quite impressive actually.

M_C

M_C
 
Yep, 1.5 years ago I had the AC recharged and it lasted about a day. The shop said the evap core had a leak. So this weekend I replaced it.

I'd like to offer an invitation to the person responsible for designing the way the heater box mounts in this SUV. Come on over and I'll provide you a wonderful steak dinner and for dessert, a complimentary KICK IN THE NUTS!

Seriously. I knew ahead of time that I would have to remove the entire dash assembly, meaning dropping the steering wheel, just to remove the heater box to access the evap core and heater core (I replaced the heater core too because honestly, I knew ahead of time that I did NOT want to dig that box out of there again!

There are 4 nuts that hold the heater box in position. You access them from the engine compartment, then pull the box out once they are loose. Except some dipsht decided it would be an awesome idea to place one of the nuts directly behind the transmission dipstick tube! :mad:

At any rate, we got the box out and the evap core had apparently gone bad like the shop said. Found significant amounts of oil and tracing dye in the heater box and all over the old evap core. So crossing my fingers, my wife will had AC this summer.

So if anyone knows the engineer who designed that bolt location, let them know they are welcome to come on over to my place for a steak dinner and don't forget dessert!

Engineering Laws
Any design must contain at least one part which is obsolete, two parts which are unobtainable and three parts which are still under development.

Nothing ever gets built on schedule or within budget.

A failure will not appear till a unit has passed final inspection.

If you can’t fix it — document it.

The primary function of the design engineer is to make things difficult for the fabricator and impossible for the serviceman.
 
My wife drives a vw beetle. THe timing belt goes around the motor mount. Yeah, replacing a 27 dollar belt requires an engine hoist.

Brilliant.

That car was designed by a packaging engineer. It was all about cramming everything they could into that piece of crap.
Just put a piece of wood under the oil pan and use a floor jack, the way that everyone including your dealer does.
 
Also, FYI - I seriously doubt that single nut is going to really matter any for holding the heater box in place. So I left it out.

F me, but I was NOT going to spend another minute messing with it!

Now to send myself a reminder to call the AC recharge place and get some cool air in that thing!
 
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