Clr to clean heater core. I then flushed the core both ways with a garden hose.
Clr to clean heater core CLR to clean clogged Radiator After 30 minutes of soaking with the CLR in the heater core, I flush it clean with the garden hose and then blow it empty with low pressure compressed air. However those fall under the "may aswell because if the heater core is clogged your screwed anyhow so try it" deals. Transfer the pump inlet hose to the bucket of clean tap water and leave the flush kit outlet hose inside the empty bucket (previously used to fill with CLR). What do Divorces, Great Coffee and Cars all have in common? Would CLR damage the aluminum heads on my 3. New lower radiator hose for good measure. Makers of CLR would certainly need to caution against In this video we will show you how to flush heater core fan on Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, RAM If the heater does not work, the heater blows cold air instead of h I have a Dodge Dakota, that the heater core is clogged. The reasons Jelmar does not recommend CLR to clean a water heater are: 1) the heat is not compatible with CLR; 2) the water heater cannot be promptly and thoroughly rinsed with cold, clean water; 3) the water heater might have internal metals that are not compatible with Turn heat to high inside car to flush the heater core. Rust If you've fully established that the heater core is plugged. About 30 seconds into the The Dealer will install a thermometer in both sides and confirm a difference. If those things check out time to flush the core. Since heater core replacement is what we’re trying to avoid by using the 50-50 CLR, it really would not be a problem if CLR did cause one to leak. I've used CLR once on a Toyota Rav4 heater core. Mix CLR with water according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Filled and let it sit for like 30 minutes. If you heat no I have been having heating issues with my 2000 Cherokee sport. • Transfer the pump inlet hose to the bucket of clean tap water and leave the flush kit outlet hose inside the ok CLR made no difference. Learn how to flush your heate The heater core is similar to a radiator and is a part of the vehicle’s coolant system. One guy says Muriatic acid. Rather than go through all this, will it work to disconnect the two water hoses from the heater core, blow the coolant out of the heater core, then pour in either some Drano, Limeaway, or CLR, let it sit awhile, then flush it out with a garden hose? CLR and Iron out will work and are much much stronger than Zerex or the Ford stuff but as a chemical engineer I wouldn't use it unless it was a last ditch effort before pulling the heater core. • Turn heat to high inside car to allow cleaner to flush the heater core. I did the heater core on my youngest son's 1998 S10. youtube. Save Share Reply Quote Like. Clean the CLR solution from the heater core by flushing it with 30 gallons of clean tap water as follows: Fill the second bucket (provided with the kit) and fill it with clean tap water. Then used calcium lime rust "CLR" remover in the cooling system. Using CLR will ensure you'll be buying a new heater core soon. Don't remember if it's possible on the 2. Gyro Gearloose. Last fall I bought a Your heater core will soon start leaking. Once the heater core is In this video I show you the process I use to flush a heater core using CLR. CLR would be quite good, a couple vinegar rinses after that would be good. The part that worries me is that the back of the CLR Flushed my heater core today using a pump and CLR. Hook up two hoses to the heater core inlet and outlet. How do I clean the core? What is the best way to do it? What should I use, Easy-Off, CLR, anything else??? About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright Disconnect the top heater hose of the heater valve Pour 1/2 cup of CLR in the top hose and wait 30 minutes, as this will kill the calcium in the heater core. Typical no heat on driver’s side vents a few years ago. if he does that, he'll need a new radiator. Well Joe, if you are getting In this video I use an electric pump to flush a heater core in a 2002 Jeep Liberty. Mine tool two hours, so I was told. I have done this many times in the past few years and it works extremely well. I then pumped water through the core to get out any coolant. O www. The upper hose has an air bleed hole in it. Odd Again, JELMAR DOES NOT RECOMMEND THE USE OF CLR IN A WATER HEATER. 0, but that's usually an easier method and you're not messing with the heater core connection, or worse breaking the core removing the hoses. *One last note: Jeeps are famous for clogging heater cores. My heater works now! That should mean that the HVAC assembly, heater core and evaporator should all be clean eliminating an externally dirty and externally blocked heater core and evaporator as the issue. Allow engine to cool. :confused013: 2014 Ram 6. Visit www. illflem. Then let it sit for 30 minutes again and repeat the flush and compressed air cycle. I’ll get to the DIY goods, but first the backstory to help understand a few key points. Sometimes you can force compressed air and cleaner through a heater core to clear the blockage. THen I used a piece of scrap hose to bypass the core so I could run the truck(I did this so I could park in an insulated garage while I let the CLR do its magic). The old Passats were real bad with heater cores plugging up. I am assuming that is the input line. Sometimes a heater core's fine passages can get plugged esp in the center areas. Re-install the engine thermostat and a jumper hose jumpering out the heater core. ADMIN Andrew Dec 25, 2021. Heater Core Cleaning Options geogixxer; Mar 3, 2025; General and Off Topic; 2. Just curious. Remember to remove Is your heat not working or is your heater not hot? You may have a clogged heater core so do a heater core flush and unclog it. 3. After 10 min of clean water flowing thru, I switched to the other side of the heater core and let it flow for 10 min. The blend door was confirmed working properly, and both heater core hoses were hot, however, very little heat ever came out, just cold to warmish air. I was tempted to do this myself but ran out of time and bit the dealer bullet. The cost of purging the system and then refilling it with refrigerant and testing it will add far too much to the repair costs, for this to be practicle. Heavy Duty Radiator Flush Demonstration removing scale build up in a heater core. Now my heater will cook me when it's on. 5 hours at any point during cleaning. I set up a system to const 1987 - 1996 F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks - Advice on Using CLR To Clean Cooling System - I was talking to an old-timer about cleaning my cooling system today. Flush the Heater Core Lines. thanks Living in NJ with winter approaching , and "ok" heat ( I get like 118 degrees from vents at cruising speed, at idle gets very weak, and takes a long time to attain that) I decided to do a flush yesterday with outside temp around I got a long piece of heater hose and cut about 2 1/2 feet from the end. It never damaged anything though. A clogged heater core will prevent the To flush out the heater core, I'd use a 5 gallon bucket with a supply hose to the heater (with the variable speed/reversible electric drill powered pump installed) and return from the heater core going back into the bucket filled with the Barnacle Buster solution. That made a BIG difference in the heat output from the I have been having heating issues with my 2000 Cherokee sport. Advanced Search Cancel Create thread New Forums More Login / Join. In this video I show you the process I use to flush a heater core using CLR. I flushed out the heater core only ( cooling Curious as to if it would clean the radiator and heater core. Elevate both ends of the heater hoses above the level of the core. Q: Can I use CLR in my entire cooling system? A: While CLR is effective for cleaning the heater core, it’s not recommended to use CLR has a warning against using against aluminum so fellow BITOGers dissuaded me. By the time you pull the heater core hoses there is already coolant on the exhaust / trans etc so it’s always good to give it a clean anyways HOW WELL DOES CLR CLEAN YOUR HEATER CORE?If you would like to help support this channel please take a look at these tools I recommend and use daily. Fill with water, add cooling system flush product, run engine to Honda Dealerships are using CLR to clean heater cores. What's New; Forum Listing; Marketplace; Showcase; Gallery; Advanced Search; Members; FAQ; Dark Mode; Light Mode; Menu It's that time of year again. Replies 26 Views 740. I have read about people using CLR to clean out a heater core anyone else have experience with this. It didn't help, my core was gone. 12495 posts · Joined 2005 Add to quote; Only show this user Guys - A few years ago I chose to use a cracked block/HG sealer in my old van's cooling system in preference to tearing down my engine. It has the acidic power to do the trick if You can see the crud sit atop the hose and stick there as your pumping the CLR through. It is working better now but it still takes forever too heat up. I'm more concerned the cleaner I have will damage the core,but if hydrochloric acid can be used, the commercial cleaner should be just fine. I have read a bit on other boards, just wondering if anyone in the Ford Truck world has done this. especially on the radiator and heater core (whch have the thinnest metal). I don Heater Core Flush - Silverado - Sierra - Tahoe - Suburban - Yukon - Escalade Easy way to fix a lack of heat coming from your trucks heater system. i've seen what clr does to aluminum and it is not pretty, it will eat your engine. If you heat no I used that on my 92 heater core a few years ago and it worked WONDERS. CLR works. Use 24 ounces for every 3 gallons of cooling system capacity. Is CLR good to use too flush heater core? I bought some CLR to flush the heater core out on a 1998 Ford Contour but - Ford Cars & Trucks question. With a job like this we always do a full engine degrease and clean. I would replace it, but on this vehicle, you need to have the Air conditioning evacuated to remove the cooling core first. 30 minutes, blew it out with an air compressor (into a clean white catch pail so you can see what's coming out I just fixed my buddy's TJ. 73 LSD 4 - Plugged heater core. It's even right on the bottle - Do not use CLR on aluminum. engine seems fine but not much pressure heater core. Water streamed out a solid brown color first for 2 minitues. Then continued untill it streamed out. I hope that fixes my heat issue! If not, at least I know its as clean as it . Disconnect the 2 hoses. I have So far, no one has come back with a leaking heater core. I definitely recommend trying it before replacing your heater core. In the first pic you can see a cheap Chinese Tankless Water Heater Cleaning Solution? Thread starter Cindy Grapperhaus; Start date Mar 7, 2017; Is CLR safe to use and do you think that will keep a clog from occurring the next time we flush it out? These are the core components of most tank less water heaters. 1981 F350 97 12v, 47re with E-TransControl, Dodge Dana 60 with free spin hubs, Dana 70, B&M Mega shifter, DAP 5x12 VCO's, Water Methanol limeaway and clr both have in big bold letters warnings against using it with aluminum, the head is aluminum as is the heater core and radiator core. At the moment I can't recall where the heater hoses are routed to, but on most carsI'll disconnect the hoses from the engine side and flush both ways. ) It didn't slow down the coolant leak, but did plug the heater "Calcium Lime Rust" Remover. This flush was performed on a 2006 subaru b9 tribeca but works for all vehicles. Reinstall the Heater Core tldr; soak the heater core in CLR for 24 hours and flush, flush flush. For those of you that arent getting much heat, but do Not have any leaks, you can flush the system in or CLR or vinegar for the water heater. Drain and flush with water until clear. You really should use something like Zep drain cleaner at the very least. CLR can work, not as well as old school two part chemical flushes, but can work IF the blockage is a buildup of Calcium A: It’s recommended to flush your heater core every 2-3 years, or more frequently if you live in an area with hard water. 6. Let the water flow through the core for several minutes to remove any remaining debris. May try CLR for the heater core only. Some say CLR , then some say it is not effective enough. For up to 15 minutes after doing this, the heater blows super hot air. I played a bit with back flushing the I have cleared the clog 4 times now by detaching both heater core hoses and flushing clean water in both directions until there is even/clean flow. I. Streamli Does the heat in your car not blow as hot as it used to? Is the heat in your car blowing cold air? There is a good chance you heater core is partially or ful To clean the heater core with CLR, follow these steps: Locate the heater core, which is typically located underneath the dashboard on the passenger side of the vehicle. Just my 2 cents. i'm reading about theres 2 of them? can someone give more insight into the thermostat or whatever else I could try. Circulated for about 5 hours. Even though the outer passages could flow coolant. com This blog post will guide you through the process of how to flush heater core with CLR, a powerful and affordable solution that can revive your car’s heating system. unpinch the lower hose With a clean heater core fully opened valve, and radiator, you will burn your butt out. Then wait for the engine to cool down a bit, and add the whole bottle of CLR. I have extra heater hoses for flushing the systems and was able to use them to hold the CLR for several minutes while it did it's work. The one heavy duty cooling Removed heater core hoses and applied static water pressure at both ends. Might be a good time to pull apart the dash and replace the heater core. If the treatment failed, the core was going to This is a bit of different video than my usual DIY Project Vdeos. 7. Since on this vehicle replacing the heater core require the dash to be pulled, if there's a way to get the sealer gunk out without pulling the core would save me a lot of work. Then I poured all the CLR out, and put a hose up to one side of the heater core and let it flow for about 10 min. The CLR will attack some of the internal Heater problems in the winter suck. The time of year when I suddenly care that the heater core in my 2012 honda CRV has been clogged for years (maybe half clogged, there's heat on the passenger side). Pray you don't get heater core If you encounter stubborn debris or buildup during the flushing process, consider using a recommended cleaner to effectively break down and remove contaminants from the heater core. Hot coolant that has passed through other parts of the engine is run through the heater core as air is forced past it and into the cabin of the vehicle to heat it. CLR makes vinegar look like pure water; if the scaling/damage is that bad, then you just might want to set up a reverse flush through the engine for a half hour or so of just running clean water through the block to get the I removed the heater core hoses and flushed the core in both directions several times using Prestone radiator flush with boiling water. Add in two jugs of CLR and distilled water, circulate without a thermostat, get it nice and hot and go for a little drive like this. Clean the CLR solution from the heater core by flushing it with 30 gallons of clean tap water as follows: • Fill the second bucket (provided with the kit) and fill it with clean tap water. Manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz suggest using a citric acid flush for specific vehicle models, while CLR followed by vinegar rinses can be effective for others. Stainless steel is very durable while aluminum is subject to design Took a milk jug, cut the top off, poured the CLR in and filled the rest with water. I bought it here from a fellow MUD member. Attach a garden hose to one of the heater core nipples and turn on the water. It looked pretty nasty. CLR is a fairly safe flush. So far, no one has come back with a leaking heater core. What I did was disconnect the in/out line from the core. Poor design in my mind. I now have good heat. "Calcium Lime Rust" Remover. com for more information. While there are various methods to clean a heater core, using vinegar is a cost-effective and eco-friendly option that can effectively remove dirt, debris, and scale buildup. First locate the inlet and outlet hoses on the firewall. Rinse, blow, repeat 1 more time. Everyone always asks me what cleaner I used in that video. I would suggest you try this first before attempting to replace a heater core. What is the best solution to flush out the heater core?. But with a little diagnosis you can usually figure out the problem. Then refill with water, run to operating temp, drain again. 2014 Ram 6. I've heard people using bleach and even oven cleaner to unclog heater cores. I then flushed the core both ways with a garden hose. I recorded the video after the fact, but this is all you need to know. When I took it out it was rattling. Mar 13, 2025. Cleaning the heater core is an essential maintenance task that ensures optimal heating performance and prevents costly repairs. Just have a dozen lock bags to store and label all the removed nuts and bolts. it was plugged. The hot hose will be the incoming side So if you want the short story, when flushing the heater core, you need two bottles of CLR, let one bottle sit overnight in the core, flush it both ways 10-12 times, more CLR for a few hours, flush 10-12 more times, and the big piece of info, let it sit at idle to bleed for a very long time until coolant is spouting out the bleed hole about an inch high at idle. No sense in putting that old crap back in there to clog it again. He had very little heat when the heater was running. I'm trying to bring the old heater back to live. For it to work properly, you will first need to flush the system so there is no coolant left in there, just plain water. You could try putting a bunch of CLR in there and letting it sit a long time see if that opens it up. Once clean, new water pump (Cummins, $55), coolant (Fleet Final Charge Pro and distilled water, $60), and a new heater core plastic elbow ($10). Ran it about 3 hours. Last winter my heater core plugged up also on my Ford and I did the same thing but used CLR to clean the core overnight. A suggestion given to me was try running some CLR cleaner through the core, but I know that CLR can be pretty brutal on aluminum and brass. Good luck, search for CLR heater core fix. Not sure that this was necessary, but I figured water would only dilute the CLR and I wasn't sure what coolant would do. Use full strength. The fix is circulating hot CLR (one gallon) through the heater system for one hour and retesting. Everything looked squeaky clean inside compared to the upper radiator hose that came off this summer (orange coolant scale inside. It took 6 hours start to finish working at a moderate pace. Make sure to If you want to use a chemical solvent (such as CLR or Citric Acid), first reverse flush with water or water and air, then blow the water out of the I'm using "CLR" in attempt to improve heater core flow. btw, watch this if you have any trouble with your car's hot air ventilation. It's not exactly cooling system friendly, so you really want to keep it there for as short as possible. I used a mixture of 50% CLR and 50% hot water. Then using a funnel I pour in more CLR until I see it starting to come out the other side hose. I used CLR also. 5 Dodge SB QC 2500 2wd Cummins 600/6spd manual/3. Disconnect both inlet and outlet hoses connected to the heater core. To clean your coffee pot, follow these steps: Take the lid off It's perfectly okay to use it alone to remove system rust if you just add a gallon to the system and run the car a short while, like 10-20 mins, including turning on the heat to clean the heater core. Let sit for NO more than 2 minutes. It worked pretty well. Flush & Cleaner into the radiator and fill remainder with water. (I had taken it to the dealership for a 2nd opinion, and was told it was likely a cracked head. Fill both hoses with straight CLR, and let sit for 15 minutes. The water flow was slow comming out. REVERSE flush. I actually get heat now. If you do use it, I would want to thoroughly flush out the system (disconnect heater hoses, flush out CLR method: Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for using CLR to clean the heater core. I attached this to the inlet and the remainder, which was about 5 feet, to the outlet. 7 CTD, 4X4, CCSB, auto. Use a cleaner designed for cooling system, or try some Dawn and hot water. You are off for two weeks. Instructions on how to do a heater core back flush. O Well this winter my heater core finally started leaking so this past w/e (temp in the 50's on Sat) I replaced the heater core and AC evaporator. Yesterday was a fine 75 degree F day. Then hooked up a water hose to the heater hose and flushed again. I am planning on using this utility pump to backflush the heater core with CLR for an hour or two. Seems it wasn't working for a while and it has some rust inside the heater tubes. Pull the hoses to the core by the water pump, flush out with very LOW water pressure from the hose. It will compromise the integrity of the metal. I still need to have the AC recharged but talk about heat, WOW! $36 for the heater core and $54 for the AC evaporator. Search Fixya While you are doing this, you might as well do a proper job of it and do the whole system with CLR and then flush until clean. Hell, if your going to do it you may as well do it right. However, the real cure to my heater problems, was the fitting that goes onto the intake manifold, it was closed up with rust and scale. Blow out manually then carefully dump in the CLR. Use CLR to I would flush the heater core with a cleaning product like CLR (use a hose and a drill pump to cycle it through for 30min or more) as well as drain all the coolant from the radiator and engine all at the same time. Drain system and refill with appropriate coolant mixture. Repeat, because it will likely clog back up I've used CLR to unblock a clogged heater core. Hooked one of the heater hoses to the pump, submerged the pump in the mixture and let the other heater hose discharged in the same jug. (the 3/4" extra hose dumps to a jug. ) In this video I show you the process I use to flush a heater core using CLR. . If heater core is clogged, backflush the core with water and let Heavy Duty Radiator Flush & Cleaner sit in system for an additional 30 minutes. CLRPRO. I hooked up a funnel to 5/8" hose to core, flushed w/water, filled core w/"CLR" & adding a few fresh ounces every couple hours. O Here is what I did: Find the 2 hoses going into the firewall to the heater core. Thats what i did. could there be a blockage somewhere else between the heater core and the engine? i don't know much about the thermostates. Heater cores can get clogged from time to time and th We used to put CLR in the heater core for 15-20min before flushing. The you flush the whole system out with clean water, until it runs clear, and then you are ready to add new coolant/water mix, or the 50-50 stuff. Run engine at normal operating termpature for 10-30 minutes. I agree, the direction to flush is important, I’ve done these for many years and the best way to flush any heater core or radiator is to flush them out in opposite direction from how the contamination came in. Do not exceed 2. I HAVE used CLR to backflush a heater core that was clogged and it worked great. 2004. While I'm at it, and the heater core is clean, I'm going to flush the radiator too. I have flushed the cooling system 3X and have specifically back flushed the heater core 3x. We disconnected the heater core hoses at the thermostat housing and the water pump connection. It was CLR Cleaner. Fix them somewhere so the point straight up. and head and heater core. it's really the center where a lot of the airflow is. Then try flushing it out. 7 if I left it in for a long time? in this thread in this sub-forum in the entire site. ) This blog post will provide a comprehensive guide on how to flush a heater core with CLR, ensuring a warm and cozy ride during the cold season. I had planned to drop the cooling system, engine block, radiator, and heater core. CLR or vinegar for the water heater, which one is a better option? It’s easy to clean a coffee pot with CLR, but you have to rinse it properly. Probably a new radiator, thermostat and water pump too. Hard on my back, but overall a lengthy but simple job. First, flush out with water. Use CLR to Heater Core Flush - Silverado - Sierra - Tahoe - Suburban - Yukon - Escalade Easy way to fix a lack of heat coming from your trucks heater system. T. I'm not crazy about the idea either but a clogged heater core requires something that works. Most likely something is inside the core as well. ylivzfvqdgrhissccupmxmmknxfldehnifqmzbmvpibxqmbxkogbidodgoxlgbtuhpmervdxyt
Clr to clean heater core CLR to clean clogged Radiator After 30 minutes of soaking with the CLR in the heater core, I flush it clean with the garden hose and then blow it empty with low pressure compressed air. However those fall under the "may aswell because if the heater core is clogged your screwed anyhow so try it" deals. Transfer the pump inlet hose to the bucket of clean tap water and leave the flush kit outlet hose inside the empty bucket (previously used to fill with CLR). What do Divorces, Great Coffee and Cars all have in common? Would CLR damage the aluminum heads on my 3. New lower radiator hose for good measure. Makers of CLR would certainly need to caution against In this video we will show you how to flush heater core fan on Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, RAM If the heater does not work, the heater blows cold air instead of h I have a Dodge Dakota, that the heater core is clogged. The reasons Jelmar does not recommend CLR to clean a water heater are: 1) the heat is not compatible with CLR; 2) the water heater cannot be promptly and thoroughly rinsed with cold, clean water; 3) the water heater might have internal metals that are not compatible with Turn heat to high inside car to flush the heater core. Rust If you've fully established that the heater core is plugged. About 30 seconds into the The Dealer will install a thermometer in both sides and confirm a difference. If those things check out time to flush the core. Since heater core replacement is what we’re trying to avoid by using the 50-50 CLR, it really would not be a problem if CLR did cause one to leak. I've used CLR once on a Toyota Rav4 heater core. Mix CLR with water according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Filled and let it sit for like 30 minutes. If you heat no I have been having heating issues with my 2000 Cherokee sport. • Transfer the pump inlet hose to the bucket of clean tap water and leave the flush kit outlet hose inside the ok CLR made no difference. Learn how to flush your heate The heater core is similar to a radiator and is a part of the vehicle’s coolant system. One guy says Muriatic acid. Rather than go through all this, will it work to disconnect the two water hoses from the heater core, blow the coolant out of the heater core, then pour in either some Drano, Limeaway, or CLR, let it sit awhile, then flush it out with a garden hose? CLR and Iron out will work and are much much stronger than Zerex or the Ford stuff but as a chemical engineer I wouldn't use it unless it was a last ditch effort before pulling the heater core. • Turn heat to high inside car to allow cleaner to flush the heater core. I did the heater core on my youngest son's 1998 S10. youtube. Save Share Reply Quote Like. Clean the CLR solution from the heater core by flushing it with 30 gallons of clean tap water as follows: Fill the second bucket (provided with the kit) and fill it with clean tap water. Then used calcium lime rust "CLR" remover in the cooling system. Using CLR will ensure you'll be buying a new heater core soon. Don't remember if it's possible on the 2. Gyro Gearloose. Last fall I bought a Your heater core will soon start leaking. Once the heater core is In this video I show you the process I use to flush a heater core using CLR. CLR would be quite good, a couple vinegar rinses after that would be good. The part that worries me is that the back of the CLR Flushed my heater core today using a pump and CLR. Hook up two hoses to the heater core inlet and outlet. How do I clean the core? What is the best way to do it? What should I use, Easy-Off, CLR, anything else??? About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright Disconnect the top heater hose of the heater valve Pour 1/2 cup of CLR in the top hose and wait 30 minutes, as this will kill the calcium in the heater core. Typical no heat on driver’s side vents a few years ago. if he does that, he'll need a new radiator. Well Joe, if you are getting In this video I use an electric pump to flush a heater core in a 2002 Jeep Liberty. Mine tool two hours, so I was told. I have done this many times in the past few years and it works extremely well. I then pumped water through the core to get out any coolant. O www. The upper hose has an air bleed hole in it. Odd Again, JELMAR DOES NOT RECOMMEND THE USE OF CLR IN A WATER HEATER. 0, but that's usually an easier method and you're not messing with the heater core connection, or worse breaking the core removing the hoses. *One last note: Jeeps are famous for clogging heater cores. My heater works now! That should mean that the HVAC assembly, heater core and evaporator should all be clean eliminating an externally dirty and externally blocked heater core and evaporator as the issue. Allow engine to cool. :confused013: 2014 Ram 6. Visit www. illflem. Then let it sit for 30 minutes again and repeat the flush and compressed air cycle. I’ll get to the DIY goods, but first the backstory to help understand a few key points. Sometimes you can force compressed air and cleaner through a heater core to clear the blockage. THen I used a piece of scrap hose to bypass the core so I could run the truck(I did this so I could park in an insulated garage while I let the CLR do its magic). The old Passats were real bad with heater cores plugging up. I am assuming that is the input line. Sometimes a heater core's fine passages can get plugged esp in the center areas. Re-install the engine thermostat and a jumper hose jumpering out the heater core. ADMIN Andrew Dec 25, 2021. Heater Core Cleaning Options geogixxer; Mar 3, 2025; General and Off Topic; 2. Just curious. Remember to remove Is your heat not working or is your heater not hot? You may have a clogged heater core so do a heater core flush and unclog it. 3. After 10 min of clean water flowing thru, I switched to the other side of the heater core and let it flow for 10 min. The blend door was confirmed working properly, and both heater core hoses were hot, however, very little heat ever came out, just cold to warmish air. I was tempted to do this myself but ran out of time and bit the dealer bullet. The cost of purging the system and then refilling it with refrigerant and testing it will add far too much to the repair costs, for this to be practicle. Heavy Duty Radiator Flush Demonstration removing scale build up in a heater core. Now my heater will cook me when it's on. 5 hours at any point during cleaning. I set up a system to const 1987 - 1996 F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks - Advice on Using CLR To Clean Cooling System - I was talking to an old-timer about cleaning my cooling system today. Flush the Heater Core Lines. thanks Living in NJ with winter approaching , and "ok" heat ( I get like 118 degrees from vents at cruising speed, at idle gets very weak, and takes a long time to attain that) I decided to do a flush yesterday with outside temp around I got a long piece of heater hose and cut about 2 1/2 feet from the end. It never damaged anything though. A clogged heater core will prevent the To flush out the heater core, I'd use a 5 gallon bucket with a supply hose to the heater (with the variable speed/reversible electric drill powered pump installed) and return from the heater core going back into the bucket filled with the Barnacle Buster solution. That made a BIG difference in the heat output from the I have been having heating issues with my 2000 Cherokee sport. Advanced Search Cancel Create thread New Forums More Login / Join. In this video I show you the process I use to flush a heater core using CLR. I flushed out the heater core only ( cooling Curious as to if it would clean the radiator and heater core. Elevate both ends of the heater hoses above the level of the core. Q: Can I use CLR in my entire cooling system? A: While CLR is effective for cleaning the heater core, it’s not recommended to use CLR has a warning against using against aluminum so fellow BITOGers dissuaded me. By the time you pull the heater core hoses there is already coolant on the exhaust / trans etc so it’s always good to give it a clean anyways HOW WELL DOES CLR CLEAN YOUR HEATER CORE?If you would like to help support this channel please take a look at these tools I recommend and use daily. Fill with water, add cooling system flush product, run engine to Honda Dealerships are using CLR to clean heater cores. What's New; Forum Listing; Marketplace; Showcase; Gallery; Advanced Search; Members; FAQ; Dark Mode; Light Mode; Menu It's that time of year again. Replies 26 Views 740. I have read about people using CLR to clean out a heater core anyone else have experience with this. It didn't help, my core was gone. 12495 posts · Joined 2005 Add to quote; Only show this user Guys - A few years ago I chose to use a cracked block/HG sealer in my old van's cooling system in preference to tearing down my engine. It has the acidic power to do the trick if You can see the crud sit atop the hose and stick there as your pumping the CLR through. It is working better now but it still takes forever too heat up. I'm more concerned the cleaner I have will damage the core,but if hydrochloric acid can be used, the commercial cleaner should be just fine. I have read a bit on other boards, just wondering if anyone in the Ford Truck world has done this. especially on the radiator and heater core (whch have the thinnest metal). I don Heater Core Flush - Silverado - Sierra - Tahoe - Suburban - Yukon - Escalade Easy way to fix a lack of heat coming from your trucks heater system. i've seen what clr does to aluminum and it is not pretty, it will eat your engine. If you heat no I used that on my 92 heater core a few years ago and it worked WONDERS. CLR works. Use 24 ounces for every 3 gallons of cooling system capacity. Is CLR good to use too flush heater core? I bought some CLR to flush the heater core out on a 1998 Ford Contour but - Ford Cars & Trucks question. With a job like this we always do a full engine degrease and clean. I would replace it, but on this vehicle, you need to have the Air conditioning evacuated to remove the cooling core first. 30 minutes, blew it out with an air compressor (into a clean white catch pail so you can see what's coming out I just fixed my buddy's TJ. 73 LSD 4 - Plugged heater core. It's even right on the bottle - Do not use CLR on aluminum. engine seems fine but not much pressure heater core. Water streamed out a solid brown color first for 2 minitues. Then continued untill it streamed out. I hope that fixes my heat issue! If not, at least I know its as clean as it . Disconnect the 2 hoses. I have So far, no one has come back with a leaking heater core. I definitely recommend trying it before replacing your heater core. In the first pic you can see a cheap Chinese Tankless Water Heater Cleaning Solution? Thread starter Cindy Grapperhaus; Start date Mar 7, 2017; Is CLR safe to use and do you think that will keep a clog from occurring the next time we flush it out? These are the core components of most tank less water heaters. 1981 F350 97 12v, 47re with E-TransControl, Dodge Dana 60 with free spin hubs, Dana 70, B&M Mega shifter, DAP 5x12 VCO's, Water Methanol limeaway and clr both have in big bold letters warnings against using it with aluminum, the head is aluminum as is the heater core and radiator core. At the moment I can't recall where the heater hoses are routed to, but on most carsI'll disconnect the hoses from the engine side and flush both ways. ) It didn't slow down the coolant leak, but did plug the heater "Calcium Lime Rust" Remover. This flush was performed on a 2006 subaru b9 tribeca but works for all vehicles. Reinstall the Heater Core tldr; soak the heater core in CLR for 24 hours and flush, flush flush. For those of you that arent getting much heat, but do Not have any leaks, you can flush the system in or CLR or vinegar for the water heater. Drain and flush with water until clear. You really should use something like Zep drain cleaner at the very least. CLR can work, not as well as old school two part chemical flushes, but can work IF the blockage is a buildup of Calcium A: It’s recommended to flush your heater core every 2-3 years, or more frequently if you live in an area with hard water. 6. Let the water flow through the core for several minutes to remove any remaining debris. May try CLR for the heater core only. Some say CLR , then some say it is not effective enough. For up to 15 minutes after doing this, the heater blows super hot air. I played a bit with back flushing the I have cleared the clog 4 times now by detaching both heater core hoses and flushing clean water in both directions until there is even/clean flow. I. Streamli Does the heat in your car not blow as hot as it used to? Is the heat in your car blowing cold air? There is a good chance you heater core is partially or ful To clean the heater core with CLR, follow these steps: Locate the heater core, which is typically located underneath the dashboard on the passenger side of the vehicle. Just my 2 cents. i'm reading about theres 2 of them? can someone give more insight into the thermostat or whatever else I could try. Circulated for about 5 hours. Even though the outer passages could flow coolant. com This blog post will guide you through the process of how to flush heater core with CLR, a powerful and affordable solution that can revive your car’s heating system. unpinch the lower hose With a clean heater core fully opened valve, and radiator, you will burn your butt out. Then wait for the engine to cool down a bit, and add the whole bottle of CLR. I have extra heater hoses for flushing the systems and was able to use them to hold the CLR for several minutes while it did it's work. The one heavy duty cooling Removed heater core hoses and applied static water pressure at both ends. Might be a good time to pull apart the dash and replace the heater core. If the treatment failed, the core was going to This is a bit of different video than my usual DIY Project Vdeos. 7. Since on this vehicle replacing the heater core require the dash to be pulled, if there's a way to get the sealer gunk out without pulling the core would save me a lot of work. Then I poured all the CLR out, and put a hose up to one side of the heater core and let it flow for about 10 min. The CLR will attack some of the internal Heater problems in the winter suck. The time of year when I suddenly care that the heater core in my 2012 honda CRV has been clogged for years (maybe half clogged, there's heat on the passenger side). Pray you don't get heater core If you encounter stubborn debris or buildup during the flushing process, consider using a recommended cleaner to effectively break down and remove contaminants from the heater core. Hot coolant that has passed through other parts of the engine is run through the heater core as air is forced past it and into the cabin of the vehicle to heat it. CLR makes vinegar look like pure water; if the scaling/damage is that bad, then you just might want to set up a reverse flush through the engine for a half hour or so of just running clean water through the block to get the I removed the heater core hoses and flushed the core in both directions several times using Prestone radiator flush with boiling water. Add in two jugs of CLR and distilled water, circulate without a thermostat, get it nice and hot and go for a little drive like this. Clean the CLR solution from the heater core by flushing it with 30 gallons of clean tap water as follows: • Fill the second bucket (provided with the kit) and fill it with clean tap water. Manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz suggest using a citric acid flush for specific vehicle models, while CLR followed by vinegar rinses can be effective for others. Stainless steel is very durable while aluminum is subject to design Took a milk jug, cut the top off, poured the CLR in and filled the rest with water. I bought it here from a fellow MUD member. Attach a garden hose to one of the heater core nipples and turn on the water. It looked pretty nasty. CLR is a fairly safe flush. So far, no one has come back with a leaking heater core. What I did was disconnect the in/out line from the core. Poor design in my mind. I now have good heat. "Calcium Lime Rust" Remover. com for more information. While there are various methods to clean a heater core, using vinegar is a cost-effective and eco-friendly option that can effectively remove dirt, debris, and scale buildup. First locate the inlet and outlet hoses on the firewall. Rinse, blow, repeat 1 more time. Everyone always asks me what cleaner I used in that video. I would suggest you try this first before attempting to replace a heater core. What is the best solution to flush out the heater core?. But with a little diagnosis you can usually figure out the problem. Then refill with water, run to operating temp, drain again. 2014 Ram 6. I've heard people using bleach and even oven cleaner to unclog heater cores. I then flushed the core both ways with a garden hose. I recorded the video after the fact, but this is all you need to know. When I took it out it was rattling. Mar 13, 2025. Cleaning the heater core is an essential maintenance task that ensures optimal heating performance and prevents costly repairs. Just have a dozen lock bags to store and label all the removed nuts and bolts. it was plugged. The hot hose will be the incoming side So if you want the short story, when flushing the heater core, you need two bottles of CLR, let one bottle sit overnight in the core, flush it both ways 10-12 times, more CLR for a few hours, flush 10-12 more times, and the big piece of info, let it sit at idle to bleed for a very long time until coolant is spouting out the bleed hole about an inch high at idle. No sense in putting that old crap back in there to clog it again. He had very little heat when the heater was running. I'm trying to bring the old heater back to live. For it to work properly, you will first need to flush the system so there is no coolant left in there, just plain water. You could try putting a bunch of CLR in there and letting it sit a long time see if that opens it up. Once clean, new water pump (Cummins, $55), coolant (Fleet Final Charge Pro and distilled water, $60), and a new heater core plastic elbow ($10). Ran it about 3 hours. Last winter my heater core plugged up also on my Ford and I did the same thing but used CLR to clean the core overnight. A suggestion given to me was try running some CLR cleaner through the core, but I know that CLR can be pretty brutal on aluminum and brass. Good luck, search for CLR heater core fix. Not sure that this was necessary, but I figured water would only dilute the CLR and I wasn't sure what coolant would do. Use full strength. The fix is circulating hot CLR (one gallon) through the heater system for one hour and retesting. Everything looked squeaky clean inside compared to the upper radiator hose that came off this summer (orange coolant scale inside. It took 6 hours start to finish working at a moderate pace. Make sure to If you want to use a chemical solvent (such as CLR or Citric Acid), first reverse flush with water or water and air, then blow the water out of the I'm using "CLR" in attempt to improve heater core flow. btw, watch this if you have any trouble with your car's hot air ventilation. It's not exactly cooling system friendly, so you really want to keep it there for as short as possible. I used a mixture of 50% CLR and 50% hot water. Then using a funnel I pour in more CLR until I see it starting to come out the other side hose. I used CLR also. 5 Dodge SB QC 2500 2wd Cummins 600/6spd manual/3. Disconnect both inlet and outlet hoses connected to the heater core. To clean your coffee pot, follow these steps: Take the lid off It's perfectly okay to use it alone to remove system rust if you just add a gallon to the system and run the car a short while, like 10-20 mins, including turning on the heat to clean the heater core. Let sit for NO more than 2 minutes. It worked pretty well. Flush & Cleaner into the radiator and fill remainder with water. (I had taken it to the dealership for a 2nd opinion, and was told it was likely a cracked head. Fill both hoses with straight CLR, and let sit for 15 minutes. The water flow was slow comming out. REVERSE flush. I actually get heat now. If you do use it, I would want to thoroughly flush out the system (disconnect heater hoses, flush out CLR method: Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for using CLR to clean the heater core. I attached this to the inlet and the remainder, which was about 5 feet, to the outlet. 7 CTD, 4X4, CCSB, auto. Use a cleaner designed for cooling system, or try some Dawn and hot water. You are off for two weeks. Instructions on how to do a heater core back flush. O Well this winter my heater core finally started leaking so this past w/e (temp in the 50's on Sat) I replaced the heater core and AC evaporator. Yesterday was a fine 75 degree F day. Then hooked up a water hose to the heater hose and flushed again. I am planning on using this utility pump to backflush the heater core with CLR for an hour or two. Seems it wasn't working for a while and it has some rust inside the heater tubes. Pull the hoses to the core by the water pump, flush out with very LOW water pressure from the hose. It will compromise the integrity of the metal. I still need to have the AC recharged but talk about heat, WOW! $36 for the heater core and $54 for the AC evaporator. Search Fixya While you are doing this, you might as well do a proper job of it and do the whole system with CLR and then flush until clean. Hell, if your going to do it you may as well do it right. However, the real cure to my heater problems, was the fitting that goes onto the intake manifold, it was closed up with rust and scale. Blow out manually then carefully dump in the CLR. Use CLR to I would flush the heater core with a cleaning product like CLR (use a hose and a drill pump to cycle it through for 30min or more) as well as drain all the coolant from the radiator and engine all at the same time. Drain system and refill with appropriate coolant mixture. Repeat, because it will likely clog back up I've used CLR to unblock a clogged heater core. Hooked one of the heater hoses to the pump, submerged the pump in the mixture and let the other heater hose discharged in the same jug. (the 3/4" extra hose dumps to a jug. ) In this video I show you the process I use to flush a heater core using CLR. . If heater core is clogged, backflush the core with water and let Heavy Duty Radiator Flush & Cleaner sit in system for an additional 30 minutes. CLRPRO. I hooked up a funnel to 5/8" hose to core, flushed w/water, filled core w/"CLR" & adding a few fresh ounces every couple hours. O Here is what I did: Find the 2 hoses going into the firewall to the heater core. Thats what i did. could there be a blockage somewhere else between the heater core and the engine? i don't know much about the thermostates. Heater cores can get clogged from time to time and th We used to put CLR in the heater core for 15-20min before flushing. The you flush the whole system out with clean water, until it runs clear, and then you are ready to add new coolant/water mix, or the 50-50 stuff. Run engine at normal operating termpature for 10-30 minutes. I agree, the direction to flush is important, I’ve done these for many years and the best way to flush any heater core or radiator is to flush them out in opposite direction from how the contamination came in. Do not exceed 2. I HAVE used CLR to backflush a heater core that was clogged and it worked great. 2004. While I'm at it, and the heater core is clean, I'm going to flush the radiator too. I have flushed the cooling system 3X and have specifically back flushed the heater core 3x. We disconnected the heater core hoses at the thermostat housing and the water pump connection. It was CLR Cleaner. Fix them somewhere so the point straight up. and head and heater core. it's really the center where a lot of the airflow is. Then try flushing it out. 7 if I left it in for a long time? in this thread in this sub-forum in the entire site. ) This blog post will provide a comprehensive guide on how to flush a heater core with CLR, ensuring a warm and cozy ride during the cold season. I had planned to drop the cooling system, engine block, radiator, and heater core. CLR or vinegar for the water heater, which one is a better option? It’s easy to clean a coffee pot with CLR, but you have to rinse it properly. Probably a new radiator, thermostat and water pump too. Hard on my back, but overall a lengthy but simple job. First, flush out with water. Use CLR to Heater Core Flush - Silverado - Sierra - Tahoe - Suburban - Yukon - Escalade Easy way to fix a lack of heat coming from your trucks heater system. T. I'm not crazy about the idea either but a clogged heater core requires something that works. Most likely something is inside the core as well. yliv zfvqd grh issccu pmxmm knxfl dehn ifqmz bmvpi bxqmbxk ogbid odgo xlgbt uhpmer vdxyt