07-076 - Poor Heating Due to Restricted Heater Core [11.28.7]

[Qwintesenshal3L3M3N7]

OMG Where do I start?

Ok, first off let me start off by saying I have a 2004 previously owned element that I purchased in 2009. I have NEVER had a issue out of her once.

11/19/12 I was driving on my way home from down town and my engine started to smoke, I pulled over and discovered I had a hole some where in my radiator. I thought it would be something simple to fix because it didn't seem so big that it would be a huge issue so I put a half can of pepper in my radiator to see if it would clog the hole, it worked for about a day and so I went and bought some FLAKE from the Auto Zone to see if the actual product would work. did it? No!

I went to the mechanic 11/21/12 to have them put in a new radiator. $900 fix...
ok! done.. so I thought. When I left I noticed how I slightly had only 50% of the heat i normally would get out of my baby. Normally my friends and family would be siphoning air out of the port holes in the rear when the heat isn't even "ON" just that the dial would be turned to hot. But I figured it was that it just had all the new work done on it that it would have to get a good flow going with the new fluids. WRONG.......

2 DAYS LATER. I'm driving and I feel this ***POP*** now mind you I drive with heavy metal blaring so for me to feel the pop was amazing. I looked up and saw smoke again then looked down and saw my needle shoot straight over to HOT, I then pulled over and a hose blew off my radiator at the bottom. Towed my truck to the shop... $85 and had the clamps replaced because they said it was because they used the same clamps from the maker. Cool I guess, problem solved.

So, 4 DAYS LATER I'm driving around in DC, mind you I live in Baltimore, MD and I'm sitting idle at a gas station because I just filled up my gas tank and was texting a friend so I wasn't driving. I happened to look up at a guy in the car parked in front of me and like clock work I felt this HUGE POP but this time I saw my hood physically pop up! then a spray of anti freeze blew over the hood and windshield of my baby. oh poo. I call for my mechanic who's out of town in the Bahamas for a week and he says tow it to his shop. Okay... so I tow my baby back to his shop, now $158 for tow and 3 days waiting for him to get back, he fails to call me for up dates so I call him Monday morning, they proceeded to put new radiator in, new hoses, new clamps, AND a thermostat. the bill? $488 and when I drove off, I ..... still had no heat. bummer. but why? So I called that dang mechanic back because I'm freaking out that my radiator is going to blow up on me again or worse and he basically lashes at me and says..... I don't know whats wrong with it take it to the dealer. humph!!!!!! fine then.

Now! I'm at the dealer this is a day after. I'm telling them whats going on and they've all pointed at me saying its a possibility that its a blown head gasket. But how? I have no leaks and I have no white smoke coming from the tail pipe. So I ask how can we tell what it may be.... a diagnostics test, how much.... $120. ok. hmm, well if its a possibility that its that serious okay. 4 hours later, I get the, there's nothing wrong with your car, nothing is showing up to be bad we just seen that you had way less coolant in your system than you should have had and we went ahead and flushed your system for you and its okay. Have a good day.

I'm driving home, HEAT! HOT HOT HOT HOT ass HEAT! I go to work that night and still had heat until I got off at midnight and was driving home. A 35 mile drive and my car has no heat. definitely not because it wasn't warmed up. Called back to Honda in the morning to report my issue, so they scheduled me to come in the next morning. I go in, they test it again, run it up and down the street..... burning my gas ......... bring it back, flush the system again for air and say I have heat. okay. so when i get in and drive off... guess what. NO HEAT!!!! fml. the lady then tells me then that the only other explanation is that I have a HEATER CORE clog. okay and how much to fix that? $2200.00
-----ARE THEY FLIPPIN OUT OF THEIR MINDS?!


UGH. so basically I'm wondering. What can I do?
Whats my next step. Everything on my car is working fine, no over heating, no blown off parts, the only problem is I have no heat and definitely not $2200 for this fix.

[psschmied]

Originally Posted by Qwintesenshal3L3M3N7

OMG Where do I start?

Ok, first off let me start off by saying I have a 2004 previously owned element that I purchased in 2009. I have NEVER had a issue out of her once.

11/19/12 . . . NO HEAT!!!! fml. the lady then tells me then that the only other explanation is that I have a HEATER CORE clog. okay and how much to fix that? $2200.00
. . .
UGH. so basically I'm wondering. What can I do?
Whats my next step. Everything on my car is working fine, no over heating, no blown off parts, the only problem is I have no heat and definitely not $2200 for this fix.

Assuming that the AC still works, you have alternatives:

1. Easiest: Long underwear - approx $20

2. Easy: Find another mechanic, get more quotes, hire the best mechanic,

3. Easy: Get a different Element.

4. Not so easy: DIY heater core replacement - approx $200 plus Honda Element Service Manual, plus professional drain and refill of AC refrigerant, plus possible replacement of heater control valve and heater control panel. The fun part is removing the dashboard, in Baltimore, during the winter, in an unheated garage.

Once you get the problem fixed, if you have a future cooling leak, use only pepper or flakes approved by the automobile manufacturer in your cooling system. Unapproved pepper or flakes can clog holes other than the ones you wish to clog, and may not dissolve in cooling system flush compounds.

[Daman858]

Dear Q,
Having lived my entire life in Baltimore until I retired to the beach in SC, I feel your pain.

Your problem MAY (and I stress MAY) be due to the heater controls. I had the same problem in my '07. There are a set of gears in the box just above the gas pedal that open and close the heat vents. If these get dirty, the gears won't turn and you will have no heat. I took the access cover off mine and stuck a tube from my shop-vac up there and sucked out all the dirt and sand that was in there and...viola!!...heat!

Give it a try...you have nothing to loose.

There was a problem with clogged heater cores due to crappy antifreeze in early Es so that still might be the issue.

I will be in Baltimore this Sunday to root on my Ravens!

[kid7629]

got a 06 element, its blowing heat out of the passenger side dash vent but nothing comes out of any of the other vents at all.. and suggestions.. the dealer wanted to replace the heater core... what do u think guys??

[ramblerdan]

Kid7629, if the air coming out of the one vent is hot, then the problem isn't the heater core, and the repair shop is highly suspect.

Sounds like an HVAC door isn't operating. See relevant threads for more.