How to Remove the Heater Core in the Chevrolet Venture
by William Boyce
Chevrolet manufactured the Venture mini-van between 1997 and 2005. The Venture is in the same family of vehicles as the Pontiac Trans Sport, Pontiac Montana and Oldsmobile Silhouette. The heater core in these vehicles draws heat energy from the engine coolant and transfer it into the passenger compartment, where it warms the air. The heater core is mounted under the dashboard on the passenger side and is essentially a smaller version of the engine's main radiator. Remember to disable the air bag, if your vehicle has one before, performing this repair.
Drain the Engine Cooling System
Step 1
Deactivate the audio system Theftlock feature by entering the vehicle's code into the stereo. Loosen and remove the negative battery cable from the battery with a box or socket wrench.
Step 2
Let the engine cool before attempting to drain coolant from the radiator. Apply the parking brake and block the wheels. Put the plastic container under the radiator drain plug.
Step 3
Remove the radiator cap. Open the radiator drain on the bottom side of the radiator with your fingers or pliers and let the coolant empty into the plastic container.
Step 4
Open the cooling system bleed screw on the thermostat housing and the bleed screw on the bypass pump with a wrench. The thermostat bleed screw is located on the front left hand side of the plenum as you are facing the engine compartment. The bypass pump bleed screw is to the right of the plenum, where the main coolant hose meets the engine. Tighten the bleed screws after the coolant has drained.
Remove the Heater Core
Step 1
Unclip and remove the air filter and air intake duct. Loosen and remove the oil filler tube with your hand.
Step 2
Remove the console support brace by loosening and removing its bolts with a wrench. Remove the floor air duct from under the dash.
Step 3
Loosen and remove the heater core cover retaining screws with a screwdriver and remove the cover. Remove the screw that holds the heater core pipe clamp to the brace on the firewall with a screwdriver.
Step 4
Loosen and remove the heater core clamp screw and clamp with a screwdriver. Remove the heater core by carefully sliding it out from under the dash.
References
- "Haynes Repair Manual: Chevrolet Venture Oldsmobile Silhouette Pontiac Trans Sport and Montana Automotive Repair Manual;" Bob Henderson, John H Haynes; 2006
- "Car Smarts;" Mary Jackson; John Muir Publications; 1995
Tips
- Never mix orange and green colored coolant types together as they are not compatible with each other.
Things You'll Need
- Wrench set
- Screwdriver set
- Plastic container
- Pliers
- Wheel blocks
Warnings
- Engine coolant is sweet tasting and highly toxic. Never leave puddles or open containers accessible to children, pets or wild animals, and never allow spills to wash away into the environment.
Writer Bio
William Boyce started writing professionally in 2009. His work has appeared on FreePress.net and his own blog. Boyce was a registered professional forester in central British Columbia for 24 years. He has a Bachelor of Science in forestry from the University of British Columbia.
