Heater Core Replacement Dodge Ram Van II

Removal & Installation

1. Drain engine coolant. Disconnect negative battery cable. Disconnect heater hoses at heater core. Plug heater core tube openings. Remove steering wheel cover. Remove lower reinforcement from under steering column. Remove right side cowl.
2. Remove bolt from passenger side cowl to instrument panel. Loosen 2 brackets supporting heater housing. Remove instrument panel mid-reinforcement trim molding. Remove lower passenger side instrument panel mounting screws. Disconnect vacuum lines at brake booster.
3. Remove 4 heater housing mounting nuts. Pull lower passenger side instrument panel toward passenger compartment until it reaches passenger seat. Disconnect blower motor, resistor and temperature control cable. Remove hanger strap from package and bend rearward.
4. Remove package tray rearward from instrument panel. Remove from vehicle. Remove 13 cover mounting screws. Remove heater core and housing. Reverse procedure for installation. (Scheme 9)

1. Disconnect battery ground. Drain radiator. Remove heater hoses from heater core. Disconnect temperature control cable from heater core cover and blend-air door crank. Disconnect vent cable. Disconnect blower motor wiring.
2. Remove 2 screws fastening heater assembly to side cowl. Remove 4 nuts attaching heater assembly to instrument panel. Lift heater assembly out of vehicle. Remove heater core cover.
3. Remove 2 screws attaching heater core to bottom of heater housing. Remove heater core. To install, place heater core in housing and tighten attaching screws. Reverse removal procedures to complete installation. (Scheme 7)

Heater Assembly (Van Models). Scheme 7

Removal

1. Disconnect battery ground. Remove water hoses on engine side. Plug hoses and inlets. Remove right cowl side trim panel (if equipped). Remove glove box by removing 4 mounting screws at base. Swinging out from the bottom to avoid catch and stops.
2. Remove structural brace through glove box opening. Remove right half of instrument panel lower reinforcement. Disconnect ground strap.
3. Disconnect control cables. Disconnect blower motor wires on engine side. Remove wires from resistor block. Remove screw retaining heater to cowl. Remove attaching nuts on engine side. Remove heater assembly.
4. Remove 15 screws and mode crank door to separate cover from housing. Carefully slide heater core out. Peel back instrument panel seal below cover. Remove retaining screws and remove cover from blower motor assembly. Separate fan from motor and motor from the housing.

Installation

1. To install, position heater assembly in instrument panel and install retaining nuts on engine side. Install cowl side retaining screws. Connect blower motor and resistor block wires. Connect control cables. Install right side lower instrument panel reinforcement.
2. Install structural brace through glove box opening. Install glove box. Install right cowl side trim panel (if equipped). Unplug inlets and water hoses. Connect hoses to inlets. Connect battery ground. Test system operation. (Scheme 8)

Heater Assembly (Pickup and Ramcharger). Scheme 8

1. Discharge system using a manifold gauge set. Drain engine coolant. Disconnect battery fusible link. Disconnect heater hoses at heater core. Plug heater core tube openings.
2. Disconnect vacuum lines at brake booster and heater control valve. Remove expansion valve and condensate drain tube. Remove nuts retaining evaporator heater assembly at instrument panel.
3. Remove wire connector from resistor block. Push out dash grommet and feed wire through grommet hole into passenger compartment.
4. Remove right lower instrument panel cover. Remove 7 screws retaining steering column cover. Remove cover. Remove 3 screws retaining lower steering column reinforcement. Remove steering column reinforcement. Remove instrument panel silencer (if equipped).
5. Remove right side cowl and sill trim. Loosen 2 brackets supporting lower edge of A/C and heater housing. Remove trim from middle reinforcement. Disconnect electrical connections at heater or A/C unit and blower motor. Disconnect fresh air duct.
6. Pry pillar garnish from door opening weatherstrip at panel bolt. Pull weatherstrip off body. Remove lower panel from vehicle. Remove evaporator heater unit hanger strap, and position out of the way. Pull unit rearward and remove from vehicle.
7. Place evaporator assembly on bench as it sits in vehicle. Remove screw retaining vacuum harness. Feed harness through hole in cover. Remove 13 screws from cover. Remove cover and temperature control door.
8. To remove temperature door from cover, remove nut and lever from door shaft. Remove evaporator and heater core.
9. To install, reverse removal procedure. Take care that vacuum lines do not hang up on accelerator or become trapped between unit and instrument panel. (Scheme 9)

Removing Heater and Evaporator Cores (FWD). Scheme 9

1. Disconnect battery ground. Discharge refrigerant from system using a manifold gauge set. Disconnect heater hoses at heater core and plug openings. Remove condensation tube. Move transfer case and/or gearshift levers away from instrument panel. Remove right cowl side trim panel (if equipped). Remove glove box by removing mounting screws and swinging box out from bottom.
2. Remove structural brace through glove box opening. Remove ashtray. Remove right half of lower reinforcement by removing 7 screws attaching it to instrument panel and one to cowl side trim panel. Disconnect radio ground strap. Remove center and floor distribution ducts.
3. Disconnect temperature control cable through glove box and tape out of way. Disconnect vacuum lines from extension on control unit and unclip vacuum lines from defroster duct. Remove blower motor connector from resistor block. Remove blower motor connector from engine side.
4. Disconnect vacuum lines on engine side, making sure that grommet is free from instrument panel. Remove screw attaching evaporator-heater assembly to cowl side sheet metal. Remove evaporator-heater assembly. Plastic instrument panel may have to be flexed outward. To install, reverse removal procedure. Evacuate and recharge A/C system. Test system operation.

1. Disconnect battery ground. Discharge refrigerant system using a manifold gauge set. Place water-proof material over alternator. Clamp off heater hoses and disconnect them from heater core. Disconnect refrigerant line from expansion valve. Remove 2 screws from filter-drier bracket and swing plumbing toward center of vehicle. Cap all openings.
2. Remove temperature control cable from cover. From inside vehicle, remove glove box. Spot cooler and trim panel. Through glove box opening and under instrument panel, remove evaporator-heater housing attaching screws. Remove 2 screws from flange connection to blower housing. Carefully remove evaporator-heater housing from vehicle.
3. Place housing on bench. Be careful not to damage condensate drain tube. Remove cover from housing. Remove screw from under hose attachment plate and pull evaporator core from housing. To install, reverse removal procedure. Evacuate and recharge A/C system. Test system operation.

1. Disconnect battery ground. Drain radiator. From under vehicle, disconnect inlet and outlet hoses from heater. Remove nuts that mount heater to floor pan. Disconnect heater blower motor wiring. Remove heater from vehicle.
2. Remove screws that mount heater cover to heater assembly. Remove heater core from cover. Remove blower motor attaching screws. Remove blower motor from heater assembly.

1. To install, position blower motor in heater assembly. Tighten screws. Assemble heater core into heater cover.
2. Position heater cover and heater core assembly in heater assembly. Install mounting screws. Position heater assembly on floor pan. Attach blower motor wiring.
3. From under vehicle, connect inlet and outlet hoses to heater. Install heater mounting nuts. Fill radiator. Connect battery ground. Check system operation.