Rear heating lines as a leak risk?

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palmerwmd
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Rear heating lines as a leak risk?

Postby palmerwmd » Mon Apr 26, 2021 7:00 pm

Its been said before on this forum that those r51s that have a rear AC/heater, are at risk from embrittlement and subsequent breakage and coolant loos in rear heating lines.
Where can one see and inspect those?

How much labor would it be to prophylactically replace them?


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palmerwmd
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Re: Rear heating lines as a leak risk?

Postby palmerwmd » Mon Apr 26, 2021 7:07 pm

PS; I dont have any leaks right now.
But the thought that I may compromise my mechanical reliability and lose coolant at an inopportune moment bugs me.

Questions
1) If those lines get capped one will only lose rear heat not AC correct?
2) If rear heat is not used will that limit potential coolant loss? I am thinking of a situation in hot summer driving.

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Re: Rear heating lines as a leak risk?

Postby smj999smj » Sat May 01, 2021 1:16 am

If the coolant lines get capped, which there is really no reason to do, you will lose heat, not A/C. Frequency of rear heater use makes no difference. Sand and dirt get stuck between the pipes and the rubber insulator at the brackets, which scatches through the pipe over time and makes it leak. A quick fix is to cut out the section and install a section of heater hose, but it needs to be insulated from the heat of the exhaust. Proper fix would be to have a new section of pipe put in to replace the bad section. They have kits at the dealers and some independent shops to do this. It's not a real common problem, but it does happen to some.

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Re: Rear heating lines as a leak risk?

Postby palmerwmd » Sat May 01, 2021 9:33 am

If its not too common thats good.
I am trying to minimize any future threat to my reliability and the thought of losing coolant in this way was a concern.
Especially after I invested in a new radiator, new thermostat and hoses in the hope of making my coolant system very resilient.

I am toying with the idea of taking the car to death valley in summer, maybe 1st week of August.

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Re: Rear heating lines as a leak risk?

Postby ShipFixer » Fri May 07, 2021 9:54 am

This is the only thing I actively monitor on my truck, I get under it with a flashlight occasionally to check the heater lines. I've had the A/C lines repaired once back in 2012.

One option is to carry JB Water Weld. I don't know about very long term if it's near the exhaust, but I think it would get me home if I started dripping coolant out the back while I'm way out in the Sierra Nevadas or something.

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Re: Rear heating lines as a leak risk?

Postby palmerwmd » Fri May 07, 2021 1:34 pm

ShipFixer wrote:
Fri May 07, 2021 9:54 am
This is the only thing I actively monitor on my truck, I get under it with a flashlight occasionally to check the heater lines. I've had the A/C lines repaired once back in 2012.

One option is to carry JB Water Weld. I don't know about very long term if it's near the exhaust, but I think it would get me home if I started dripping coolant out the back while I'm way out in the Sierra Nevadas or something.
I still dont really know where they are or how to inspect them.
Can anyone help out with pics?

I was a a decent independent yesterday for an alignment and he said "all looked good" after I told him about the concern, but I think he views me a bit as a car hypochondriac.

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Re: Rear heating lines as a leak risk?

Postby smj999smj » Sat May 08, 2021 12:29 am


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Re: Rear heating lines as a leak risk?

Postby palmerwmd » Sun May 09, 2021 11:05 am

smj999smj wrote:
Sat May 08, 2021 12:29 am
This should help you out:
https://autocheckauto.ca/articles/pathfinder/
Great reference thanks! :D


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