Heater core leak?

[Mechanicboy]

When I have the HVAC system on my windshield will fog up if it's cold outside, unless I hit the defrost button. If i hit the floor/defrost button and turn the A/C off it fogs, turn the A/C on it goes away. Also last night I decided to defrost then turned the entire HVAC system off and it didn't fog up for the remaining 6 miles or so until I got home. Is my heater core out? Are the LSs' on of the ford cars that need a restrictor installed to stop the heater core from leaking?

 

[joegr]

No, I don't think that you have a heater core leak. Based on my two LSes, you are describing normal operation. When I first start out, the lower part of the windshield will fog up for several seconds, then it is okay.
My Grand Marquises never did this. I think that the difference is that the air control doors on those sealed air tight. On the LS, a little bit of air always leaks past. This causes the window to fog until the AC gets cold enough to dehumidify the air.

 

[Mechanicboy]

SOB, I have to use my A/C all winter to keep my window defrosted? That's BS......... oh well i guess. Anyone else have this as a regular occurrence?

 

[Andrizzle]

I just put on a nice jacket.

Get inside.

Turn car on.

Turn heated seat on.

Sit & wait for car to warm up like 4-5 min.

Pick what music I want to listen to during this.

Turn foot/body heat air on LOW fan setting.

Drive out of neighborhood.

Once on main road, usually close to operating temp. and can turn fan up a couple notches more.

Enjoy the LS.





I hardly ever use the AC

 

[Mechanicboy]

I just put on a nice jacket.

Get inside.

Turn car on.

Turn heated seat on.

Sit & wait for car to warm up like 4-5 min.

Pick what music I want to listen to during this.

Turn foot/body heat air on LOW fan setting.

Drive out of neighborhood.

Once on main road, usually close to operating temp. and can turn fan up a couple notches more.

Enjoy the LS.





I hardly ever use the AC

I have a nice jacket, but I do not have seat warmers. When I turn the settling to feet/defrost it automatically turns the A/C on. You can press the A/C button and turn it off, but then the window fogs back up. If you hit the big defrost button you can't turn A/C off.

 

[milehighmikey]

always override the a/c before it can dehumidify the air, otherwise, the evaporator seems to stay wet. One thing that could help would be to clean your windshield, then wipe it down with rain-x anti fog treatment inside. It really works.

 

[Mechanicboy]

wipe it down with rain-x anti fog treatment inside. It really works.

I was thinking of something like that. You like Rain-X, is there any other that you guys would recommend? Also how should I clean the windshield before, just water and cloth? Any soap?

 

[milehighmikey]

I was thinking of something like that. You like Rain-X, is there any other that you guys would recommend? Also how should I clean the windshield before, just water and cloth? Any soap?

Just get it really clean. Then wipe that stuff over it. It's alcohol and evaporates almost instantly. I used it on a mirror in a bathroom and the mirror would not fog during a shower. Before that treatment, it would fog completely. I never used it in a car though, but it would seem to be a pretty good bet to work well.

 

[tireman]

best cleaning glass routine

get spray bottle or other with hot water and dish soap mix, spray on windshield, NOT WHEN THE WINDSHIELD IS COLD OR YOU WILL CRACK IT! use a sponge and scrub it down good, then rinse with clean water. Then take newspaper (black and white print only) (colored print will smear on the glass), bunch it up in a ball and clean the windshield of all moisture. It will be crystal clear, you do not need any fancy window stuff to clean it. Once clean treat with the rain-x. I personally use the rain-x in the windshield washer of the car. It comes premixed by the gallon.

 

[pektel]

I hardly ever get fogged glass in the LS. Rain science Fog Clear works well. I just keep my windshield glass very clean though.

 

[1bad4.6l]

you said SOB, I have to use my A/C all winter to keep my window defrosted? That's BS.........

You're not living up to you're name here now.

Let me break this down for ya.

The button says DEFROST,,,,,,,, I'll go further,,,,,, DE- as in anti, remove, desecrate from oblivion........

FROST- FROZEN moisture. What does you're AC use to cool the car????,,, It is called an evaporator core [the cold thingy in the dash]. Let's break that down....EVAPORATOR ,,,,Sounds like it might remove moisture from the air huh? So are you gettin it now? When you want to defrost the car you need hot DRY air. Are we closer yet? NO? THE AC RUNS ON ALL NEWER CARS WHEN THE DEFROST IS ON! Sorry but with a name like MECHANICBOY I expected more.

 

[joegr]

I will add that use of the AC on the LS makes very little difference in gas mileage in the summer time, and none that you can measure in the winter time. Why does it make less difference in the winter time? The compressor is a variable displacement design, used in conjunction with the thermostatic expansion valve for the evaporator. This means that the compressor pumps less R-134 when less cooling is needed, so it is very little load on the engine. Forcing the AC to be when defogging or defrosting the windshield is a very good thing, and it has no downside to it. (It doesn't make it take longer to warm up the windshield or the car either. The heat output from the heater core is magnitudes greater than the heat removing ability of the AC.)

 

[1bad4.6l]

Thank you Joe. and don't forget about aerodynamics with the windows up compared to down.

 

[Mechanicboy]

I've never been an A/C fan. My first car, 79' blazer, never worked. Second car, 92' Lincoln town car, blend door didn't work so I manually changed it to heat. Third car, 89' volvo(got it for $50 because I only had to replace the ignition coil to have it) actually had working A/C, but I never used it. My 4th car(which I currently have) is a 06' Fusion and only has A/C for when my daughter and wife are in the car. 5th car was a 03' Eclipse Spyder that I removed the A/C from, after all it was a convertible. The LS is my 5th car and I really don't plan to use the A/C. I've never had a problem with defrost and not using the A/C except on the fusion because when on floor the defrost doesn't reach all of the windshield.

As far as the evaporator, yes I know how the A/C system works I worked on A/C systems in big rigs at my last job. I just don't like it. I feel it come on and it grinds my teeth to know it's running when it shouldn't have to be. I don't care if I only get 0.25MPG better fuel economy, I'll turn it off. Also I've always returned better fuel economy in my cars then the EPA sticker says on the HWY, except for the town car that only got 22MPG, but it had 200k miles.

The way I see it, if your heater isn't defrosting your windshield then the engine isn't warm enough to drive yet. It has always worked for me in the past that's why I thought my heater core was gone. So I'm hoping that cleaning the windshield and the rain-X will work, if it doesn't I still will this it's BS.

 

[LS Gator]

At least you guys have A/C right now to use. Mine only blows intense heat out and needs to be fixed. Luckily I've got a certified ford mechanic as a friend. He says that its the door is jammed one way.

Anyway what I really wanted to talk about. I think my heater core is going out because every once in awhile I get the faint smell of antifreeze and I keep getting a nice film on my windshield. Any thoughts?

 

[jolinc01]

I was thinking of something like that. You like Rain-X, is there any other that you guys would recommend? Also how should I clean the windshield before, just water and cloth? Any soap?

You can also use regular shaving cream as an anti fog agent.

 

[joegr]

At least you guys have A/C right now to use. Mine only blows intense heat out and needs to be fixed. Luckily I've got a certified ford mechanic as a friend. He says that its the door is jammed one way.

Anyway what I really wanted to talk about. I think my heater core is going out because every once in awhile I get the faint smell of antifreeze and I keep getting a nice film on my windshield. Any thoughts?

Your friend is wrong. Just about all other Ford products use an air-temperature-blend door - that is what he's saying is stuck. However, the LS doesn't use one. It has the DCCV (Dual Coolant Control Valve) instead. Coolant leaks into the coils and shorts them out. It is a common failure on the LS. Fortunately, the DCCV is under the hood by the radiator, so you don't have to tear the dash up to replace it.