Hello!

I'm new to this forum, and this is my first post. I bought my second Montero today, after a long year of missing my last one that I regretfully sold. My last was a 1991 Manual, this is a 90' auto. 211K miles. searched for months before I found it, and I think I got a good deal. Pics to come soon. Paid $1100, runs great, drove it 120 miles one way back home in middle TN on the interstate without a single problem. Has some issues needing to be addressed, so here I am, asking for any advice from you all with experience. My last one never had an issue

PERFECT body on it, great paint and everything, interior is a little rough but nothing I can't fix. Anyways, the issues.

Oil coolant line is leaking from where it connects to the block. Not sure if I need to replace to whole hose or just reclamp. I can figure that one out, that's not a big deal to me.

The main concerning issue to me is heat and AC both not working. I don't care about A/C, but heat is needed for defrost and warmth this time of year. I go window power over summer so I don't care about A/C.

It still blows air, but not to any temperature. I felt the hot water tube after driving the 120 miles and it wasn't hot at all, which tells me the valve must be shut off. The carpet was also ripped out. This hints to me the heater core leaked and stunk up the carpet so they pulled it. Also, the fact that there is no water moving in the tube obviously suggests nothing is moving in it. This sounds like heater core, right?

I'm not much of a mechanic. I don't know much about this stuff, but I like learning how so all this I will repair myself. The dumb question I have is how in the world do I reach the heater core? I go behind the glove I believe, and then gotta pull the entire dashboard out don't I? Or how do you all do it? I can't locate any informational videos on youTube or anything as I hoped.

That is the biggest issue is just that. It has a radiator leak, which I'm fixing tomorrow morning. Also leaking coolant somewhere driver side, but I can't find the leak. I will search again tomorrow when it gets light, I just got home and it's too dark right now to look harder. No big deal, I'll figure that out.

So anyone have advice on this heater deal? what kind of mess am I looking at? I hate getting in a dash... Time frame to do it?

That's all the issues it has right now...I hope...everything else is perfect on it. Clean interior, headliner is perfect, dash has not a single crack, seats are nice, just missing the carpet...


Thanks!!!

 

**** dude, you got paragraphs and all. Ill post a hopefully-more-helpful post in the AM at a pc not phone.

 

Sorry man, I got carried away...haha

 

He didn't answer ya...the dash is super easy to take off. 3screws from the instrument cluster with 4 or so wire harnesses. Stereo cluster is 4 screws 1 on each side by feet and 2 above vent controls with the *****. Glove box is 2 screws and mount screws are easily accessible. The core would be best purchased at a yard rather then online, good luck and stay toasty. Check the core for oxidation first BTW green/rusty build up when ya find one. And make it seem like its just a project when buying it, yard owners get somewhat sympathetic when ur experimental.