Expert: Rob Painter - 5/13/2011

Question
How do I locate and replace the heater core in a 2000 Cadillac Deville?

Answer
Hello,

As for locating, just follow the two heater hoses from the engine towards the firewall when under the hood. The heater hoses are easy to identify because they are roughly the size of garden hoses and they run together.
Unfortunately, it is far too long since I have changed a heater core on one of these cars to give you an accurate answer, but I believe you will find it's location under the dash on the passenger side.
For people trying to save money working on their own cars, I think its great! If you are going to do so, you need the proper tools and one of those crucial tools to diagnose and repair your car is cheap, but you need to ave it. That would be the factory service manual. You will find it can cost hundreds of dollars and lots of frustration finding one for an 11 year old car. The manual will save you lots of time and trouble because you are not guessing on the repair and get it right the first time. There is full instruction on where the heater core is located, the procedures needed to replace and the manual covers about anything you will run into. Chilton, Haynes and motors are far too general and they are not cheap either and worse yet, the information will rarely assist specific diagnoses and repair. Mitchell on Demand is OK, but for one specific car, far too expensive. With all of this said, you can do what I do when needing specifics on one year make and model. Go to http://www.alldata.com Pay $30 for membership and download the complete service manual for a year. If something happens to your computer, all you need to do is go to the site, use your password and download on another.
You will find it is the best $30 investment for your car you have ever made!

One other point here. If your have a leaking heater core, make darn sure that when you are done, you suck up all that anti-freeze with a shop vac if you have pets that ride in the car. Animals love the sweetness of anti-freeze and they will lick it and they will die!

Also, if you run that aluminum engine just a little hot where the gauge is getting to the red, this engine literally begins to melt and the first thing that goes is the head gasket(s) and severe engine damage will ensue. Very few people understand this and will run the engine hot and have major problems. Worse yet, all the junkyard engines are junk because they have been over heated, leaving one option, a new crate engine from Cadillac for $4k.

I only warn you that this engine cannot be over heated, even for seconds!

Good Luck!

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