so my stubborn DH bought a 2002 Volvo S60 last year without properly checking everything. including the fact that the heater does not work.

It looks as though when i called around mechanics, they mentioned it could be do with the heater core??? or the heater hose?
how many heater hose or hoses are involved. and if it IS the heater core how much are we talking about to get it replaced.

I live in San Antonio. TX.

 

when i say the heater does not work, it blows out cold air rather than warm/hot air.
AC works just fine.

 

what does the cars temperature gauge inside the car read??? my first guess would be a thermostat stuck in the open position not allowing for hot air and only allowing cold air to blow! if it were the heater core you would smell the anti-freeze which has a smell like pancake syrup, post back your findings and good luck if it is the thermostat that is an easy fix!

 

how are you making out with the heater issue??? keep us posted so we can help you should you need us!

 

guys I posted a pic here:

IMG_20121209_085152 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Does anyone know what kind of hoses are missing? is this supposed to be the inlet and outlet hoses for the heater? please advise....

 

after looking at the picture and doing some thinking, I believe these hoses have something to do with the heater core....while I am not positive I am trying to find a diagram that could assist in finding this out, in addition I do believe that someone on this site will be able to assist with this...just hang tight and lets see if we can get you the answers!

 

Looks like some one has removed the heater core hoes from the heater core. Some where on the engine side of thing you should be able see some heater hoses that are looped/connected together so that the cooling system circuit is complete.

 

does the whole dash need to be removed in order to get to the core? and if so, how much of a big job is it for a mechanic to replace the core and fit in the missing heater hoses on this old car?

 

I am wondering if they removed the hoses due to the heater core having gone bad....if the hoses were left you would have smelled the anti-freeze as well as have it leak into the car...so it makes sense that these hoses were removed....they can be replaced however if the heater core is bad you may have another set of issues....it is still worth fixing after all it is a VOLVO!!!

 

quite possibly. and that's why it will cost us $600 PLUS to get the heater core replaced and to fit in new inlet and outlet hoses. We are now contemplating to just sell the car rather than fix it cause it's not like were going to get that money back!

 

even without the hoses attached to the core and the core is definitely bad...usually there would be a leak on the mats right? well....there has been no leak, is this because no hoses are attached?

a coworker here says he works on cars before (not VOLVO) and says usually the core sits under the clove box....this may not be the case for a 2002 Volvo S60....

 

If the hoses are not attached, which they aren't as evidenced by your picture, there won't be a leak. There is no coolant getting to the heater core, therefore it cannot leak.

The heater core is not by the glovebox, its under the center of the dash.

 

crap.

 

I would not sell the car, volvo's will last forever...however they are not cheap if you need some work done and are unable to work on cars yourself...this site helps people from all walks of life be able to fix and work on their volvos! how many miles do you have on your car? what state are you in? if you are really wanting to sell your car I would post on this site as people on this site are more knowledgeable about this make car, I am sure you could find someone however they are very good car and in my OPINION would be a mistake to sell the car just cause it cost you $600 to replace the heater core and the hoses, you could have picked up a heater core for $155 and the hoses from $70 to $110, the labor is mostly what you paid for. I live in Delaware and I know a few people who could be interested in the car if you want to send me a p.m. the information! just have your husband do some reading on this site...it will help!

 

The car has just over 140,000 miles, new tires, peeling window tints, broken driver door handle, broken driver seat mechanism to move it back and forth (i'm short so it only fits my husband's leg length).

I called one place here that can get the parts and have it warrantied in case anything goes wrong with it. If I were to buy the parts online and just get the guy to install it and if the parts go bad in future he will not be responsible for it etc....

I asked if we can pay by installments but he said not possible. So it looks like we will have to save for that $600 on our low wage. oh well.

we are in San Antonio TX. where the heater is not needed in the couple of months time, but still I want to get it fixed just so we are able to sell it for a decent price.

If we sell the car as is, we'll probably only get $2000 most, if not that, then probably $1000!!!!! when OH bought is for $3000 ARRRRGGGHHHH

 

can your husband turn a wrench?? if so he can do the job himself...do a search on this site for replacing the heater core and it will give you instructions on how to replace it, everything you have wrong is minor and can be fixed rather easily....in addition it will save you a ton of money doing it yourself unless you have a friend who is a mechanic and will do things for you cheap!! I have spent $2,000 over the last 7 months on my car and now I DO NOT have to worry about anything major going wrong with my car....I replace the timing belt twice, starter, upper and lower ball joints, tie rods.....these cars will LAST FOREVER if you do the up keep, yes they can be expensive to repair at times that is why you should have your husband do some reading on this site and he can pretty much do the work himself!! Good Luck and I hope all goes well for you!

 

I figured this thread would be a good place to start.
My 2003 2.4 S60 has had a slow coolant leak for about a year which seams to be getting worse. Now the cabin heater is blowing hot then cold then back to hot again. I'd like to start diagnosing the source of the leak and could use some help. Thanks, JB