So I have a 2002 Diamante VR-X and I have the good old heater core problem, but I have been reading around and I have heard that in alot of situations its just the oring. I was wondering if there were any actaul symtom differences between the two or are they the same thing basically? and does anyone have a good web page with directions to change it out or can give me a good clear set? thanks guys and gals

no easy way ... the dash has to come out to reach the heater

if you ask a wrecker or radiator repairer
they can tell you how to get to the heater core

ouch... whats it cost to have someone else do it?.. approximately?

get a written quote thats the safe way
so ring around for the best price
might be approx $300 from a radiator repairer

they know what they are doing :clap:

oh thank god I've hear quotes all the way up to 900!!! but that was from a stupid General Mechanic... BF Goodrich or something like that I dunno. well 300 is still spendy but a hell of a relief from 900.

I gotta fix her tranny first tho haha. this car is being kinda a pain in the ****. and I don't trust myself with a tranny so Im takin it in. it gives the nutral blinking light so I know its the tranny and it feels like it completely skips first gear. when I hit the gas, not even hard mind you, it just bogs. The weird thing is it seems to be intermintent. like I braught it to the mech for a check up on it and they didn't know what to do so they said take it to the dealership, but on my way back home with it, it ran like a beauty! so I called em back and was like hey, did you reset the coding or somthing cuz it runs perfect now. and they were bewildered and said nope... so its been sitting for a couple weeks while I build up some cash for the fix. Ill fix the heater core after I get some more cash hahaha.

got any good insight on this one?

you undo the battery terminals to reset the computers

with the auto It may need an oil and filter change


heater
you can blank off the heater hoses and clamp them firm

or join the 2 heater hoses with a copper pipe joiner in the engine bay

note : clamp them well so they dont leak

until you have the cash to fix the heater

well we just got an oil filter and oil change less than 100 mi ago so its not that haha. but I will have to try to unplug the terminals cuz its just in fail safe mode right now. maybe that will help... hopefully. anyway thanks for the insight. you got a diamante?

Sounds like your having the same issue as I am......Read my post, I am waiting for replies as well.

After a ton of research, I have narrowed it down to the ECU and/ or the tranmission relays, ALL CAUSED by the leaking heater core.

Now I am just in need of finding out where the ECU is located on this car.

HI and welcome to the forum

the ECU is above the passengerside kick panel wall about glovebox height

the TCU is located on the floor behind the radio under the carpet

the auto problem if it is in fail safe may well be the TCU(transmission coumputer unit )

so in that case is there an easy way to fix it? I pulled the cords off the batt. to reset the ecu and it stayed in fail safe so that didn't help. how much does an ecu cost? another quick question. we left the car sitting for like a month while we were trying to figure it out and save money and stuff and the brake rotors got a little rusty and scrape when the I moved the car outside today. will that just rub off in time or do I have to get new brakes? :( thanks for all the help agian guys

brake rust will come off without needing new brake pads

dont know american prices in australia wreckers ask AU $75 for an ECU orTCU

alright awesome! thank you so much for the help we took it in today and they said that was was the relay for the tcu and it was just a piece to plug in and it would cost like 75 bucks for the diagnostics, labor and part so yeah not too bad beings I was expecting to have to fix or replace the trany.