2002 Chevrolet Tahoe Logo
Posted on May 28, 2009
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02 tahoe water pump coolant smell to thundergod

Yes i do have residue on the passenger side carpet...the water pump was changed last year or year before are you talking about that repair or the mainfold repair?

  • merciergal72 May 29, 2009

    thank you for your advice. i do need to decide where I am going to have this and somee tips would be helpful. THe dealer is charging $1200 to fix the part only cost under 200 so...I am wondering if Ishould have this replaced at a radiator shop which charges 500. the aftermarket part they say is the exact same part as the ac delco made by the same company so he says do waste my money on a gm part unless I really wnat to. What is your suggestion and are there any other things I should be aware of when not taking it to the dealer?



    also...since the car has 180k is there anything else that I should have looked at while they are taking my car apart that would be the next "weakest" thing to go

  • Anonymous May 11, 2010

    Just found this post browsing at random...Don't remember where I left off, but I believe I was speaking about manifold replacement, and its proximity to and connection with heater hoses... As I said...Core may have been damaged, but, unless you physically examine it you can't determine why it leaks. Where the leak is, is important. But in fairness, even if leaking from the inlet tube, who broke it, how, and exactly when are not easy to prove. Just like in a courtroom, what you think without solid evidence does not count. And, in the end, if it turns out it is leaking from the inner core, you will look very silly, especially if you make accusations before having facts or evidence!!!. You need it repaired...do that and decide where you want to go with it later!!!

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  • Chevrolet Master 6,982 Answers
  • Posted on May 29, 2009
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Check a private shop out by asking around and seeing what people that have used them think. There are only a few manufacturers of heaters, and Just about every car company outsources them. The reason that the job is expensive is that nearly the entire dashboard needs to come apart to remove it. (in my opinion the engineers are morons...old designs were far more easily serviced except for corvette...one took me 13hrs to do and I swore I'd never do another one!!!) When actually doing the job, close attention must be paid to all electrical connections for everything in general and servo "motors" that operate the heater doors. I've often seen a core replacement result in ancillary electrical problems if it's not done carefully. In the financial bind most dealerships find themselves in , most are trying to "wring" every dollar out of every job...Find a good private shop with a good reputation and techs that don't double talk or evade your questions and you should be fine. NO peppy boys or "discount" chain shops...they just can't do this work.
With the miles you stated, attention needs to be paid to routine service, with an eye to leaks, noises "odd " things you see and hear. It appears you are doing this already. Just keep it up.
I do a "look around" every few weeks and coupled with the use of synthetics, get over 350K out of everything I own.
Good Luck!!!

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If you need further help, I’m available over the phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/oscar_403cc49e0f00cda7

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