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• Generic Heater Core Replacement Procedures

Heater Core Replacement Procedures

1996 - 2005 Ford Taurus / Mercury Sable
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Heater Core Replacement (Compliments of AutoZone)

 

 Time-Saving Tips 

Before you begin the heater core replacement procedures, please take a few minutes to watch this time-saving video. Although the vehicle in the video is a 2001 Ford Taurus, the tip should also apply to all 1996 - 2005 Taurus and Sable. If you decide to use this tip on your own vehicle, the time to replace your heater core should be reduced by several hours.

Also, check out another alternate time-saving procedure which the author claims to save several hours.

And you might also like the time-saving procedure in this report from Mobile Air Conditioning Society Worldwide.

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NOTE: The following procedure is available on the AutoZone website under the Repair Procedures Section for the 2002 Taurus and Sable. There is an abundance of information for your specific vehicle on the website. Simply register for a free account on the AutoZone site for access. We have included only the procedure for the 2002 Taurus. This procedure should be adequate for all Taurus models from 1996 through 2005. However, we encourage you to make use of this great free resource to get the exact procedures for your specific model year to ensure total compatibility with your model. 

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Heater Core Removal   (2002 Taurus and Sable) 

1. Disconnect the negative battery cable. 

3. Lock the steering column.

4. Remove or disconnect the following: 

• SRS bolt covers from both sides of the steering wheel
• SRS module-to-steering wheel bolts
• SRS module and disconnect the electrical connector
• Steering wheel bolt and discard it

Figure 1.  Exploded view of the SRS module and the steering wheel assembly

5. Press the steering wheel from the steering column. 

6. Lower steering column shaft bolt

7. Lower instrument panel cover-to-instrument panel screws and unsnap the lower cover from the instrument panel

Figure 2.  Exploded view of the instrument panel

8. Turn ignition switch to the RUN position

9. Insert a ¹ / ₈ in. (3mm) wire or pin punch in the lower steering column shroud hole, under the ignition switch; then, press on the pin while pulling out on the ignition switch lock cylinder and remove it from the steering column lock cylinder housing.

10. Remove or disconnect the following: 

• 3 steering column shroud screws and the shrouds
• Shift control selector lever boot
• Gearshift lever pin from the manual control lever and remove the lever
• Wiring connector at the bottom of the steering column and remove the wiring from the column, (if equipped with an overdrive lockout switch on the manual control lever)
• Electrical connectors

Figure 3.  Detach the electrical connectors

• Multi-function switch screws and move it aside
• Shift indicator cable from the shifter tube
• Shifter indicator-to-column adjustment cable screw
• Interlock cable and actuator (if equipped with a column shift)
• 4 steering column-to-instrument panel bracket nuts and steering column
• Push pins and the lower instrument cover from the passenger-side instrument panel reinforcement
• Console finish panel

 

11. Under the steering column, remove the 2 instrument panel brace screws, the courtesy lamp socket, the 2 Diagnostic Link Connector (DLC) screws and the instrument panel brace.

12. If not equipped with an Electronic Automatic Temperature Control (EATC), disconnect the electrical connectors and the vacuum harness from the evaporator housing and the blower motor as shown in Figure 2.

 Figure 5.  Manual (Non-EATC) air conditioning/heater equipped vehicles disconnection points-Taurus and Sable

 

13. If equipped with an Electronic Automatic Temperature Control (EATC), remove the sensor hose/elbow and disconnect the electrical harness connectors and the vacuum hose harness from the evaporator housing, as shown in Figure 3.

 

Figure 6.  EATC equipped vehicles disconnection points for Taurus and Sable

 

14. Insert the Radio Removing tools 415-001into the integrated control panel faceplate; then, push the tools in approximately 1 ¹ / ₂ in. (38mm) to release the retaining clips. Spread the tools slightly and pull the integrated control panel from the instrument panel.

Figure 7.  View of the integrated control panel

15. Remove or disconnect the following: 

 

 

Figure 8.  On floor shift vehicles, remove the console center finish panel

 

 

 

Figure 9.  On column shift vehicles, remove the finish panel from around the integrated control panel

 

 

 

Figure 10.  Unsnap the upper finish panel from the instrument panel

 

 

Figure 11.  If equipped with autolamps, detach the light sensor amplifier

 

 

Figure 12.  Remove the instrument panel finish end panel

 

Figure 13.  Instrument panel-to-cowl panel mounting

16. Drain the cooling system into a clean container for possible reuse

 17. Remove or disconnect the following: 

• Heater hoses from the heater core and plug the openings
• 4 air conditioning electronic blend door actuator-to-heater/air conditioning housing assembly screws and the actuator

 

• Metal cover, disengage the spring from the heater core cover and from the lever

 

• Gently, depress the locking ramp and remove the lever from the secondary air temperature control door end

Figure 15.  Secondary air temperature door connections

18. Rotate the primary air conditioning air temperature control door shaft downward, swing the metal link counterclockwise and remove it from the pin.

 

 

Figure 16.  View of the temperature control mechanism

 

19. Remove the 3 heater core cover-to-heater/air conditioning housing assembly screws, the cover and the seal.

20. Press on the heater core tubes and remove the heater core from the heater/air conditioning housing assembly. 

Figure 17.  Exploded view of the heater core

 

 

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