I put it off long enough. It's not just a weeping leaker any more. It's gushing antifreeze out pretty good. I'm not looking forward to it. One question though: would low antifreeze mess with the idle? I started it up and I had to keep the foot on the gas to keep the jeep running for about 2 minutes. If I took my foot off it would die immediately. Once it was up to temp it was idling fine, but after I turned it off I noticed the antifreeze dripping on the ground under the passenger floor and the carpet had it inside as well. Before this I would just notice the smell of antifreeze when I turned on the heater, and no idling issues. What do garages charge for this job? (ballpark figure) $1000? The heater core is the only piece of the whole system that hasn't been replaced yet. Water pump, thermostat, and rad have been done over the years already. Save the best for last!

 

I was going to do this job myself but decided I would rather not tackle it. I took it to a local shop who completed the job in one day (dropped off at 7am, picked up at 5pm. They replaced the heater core since it was leaking and for good measure, I had them put in a new A/C evaporator. All new foam and seals, too. Total cost was $700.35 with $420 of that being labor.