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Heater Matrix Replacement

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Found out my Heater Matrix is leaking. Took the lower cover off this morning to find it full of Antifreeze. I have ordered a new one so just waiting for delivery.
Can anyone advise me when it comes to the removal of the coolant hoses from the Heater Matrix so i don't lose to much coolant and when it comes to the reconnection of the hoses.
How do i go about topping back up the coolant so i don't get any airlocks.
Your help much appreciated.
 
the best way to not loose all the coolant out of the engine, or not much, is to remove both heater matrix pipes off the bulkhead at the same time, join them together with some 15mm copper plumbing pipe....
but you will probably make a big mess, and should ask yourself when did your coolant last get changed, and for the sake of 20quid, you may aswell avoid the stress and just drain it...

i think the matrix itself is alot worse than the coolant loss issue anyway. im sure they are dash out???? Andy_Mk3 ??
 
Thanks for your reply. How do i go about refilling with coolant and how do i make sure i have no air trapped in the system ?
 
Start it, heaters on full on hot, fill it up and top up till the fan kicks in, let it cool down and top up as required. Worked fine on mine.
 
With the engine running and heater on full heat do i keep the yellow radiator expansion bottle cap 'OFF' for this whole period so i can keep topping up as required ?
 
Sorry to ask so many questions as my maintence on cars is limited so thanks for your time in answering them so can i just check the following point.below.
I run the engine as you have described above with the yellow cap off and only replace the yellow cap after electric fan turns off again and when coolant no longer drops in expansion bottle.
 
Cheaper and less hassle to change all the coolant. I personally would give it to a garage to do but to bleed the system you have to leave the engine running to get hot the thermostat opens and opens the loop so water can go through the system and remove air. You'll need to keep topping up the system as the cap should be off the expansion tank so the air can leave. once no more bubbles and the level doesn't drop then cap on and done.


Matrix is being done on mine soon. Dash out.
 
Thanks for your reply. The inlet & outlet hoses to the Heater Matrix really could do with being replaced. I have tryed sourcing new hoses but no luck yet. Has anyone bought replacment hoses and if so from where ?
 
Just get some black silicone hoses mate, will last longer aswell. Contact roose motorsport, they sell singular hoses :)
 
O.K . I can give them a ring to see if they do those hoses for the inlet and outlet of the Heater Matrix. Not fitted Silicone hoses before. If i could get the Part Numbers of the Vauhall hoses i would just get those as they would outlast the rest of the car anyway.
Can anyone help with these hose Part numbers for the Heater Matrix on a Phase 1 Cesaro C18XE (1994 L Reg) ?
 
You should be able to change the heater core without removing the dash as far as I can remember. You can clamp the coolant hoses with special hose clamps to lose a minimal amount of water, you can buy them very cheaply.
 
You should be able to change the heater core without removing the dash as far as I can remember. You can clamp the coolant hoses with special hose clamps to lose a minimal amount of water, you can buy them very cheaply.

Yea i wasn't sure if you could do it in situ or not. Never done it!
 
I am changing mine so will let you know. I dropped the lower cover undoing the 4 attaching screws and having to carefully tear out the foam to allow the covèr to be dropped. It was full of coolant .Suspected something was wrong when i found the carpet in both footwells wet. I have had to put the lower cover back on till i have the time next week to change it. I would still like to change the inlet and outlet hoses to the Heater Matrix if anyone can help with Part Numbers. To help with access the centre console and the R/H lower dashboard attaching bracket i had to removed.
 
Got the Heater Matrix done today. Centre console out and removal of the 4 x 7mm Screws on each corner allowed the lower half of the cover to be dropped away exposing the Matrix. Water inlet and outlet pipes which pass through the bulkhead i removed by jacking the car up and reaching up from underneath. The new Matrix was £25 and installed in reverse as removal. Topped up with coolant and ran with expansion cap off to bleed the system as advised and so far, all seems to be O.K.
I am more than happy to give any further details should anyone need them and thanks for the help i was given before undertaking the task.
 

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