Cold Heater

[Longun 1]

My heaters have gone cold and won't get hot. The air gets a little bit warmer than the outside air. All temps seem ok and the water is hot. The car runs up to the fan temp fine and that works ok. I've check the two bleeds and it doesn't seem like there is an air block as water is comming out of both and is as hot as I'd expect the water to be.

 

Does the system need to be bled from the coolant expansion or what ever its called or from one of the two nipples? as I did it from the nipple on the heater matrix and the one on the top right of the block but these aren't the highest point in the engine as the coolant expansion is, should I be bleeding the system with the cap off?

 

Anything else that can cause this. I know a head gasket can cause loss of heat but the car is perfect apart from this issue.

 

Thanks all

[Guest SmokingMesaMan]

Wet carpets?

[Longun 1]

Ah didn't check that. Altho its not loosing water so I think the matrix itself is ok. I'll double check tho thanks.

[Higgy 0]

Mine broke on Christmas Eve :-(

 

Spent most of the day outside in the cold, removing the lower half of the dashboard just to even see the plastic case of the heater.

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

Spent most of the day outside in the cold, removing the lower half of the dashboard just to even see the plastic case of the heater.

You don't need to strip the dash that much to do a heater matrix, I just take the drivers low dash panel off & the centre console but some people leave the centre console in.

 

Following the Haynes manual for this job is actually one of the worst things you can do apart from the basic's.

 

Graham.

[Guest SmokingMesaMan]

Mines got wet carpets and the Matrix doesn't appear to be bypasses and I'm NOT losing water. Maybe it's plugged up with crap in it? Need to get mine sorted ASAP, along with the SAD and exhaust manifold.

 

Where is the best place to buy a new Matrix kit? Anyone "on the high street" or is it all mail order? (not paying Peugeot's prices!)

[hengti 2]

Have you got a GermanSwedishFrench or Eurocar parts local to you?

 

About £40 I think

 

It's worth taking the old one out first, to check if the core is leaking. I thought mine was shot, but took it out and found it was still sound - it was leaking from the point where the alloy pipes are screwed into the matrix. If you've a similar problem, you might just get away with renewing the seals (re. the part number I quoted on your similar thread)

[spikey_richie 0]

What's the verdict then Joe?

[Longun 1]

Not check it yet tonight. Don't think the matrix is leaking but can it fail in other ways?

 

Also whats the best method for bleeding a 205's water system?

 

The car has been great tho Rich. I love it to bits Altho its now eating tyres since changing the clutch

[Banjo 1]

To bleed the system I normaly run the car at a fast idle with the cap off and open up the bleed screws till all the airs out, you might need to squeeze the top hose aswell. If you need a hand mate give me a shout as i'm off work till after new year, we should have a little Gloucestershire meet like we keep saying!

Ben

[Longun 1]

Cheers Ben will try bleeding again with the cap off.

 

Yea will have to get together. I'm working all this week now so maybe a weekend just after new year?

[rich_w 0]

i can't turn up to that one as i will be working on me car along with andy and will be fliddling with his as well.

[vikgti 0]

Car off open bleed nipple on heater hose and fill header until constant water is flowing from bleed point. Refit bleed nipple then adjust header level and start car with cap off but with heater blower on hot and fan on until warm air inside of car and top hose get's warm checking level then refit header cap.

[Longun 1]

^Star

 

Thanks.

[Higgy 0]

You don't need to strip the dash that much to do a heater matrix, I just take the drivers low dash panel off & the centre console but some people leave the centre console in.

 

Following the Haynes manual for this job is actually one of the worst things you can do apart from the basic's.

 

Graham.

 

I was at me parents with no internet, so I thought I would follow Haynes advice :-(

 

Now I'm back in Oxfordshire, I checked the forum, and now I know how to do it.

 

Just a pain I got to put dash back together in this weather, plus all the scrappys are shut at the mo!

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

All the scrappys are shut at the mo!

Why do you want a scrappy?

 

Get a new one, for all the trouble they are to fit is it really worth fitting a second hand one that might leak straight away if you damage it during removal or in a week or two & you need new seals for the pipes where they go into the matrix or it can leak from these.

 

Graham.

[GLPoomobile 958]

Why do you want a scrappy?

 

Get a new one, for all the trouble they are to fit is it really worth fitting a second hand one that might leak straight away if you damage it during removal or in a week or two & you need new seals for the pipes where they go into the matrix or it can leak from these.

 

Graham.

 

 

I think I would agree with this. They are about £40 from Neat Autos, but I paid £15 for mine as I was skint. Bearing in mind the time delay, sending a cheque to seller, waiting for it to clear, waiting for the matrix to turn up, plus the ballache with a missing nut and the O rings not sealing again, I wish I had bought new one.

 

So, before you refit a matrix, make sure all 4 captive nuts are in place (where the two pipes connect), and put a load of instant gasket around the O rings on the pipes.

[Longun 1]

Update. Help still needed please.

 

Re bled the system and I'm sure its loosing water as it took about 1L. It seemed to release air from the rear bleed on the top pipe from the heater matrix before flowing water out.

 

Anyway ran it right upto fan on temp and the heaters were luke warm at best. Turned them off for a few mins then back on and they seemed to be a bit hotter but soon lowered in temp. I think I am looking at a faulty matrix but could it be anything else? All pipes are hot water is flowing fine as you can see it pouring back into the coolant expansion tank fine and the level with the engine running right up to temp stayed level maybe getting a bit higher as the temp raised but never flowing over. The rad is hot all the way across top and bottom so I'm averagely sure the flow is good.

 

My main question is would a leaking matrix not get as hot? The water running through the system is hot and both pipes out the back of the matrix are hot so in theory the matrix should be blowing hot.

 

Is the top pipe the return and the bottom the feed?

 

Also I've checked the carpets in both drivers and passengers footwell and can feel no moisture at all. Could it leak enough without the carpets getting wet?

 

Last bit of info the temp in car gauges(not reliable I know) dropped when I turn the heaters on if they have been off for a few mins. Is this normal? Could it be a separate issues maybe a bad earth?

 

I was thinking of bypassing the heater matrix to see if the car still losses any water as a test but its too cold so I'd rather not. Is there any other way of me being sure before attempting changing it.

 

Thanks in advance all

Edited December 28, 2005 by Longun

[Richie-Van-GTi 71 2 Cars]

could you have a faulty cap dumping the coolant as thats normally around a litre that goes under pressure? Wouldnt explain the heater issue though.

[spikey_richie 0]

I replaced the coolant in about august joe, and it seemed okay then. must have sprung a leak...

[Longun 1]

I've just moved the car to a clean bit of road so I'll be able to see if anything is coming out when I check later. Where I'd bled the system the floor was wet from spillage so can't eliminate it yet.

 

Rich, its just part of the fun of 205 ownership Each day there is a new niggle. The car runs fine so I've been using it still

Edited December 28, 2005 by Longun

[spikey_richie 0]

Well as long as it keeps you busy... she's showing you who's boss!

[GLPoomobile 958]

This is baffling!

 

If the matrix was leaking, it would be very easy to spot it dripping down without having to rely on waiting for the carpets to get wet.

 

Trust me. The water flows through quite quickly so even the smallest leak will have water dripping quickly, which you will be able to see easily if you have the lower section of the center console removed.

 

Also, A lack of water should not substantially lower the temperature blowing from the matrix. After I replaced mine I still had leaks (mainly from the thermostat housing, having removed that for another reason) and I was losing a lot of coolant. It got to about half capacity and you could actually hear the water gargling as it flowed through the metal pipes in and out of the matrix. I still had hot air though.

 

It is kind of normal for the water temp to drop if you have the heater on full blast, because the matrix is just a smaller version of a radiator, so you are sucking, or blowing the heat out of the coolant.

 

I don't really know what to suggest on this, other than a) is the air ducting lined up with the matrix (blowing straight through it)? b ) maybe the temp control knob on the dash is somehow the problem. Maybe it has become shifted and isn't turning to max temp.

[Longun 1]

I'm starting to think it could be the controls altho I've not moved the dial for weeks. You can here stuff moving behind the dash when I move the dial and if I turn it to cold the air does get colder altho not by much. I've check the water this morning after a 50 mile drive yesterday and its kept its level fine, which is just confusing me more.

 

Also the engine temp last night only just got over 3 bars. I know it was flapping cold but I would have thought it would have got a bit higher than that. It was also a pain as it wouldn't get hot enough to defrost the windows until I'd done about 25 miles and even then the edges were still frozen. I'm going to remove the lower part of the center console and take a look at the matrix and see how hard it is to remove the center controls and take a look at the ducting. Thanks for the advice

Edited December 29, 2005 by Longun

[ALEX 98 1 Cars]

I've just had the same problem with mine.

It turned out to be that the thermostat was suck open.

New ones are only £6+vat and easy to change.

I had a choice of two. for different temperatrues one for winter or one for hotter climates.