Veero 1 Posted March 20, 2006 The 1.6 has been pretty good lately with the daily drive until this morning went it popped a coolant hose which sprayed all over the dizzy causing a misfire. Pulled over, great big split in the hose. Mr AA comes out tapes it up and it seems fine, bleeds the valve by the heater matrix and dries out the dizzy, starts ok runs alright, bit spluttery but ok. Normal after it dried out. However now the heater doesnt work. Top pipe into the blukhead by the bleed valve is hot, lower one is warm. All other pipes appear to be filled properly and running temp seems normal. A couple of very steep hills I went up on the way home, floored it a bit and when I got to the top a quick short blast of heat came out the blowers. Do I have a knackered heater matrix or is it just air locked somehow? Garage next door to work is getting me a new hose from Pug since a quick search and phone around revealed the same answer "Go to Pug". Just aaaaargh!! All I need this to last is 4 weeks until I take a week off work to do the Mi16 conversion, which this new and probably £25+ hose won't fit anyway, bah. Sorry, just one of those Mondays Veero Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hengti 2 Posted March 20, 2006 sounds like an air lock still in the system you can bleed system by running the engine up to temp with the expansion tank cap off - squeeze hoses and check bleed screws Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Veero 1 Posted March 20, 2006 Yeah we tried that. A garage right next door to my work ran it up to temp and fiddled with everything but couldnt get the heater to work. Also my flatmate has a 1.9 head apart and there is a car type valve on the plastic cover to the thermostat housing for bleeding on his but on my 205 there isn't one. After I got back home I ran it without the cap on and some bubbles seemed to be coming through, water came out the bleed screw by the bulkead but sitll no heat. The AA man did his crazy gas tester thingy by sucking air out the expansion tank and bubbling it through some testing solution, he said it didn't appear the HG was going/gone and since it's not consuming water or over pressurising the coolant system I assume it's ok. Me = confused Veero Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tom_m 0 Posted March 20, 2006 i guess you've tried squeezing the top hose while running it with the cap off, this can usually clear most airlocks in mine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Veero 1 Posted March 20, 2006 Hmm now you mention it I don't think I squeezed the top hose with the cap off and the engine running. I shall try it in the morning. Cheers Veero Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Veero 1 Posted March 21, 2006 Tried that but no heating yet. I reckon there's a major air lock on the matrix or just a blockage. Hope it's not terminal as heater matrix is whole dash out, crapsocks Hose arrived today, £26. Not the end of the world but a pain in the arse nonetheless. Shame it's not Mi16 compatible which is going in in 3 weeks dammit. Garage wanted to know when to fit it but buggered if I let them do it, 2 minute job changing the hose and refilling. But Ill clean out the SAD while Im at it, hopefully to sort my crappy idling, and maybe pop all the other coolant hoses off to see the condition. The water pipe in the OSF wing is certainly rotten. Is that one ok to replace with just some copper plumbing pipe? Presumably so. They seem to go on eBay for stupid money (even though I beleibe theya re still available from the main dealer) but a copper pipe will be pence or free. Veero Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jackherer 543 Posted March 21, 2006 Tried that but no heating yet. I reckon there's a major air lock on the matrix or just a blockage. Hope it's not terminal as heater matrix is whole dash out, crapsocks you dont have to take the dash out, haynes is full of s*it its actually pretty easy... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fiji bob 0 Posted March 21, 2006 those metal pipes are actually pretty cheap from pug cant remember how much but i remember being pleasantly surprised for once. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Veero 1 Posted March 21, 2006 you dont have to take the dash out, haynes is full of s*it its actually pretty easy... Ah result. Well slight update. Came home tonight, booted it up another couple of hills and the heater works again! But got into Exeter and it started cooling down and stopped giving out any appreciable heat. This is bizarre. I think the matrix just needs a damn good flush out which I will do at the weekend. Fingers crossed that sorts it. Veero Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
d-9 0 Posted March 21, 2006 Dont pull the rest of the hoses off mate, if you do you'll pop another couple next week. They dont like being disturbed. On your car there should be a allen bolt on the top of the thermostat housing, where the pipe that goes to the TB attaches, thats the other bleed screw (they moved it on the late cars coz the allen bolt usually sheers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Banjo 1 Posted March 21, 2006 Whats the temp guage reading? Sounds like thermostat stuck open. Did you have the heater on hot when you bled the system? Ben Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Veero 1 Posted March 21, 2006 Couldn't see any form of bleed on the thermostat housing, but I hadn't moved any of the air intake so it might just be obscured. Yeah I guess best not to tempt fate, need to remove tyhe other heater matrix one tho so I can flush it through and be sure whats going in is coming out. Running temp since the bursting on monday has been slightly lower than normal, with noral behaviour such as rising slightly in traffic then dropping again after moving say 200 yards. Nothing it hasn't done before. No heater wasnt on full when we filled it, is that important? Veero Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
d-9 0 Posted March 21, 2006 To get to it you have to take the plastic thing that holds the HT leads in place off. Yours is probably snapped, most of them are. Sounds like ur heater is just full of s*it or summit Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pug_ham 244 3 Cars Posted March 22, 2006 Does sound like a doidgy thermostat, I just fixed a similar heater problem on a friends carthis weekend. The heater matrix was leaking but it would never get warm before I replaced it & fitted a different thernostat, only 1' difference between the two but now the car has a heater that works again. The wax spring was having no effect & allowing the thermostat to open straight away. See attached image for where the two bleed points should be, the thermostat housing one is often a sheared off plastic one but remooving the pipe that goes to the throttle body does the same thing. Graham. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Veero 1 Posted March 22, 2006 Ah ok, cheers. Ill get a new thermostat today and try it at the weekend. Had intermittent heat on the way into work today as well. Veero Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Veero 1 Posted March 26, 2006 Excellent cheers Graham, swapped thermostat over last night and straight away the heater started working as normal. I've also discoverd what happens when you open the coolant drain plug half a turn too far when you're lying under it Oil and filter change too and now its a happy bunny again Also Halfrauds trade cards are great. oil filter for £2.10 Veero Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
